Each year, I like to look ahead and predict what I think will be the most important trends affecting every business over the next 12 months.
As was the case last year, I still believe AI will be the biggest single catalyst of change in 2026. Leveraging the potential of automation, equipping workforces with the skills to succeed and navigating disruption caused by the arrival of intelligent machines will be the biggest challenge facing many organizations.
Beyond that, businesses will find challenges as well as opportunities in the changing economic and political tides and evolving customer behaviors that will define the second half of the decade.
So here are what I believe will be the trends that will have the biggest impact on the way businesses work, solve customer problems and deliver value in the coming year.
AI Agents For Automated Business Processes
In 2026, agents, autonomous AIs that carry out complex multi-step tasks and communicate with third-party services with minimal human intervention, will begin to manage many business processes end-to-end. In finance, for example, this could mean managing invoices, reconciling transactions and chasing up overdue payments, while in HR it could involve onboarding new hires, scheduling training and monitoring employees as they progress through personalized learning programs. Companies that build these agentic workflows will scale more effectively, become more agile, and free up human workers to focus on creative, strategic and customer-facing tasks.
AI-Enabled Products And Services
Beyond simply driving efficiency, the most forward-thinking businesses will begin to create AI-powered products and services, solving customer problems in entirely new ways. While the previous wave of AI transformation saw companies like Amazon and Netflix use AI to create new customer experiences, in 2026, it's about putting AI into customers' hands. Think AI business co-pilots, generative design tools, and language models embedded into TVs and home appliances. Businesses leading the way in 2026 won't just be those that use AI better; they will help their customers use it better, too.
Cybersecurity As A Survival Strategy
Cyber attacks are increasingly in scale and frequency at an unprecedented rate, with the cost to businesses estimated at $10.9 trillion in 2025. Building robust defenses and a security-aware culture from the boardroom to the shop floor is no longer an option; it's an essential strategy. From deepfake-based phishing to agentic DDOS attacks, the threat landscape is evolving fast, and defense alone is no longer an adequate response. In addition, businesses must look to build resilience, giving them the capability to maintain business continuity even after an attack hits home. Technology clearly has a part to play, but every employee must also become part of the firewall, understanding the part they have to play in keeping the business, its information and its customers safe.
The Changing Face Of ESG
In 2026, the ESG landscape is undeniably politically charged and polarized. In the US, anti-ESG rhetoric is gaining ground at a federal level while individual states with more progressive outlooks are pushing ahead with climate and diversity regulations. Rather than backing away, however, forward-thinking organizations will look to separate environmental and social justice concerns from politics and approach them as business opportunities and challenges. Those that show they can drive business growth and also hit ESG goals—for example, lowering transport costs and cutting emissions by switching to EV fleets—will hone their competitive edge while sidestepping agenda politics and culture war.
The AI Skills Dividend
The skills gap has been a hot topic in business technology for some time. In 2026, the narrative is shifting to highlight the benefits being achieved by organizations that have closed it. For example, retail giant Ikea claims to have generated $1.4 billion in new revenue by reskilling employees as AI-augmented interior designers, SoftBank says it cut $24 million of annual costs by developing AI talent in Latin America, while a Google pilot project in the UK found workers can save 122 hours of work a year by adopting AI for administrative tasks. Businesses demonstrating the value of upskilling and reskilling their people will be a key theme in the next year and beyond.
Resilient Business Models
Geopolitical uncertainty, trade disruption, tariffs and technology-driven disruption. None of these are new challenges, but this year could see them coming together to create a perfect storm to scupper any business plans. This is why smart business heads aren’t just planning for success in 2026. Planning for failure and having contingencies in place to press on in the face of defeat is just as important. From building digital twins to simulate worst-case scenarios to implementing back-up supply chains and building redundancy into partner ecosystems, developing resilience will be high on the agenda for every business.
Redefining Leadership In The Age Of Augmented Working
In 2026, leaders aren’t just overseeing people and projects; they're managing augmented teams where humans and intelligent machines work side by side. This means knowing the strengths and limitations of both; fostering both human “soft skills” like creativity, emotional intelligence and teamworking, as well as possessing the digital fluency needed to work effectively with AI. It will be up to human leaders to develop the culture of lifelong learning and organization-wide understanding of ethical AI use that will be needed to thrive. This trend is about ensuring that human workers remain the heart of the business, fully empowered to create the people-centric experiences customers want.
2026 is going to be a year shaped by rapid technological change, shifting customer expectations and new pressures on resilience. The organizations that stay curious, invest in skills and embrace AI-enabled innovation will be the ones that build a strong competitive edge for the future.
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