University of Kwazulu-Natal

10 Predictions For Ai In 2026 The Year Intelligence Becomes Truly

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
10 predictions for ai in 2026 the year intelligence becomes truly

Build intelligent software faster with AI-native development tools that understand your vision and write production-ready code. From solo creators to enterprise teams, Luna adapts to how you work and scales with your ambitions. 2501 North Harwood Street Suite 1900, Dallas, TX 75201-1664, United States At QA, we have the privilege of seeing technology and skills trends as they emerge. Coupled with our internal expertise, it’s a bit like having a crystal ball. So, as we enter 2026, I’m peering into the future and sharing a few pivotal shifts to expect surrounding AI before this year is out – but first, some context to how we got...

Over the course of 2025, businesses and individuals alike made the step from preparing for AI change to actively living alongside it. 79% of organisations were using generative AI as of November, up from 65% the year prior. But we have a long way left to go, since only 38% have moved beyond pilots into real adoption.Last year, we moved from awareness to action. We shifted from talking about AI’s potential to rolling out all-staff training in prompting proficiency, tailored to roles and industries, because organisations are ready to start really applying new, powerful tools to their use... And it remains so. One much-debated question in the public mind that I tackled last year was whether AI could replace therapists.

My take on this was a resounding ‘no’. While there may be some useful applications in triaging, for instance, human expertise matters. Especially in high-risk situations. Sadly, that message hasn’t always landed, and there have been sobering stories of people turning to AI for help instead of professionals. Regulation in this field is urgently needed to catch up with the tech and how it’s already being used.There’s another side to that coin. On one face, premature application without safeguards; on the other, AI reluctance and hesitation.

There’s a tension between the fear of moving too fast and the risk of falling behind. Fueling and complicating all of this is the growing skills divide.It’s a new year, but all these questions follow us into 2026, and must be tackled. Attitudes are shifting again. AI is becoming the interface for everything, citizen developers are on the rise and democratised tech skills are a reality. Generative AI tools won’t just be for business staff. Technical teams - yes, even those building AI applications - will need prompting proficiency of their own.

AI literacy will become as fundamental as Excel skills once were. Expect deeper integration of AI features within existing software. Microsoft Copilot will lead the charge, with Copilot 365 gaining smarter connections and richer context. We’ll end up with AI that feels less like an add-on and more like part and parcel of your familiar operating systems. We already know from OpenAI’s Dev Day that ChatGPT will start hosting apps from early this year, and I expect Copilot won’t be far behind. Microsoft’s new AI companion, Mico, is a perfect example of this shift, prioritising a human-centered approach.

In short, AI is soon going to be our go-to tool for everything, with all the other tools embedded inside it. Prediction #3: China’s domestic AI chip sector will make significant strides, planting the seeds for the eventual decline of Nvidia’s global dominance. Getty Images In an annual end-of-year tradition, Radical Ventures Partner Rob Toews published 10 predictions for the world of AI in 2026 in his Forbes column. Five out of Rob’s 10 AI predictions for 2025 ended up coming true, including scaling laws being discovered beyond text in biology and robotics, the Trump-Musk falling out, and AI data centers in space... This week, we share excerpts from Rob’s 10 AI predictions for 2026:

AI research labs OpenAI and Anthropic are such unique organizations that it can be easy to forget that, ultimately, they are venture-backed businesses. And not just any venture-backed businesses — they are the fastest-growing and most capital-hungry venture-backed businesses in history. According to its own projections, Anthropic will burn through close to $20 billion before it becomes profitable, making it one of the most capital-intensive businesses in history. But that figure is dwarfed by OpenAI, which according to its own projections will need roughly $150 billion before it starts generating cash. Prominent AI CEOs share their predictions for the future of AI in 2026, covering advancements in areas like coding, AGI, and multimodal models. Insights from Dario Amodei, Elon Musk, Demis Hassabis, and others provide a glimpse into the rapid progress expected in the next few years.

