The retrieval rebuild: Why hybrid retrieval intent tripled as enterprise RAG programs hit the scale wall

Something shifted in enterprise RAG in Q1 2026. VB Pulse data spanning January through March tells a consistent story: the market stopped adding retrieval layers and started fixing the ones it already has. Call it the retrieval rebuild. The survey covered three consecutive monthly waves from organizations with 100 or more employees, with between 45 and 58 qualified respondents per month across platform adoption, buyer intent, architecture outlook and evaluation criteria. The data should be treat