More than three-quarters of global supply chain executives expect encounter higher levels of change and disruption in 2026, many are looking to double down on artificial intelligence and other predictive technologies to improve resilience.
According to a survey of 3,650 executives and 3,350 supply chain employees at a consulting firm Accenture58% plan to improve forecasting and risk management in 2026, while 59% are looking for ways to adapt existing resources to withstand market changes. Executives’ confidence in their ability to handle adversity also varies widely by category: 51% say they feel better prepared for technology-related disruptions, compared to just 42% for economic downturns, 38% for geopolitical conflicts and 34% for environmental issues.
As businesses look for ways to guard against these disruptions, a third of supply chain leaders said building resilience is their top priority, while nearly 70% are investing in AI and digital tools to support this strategy. Additionally, 85% of executives plan to increase their AI spending in 2026, and one in five expect their AI spending to increase by 20% or more.
However, executives indicated that they also hoped that AI would act as a complement to their human workers, rather than as a cost-saving measure to save on personnel costs. Indeed, more than half said they were prioritizing operating models and organizational redesigns that would integrate AI into the day-to-day responsibilities of a skilled workforce.
“As disruption accelerates, it becomes increasingly important to support people along the journey to realize the full value of AI investments,” said Inge Oosterhuis, Accenture’s global head of talent and organization.
Despite these assurances, employees surveyed by Accenture still express fears for their jobs as investments in AI accelerate, with less than half saying they feel secure in their current role, a drop of 11 percentage points from the same question asked in summer 2025. Another 59% said they believe young professionals are having a harder time finding jobs today because of automation and AI.