What’s Next for AI in 2026? Info-Tech Outlines Five Critical Enterprise Trends

Info-Tech Research Group has released its highly anticipated AI Trends 2026 report, spotlighting the five pivotal trends set to shape enterprise AI strategies in the year ahead. Drawn from the global research and advisory firm’s Future of IT 2026 survey, the report reveals that organizations are rapidly moving beyond AI experimentation and entering a new era defined by adaptive governance, agent-driven automation, and heightened regulatory readiness.

According to the report, the next wave of AI adoption will hinge on the strength of an organization’s foundational principles, its ability to embed risk management into strategic planning, and its capacity to balance innovation with accountability. With emerging concepts such as vibe coding, sovereign AI, and agentic automation accelerating globally, enterprises are being challenged to modernize IT frameworks and rethink traditional governance models.

"AI is advancing faster than most organizations can adapt their oversight, but leaders now recognize that value and risk are inseparable," says Bill Wong, lead author of the report and research fellow at Info-Tech Research Group. "To prepare for the next stage of AI maturity, our AI Trends 2026 report emphasizes that CIOs must embed foundational AI principles into governance programs, establish risk frameworks that evolve with regulation, and ensure human oversight remains central as agentic systems scale across the enterprise."

Survey findings underscore a widening gap between AI adoption and organizational readiness. While 58% of organizations now embed AI into enterprise-wide strategies—up from 26% in 2025—only 19% report having fully implemented AI governance frameworks. Fewer than one in four regularly measure AI risk maturity, signaling demand for structured principles, risk management programs, and adaptive governance.

Workforce readiness remains one of the most significant barriers to responsible AI adoption. Nearly two-thirds of organizations (63%) report skills gaps in AI governance, data literacy, and leadership alignment, while only 28% have formal training programs in place. Info-Tech notes that sustainable AI maturity will rely as heavily on human capability and organizational design as on technology investment.

Financial commitment to AI is also rising sharply. Almost half of surveyed IT leaders (47%) plan to increase AI budgets by at least 20% or more in 2026, focusing on governance automation, AI risk tooling, and talent development. The trend marks a clear shift from pilot programs to enterprise-scale deployments aimed at measurable business value.

Five AI Trends Shaping Enterprise Strategy in 2026

1. Foundational AI Principles Will Rewrite Organizational DNA
   Organizations are formalizing AI principles that align technology decisions with enterprise values, strengthening transparency, accountability, and ethical design. Nearly 60% of IT leaders expect to introduce or update AI principles next year, and 44% have already embedded Responsible AI guidelines into policies and training.
2. From Copilots to Vibe Coding: AI Will Continue to Reinvent IT
   Generative AI is transforming IT workflows, expanding from copilots to autonomous coding environments. More than half of enterprises (54%) have integrated generative AI into development pipelines, while one in three prepare to pilot AI-driven “vibe coding” or autonomous code generation in 2026.
3. Agentic AI Will Come of Age and Power the Exponential Enterprise
   Agentic AI systems—capable of reasoning, planning, and action—are moving from research into enterprise deployments. While 64% of organizations are experimenting with agentic AI for automation and analytics, fewer than 25% have established monitoring or escalation protocols.
4. Risk Management Will Become the Price of Admission for AI
   AI risk management is no longer optional. Companies are building comprehensive frameworks to monitor, measure, and mitigate AI-related risks as regulators expand oversight and compliance mandates. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of leaders now view AI risk management as their foremost operational concern, up from 39% in 2025. Enterprises are shifting from reactive to structured accountability.
5. AI Will Hang in the Balance Between Freedom and Control
   AI sovereignty is rising as nations prioritize local infrastructure, data independence, and regulatory alignment. The push for control over infrastructure, data, and algorithms will reshape global competition, regulation, and collaboration. Seventy-two percent (72%) of leaders cite data sovereignty and compliance as their top challenges for 2026, up from 49% last year.

A New Phase of AI Maturity

Info-Tech’s findings reveal that 81% of surveyed organizations plan to expand AI capabilities over the next 12 months, with governance, transparency, and explainability emerging as key investment areas. This evolution signals a decisive shift from opportunistic experimentation to enterprise-wide strategy and accountability.

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies globally, the report notes that organizations are proactively adapting by introducing AI principles that align with evolving legislation. In Europe, the implementation of the EU AI Act is prompting earlier risk assessments and compliance audits, while North American and APAC respondents cite privacy and cross-border data controls as top focus areas. These findings emphasize that compliance is no longer a late-stage consideration but a continuous operational function shaping AI's future.

Ultimately, the report emphasizes that responsible innovation will become the defining competitive advantage of the next era. Organizations that embrace ethical design, strong accountability, and adaptive risk management will be positioned to unlock sustainable value, strengthen stakeholder trust, and lead confidently into the exponential enterprise era.

Source: Infotech Research Group

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