In the coming years, the world of AI is poised for remarkable advancements. From AI-powered coding to the potential emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), industry leaders offer insights into the transformative changes we can expect by 2026. This blog post explores the predictions and timelines shared by top AI experts, providing a glimpse into the future of this rapidly evolving technology. Optimized AI Coding by 2026: Matching the Best Human Coders Rapid Advances Towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) by 2026-2027 Multimodal Omni-Models: Integrating Gemini AI and ViLO for True Physical World Understanding

Autonomous AI agents will handle complex tasks, freeing humans for creativity, strategy, and oversight roles. Hyperautomation and ROI-focused AI will drive operational efficiency, measurable business impact, and trustworthy enterprise adoption. Human-AI collaboration requires upskilling, governance, and ethical frameworks to ensure equitable and sustainable AI ecosystems. Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic promise, but rather the foundation layer on which the businesses, societies, and the world of 2026 are built. After the hype, the crucial questions will have answers in the coming year, with a clear distinction between the game-changing and the hype-creating. What follows are the big questions shaping AI’s evolution and its implications for society, work, and innovation.

You might think we’ve been saying “next year” about autonomous AI for a while now. Fair. But 2026 feels different. This is the year models stop waiting for prompts and start making choices that matter. They’ll plan. They’ll prioritize.

They’ll act. Not because someone told them to, but because their training and context tell them it’s the right move. You’ll still have final sign-off on the big stuff — in most places — but day-to-day? Expect AIs that schedule meetings, triage emails, and even reroute projects when something breaks. That doesn’t happen overnight. It’s messy.

There will be errors. But by mid-2026, these agents won’t be toys. They’ll be working systems companies rely on, as shown in insights from the OpenAI Blog . Talk of global AI laws has been endless. In 2026, it actually becomes policy work you can point to. Expect coordinated action — not perfect harmony, but real movement from the EU, the U.S., and several Asian countries.

Why now? Because autonomous systems will be making choices in critical domains: finance, health, even parts of public safety. Lawmakers won’t let those decisions be entirely opaque. We’ll see baseline rules around transparency, auditability, and a basic standard for human oversight.

People Also Search

Build Intelligent Software Faster With AI-native Development Tools That Understand

Build intelligent software faster with AI-native development tools that understand your vision and write production-ready code. From solo creators to enterprise teams, Luna adapts to how you work and scales with your ambitions. 2501 North Harwood Street Suite 1900, Dallas, TX 75201-1664, United States At QA, we have the privilege of seeing technology and skills trends as they emerge. Coupled with ...

Over The Course Of 2025, Businesses And Individuals Alike Made

Over the course of 2025, businesses and individuals alike made the step from preparing for AI change to actively living alongside it. 79% of organisations were using generative AI as of November, up from 65% the year prior. But we have a long way left to go, since only 38% have moved beyond pilots into real adoption.Last year, we moved from awareness to action. We shifted from talking about AI’s p...

My Take On This Was A Resounding ‘no’. While There

My take on this was a resounding ‘no’. While there may be some useful applications in triaging, for instance, human expertise matters. Especially in high-risk situations. Sadly, that message hasn’t always landed, and there have been sobering stories of people turning to AI for help instead of professionals. Regulation in this field is urgently needed to catch up with the tech and how it’s already ...

There’s A Tension Between The Fear Of Moving Too Fast

There’s a tension between the fear of moving too fast and the risk of falling behind. Fueling and complicating all of this is the growing skills divide.It’s a new year, but all these questions follow us into 2026, and must be tackled. Attitudes are shifting again. AI is becoming the interface for everything, citizen developers are on the rise and democratised tech skills are a reality. Generative ...

AI Literacy Will Become As Fundamental As Excel Skills Once

AI literacy will become as fundamental as Excel skills once were. Expect deeper integration of AI features within existing software. Microsoft Copilot will lead the charge, with Copilot 365 gaining smarter connections and richer context. We’ll end up with AI that feels less like an add-on and more like part and parcel of your familiar operating systems. We already know from OpenAI’s Dev Day that C...