Baseten AI Wrapped: 3 trends to help you build better in 2026

In 2025, the release of DeepSeek R1 initiated a significant shift in AI production, making open-source models a viable and sometimes preferred option for enterprise applications, as highlighted by Baseten's infrastructure insights for 2026. Reliability has become a critical differentiator in AI applications, especially in sectors like healthcare, where uptime is crucial, prompting a preference for open-source models that offer customization and transparency over closed-source options. Speed has become an essential component of AI products, with developers opting for a mix of large, slower models for complex tasks and smaller, faster models for routine tasks, while performance is increasingly defined by optimized models that reduce latency and improve throughput. The focus on developer experience is vital as the AI engineering community grows, with open-source models providing customizable solutions that match the performance of larger closed-source models, enabling developers to have greater control and visibility over their workflows. As the AI landscape evolves, Baseten emphasizes the importance of infrastructure that supports fast, reliable, and user-friendly AI applications, underscoring the need for reliability, performance, and a seamless developer experience as fundamental requirements in a competitive market.