Today’s business environment is experiencing enormous disruption, and much of it is centered around artificial intelligence (AI):
- Countries and regions form policy islands when it comes to AI.
- Companies are reorganizing middle management and reskilling the workforce.
- Data has never been more essential or more valuable.
As we enter 2026, AI continues to reshape industries; leaders wonder what to do as they envision and tackle the future. Businesses and individuals must find their place in the emerging mix of uncertainty, hype and productive reality.
As we begin a new year, five AI trends are shaping executive conversations. Each trend represents enormous business opportunities and challenges for businesses, governments and individuals.
Data is both the lifeblood and the bottleneck
There is no AI without data, and it is clear that AI-ready data is both the lifeblood and the bottleneck of business operations. Our recent EY Pulse survey showed that 83% of business leaders say their AI adoption is slowed by their data infrastructure.
Data is essential to AI, but how much real data and how much synthetic data? Do businesses have access to their critical data and what are they doing to maximize the value of their data? Access matters as much as quality, and if a company cannot provide access to its AI-ready data, it will quickly lose its competitive advantage.
Smart businesses are trying to master data management through AI-powered automation, and it’s certainly possible, but you need to manage your data well. Some industries, like financial services, have been investing heavily in data for decades. They are now equipped to take advantage of next-generation AI-related technologies.
The rise of the autonomous enterprise (powered by agents and physical AI)
This is where agentic AI gains a foothold in business operations and staff must adapt to working with digital colleagues. It is important to emphasize that humans set the vision and AI agents (and robots) will perform their work under human oversight.
Success in this environment means onboarding, training, auditing and retiring agents, just like employees, with clear policies to ensure ethics and compliance. Physical AI is gaining quantum minds and robotic bodies, and their presence is bringing a new look to industries ranging from advanced manufacturing to healthcare, automotive to energy, and finance to telecommunications.
AI is no longer borderless
Sovereign AI is the “sleeping giant” impacting multinational companies and government organizations. Countries or regions have established distinct “AI islands” of rules and policies that multinational companies must navigate in order to conduct business in good faith.
Gartner predicts that half of multinational organizations will have implemented digital sovereignty strategies by 2029, compared to only 10% today. Early adopters of sovereign AI gain a strategic leadership advantage in privacy-sensitive markets.
Infrastructure and data models are tied to geography. There is therefore no universal solution that would work in a global environment. As AI grows and develops, sovereign AI strategy and execution become critical to business success.
Work reinvented: adaptability becomes the new job security
Early concerns about AI focused on its impact on employment. Of paramount importance was the fear that AI would somehow replace entire industries and drive employees to more efficient digital alternatives. While it is true that some jobs and sectors are evolving, AI is part of a reinvention of the workforce. Jobs are evolving faster than ever, and the ability to adapt to new circumstances and roles in an AI-laden environment is becoming the new job security.
Massive upskilling is needed, and businesses and governments that do not invest in reskilling will be left behind. There is hope – history shows that technology has always created positive long-term job growth – but the types of jobs will be very different from today and disruption will happen more quickly this time around.
As individuals adopt AI for common tasks in their personal lives, it is wise to improve their AI knowledge as it relates to career advancement and opportunities. It is better to understand the future than to worry about it.
Trust is the new currency
An explosion of AI-powered deepfakes has flooded social media and news stories in recent years, creating trust issues for many businesses and individuals. Credibility differentiates itself in a world of deepfakes, and trust will become the new currency in 2026.
Business leaders are learning that they now need to integrate responsible AI into everything they do: in data and business models, in algorithms, and how employees are trained in AI. THE EY Responsible AI Survey of October shows that companies that have integrated responsible AI see less risk of non-compliance, more revenue and innovation, as the guardrails allow companies to safely experiment and innovate with AI.
The predictions are bold and the pace of change will only increase from here. Your AI strategy must match this boldness if your organization is to thrive as we move into the next frontier.
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