University of Kwazulu-Natal

5 Predictions For 2026 The Ai Revolution Gets Real

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
5 predictions for 2026 the ai revolution gets real

As the dust settles on the hype of 2025, the AI landscape is shifting from "what’s possible" to "what works." We’ve seen the demos, we’ve played with the agents, and we’ve witnessed the rise... The market is maturing, capital is concentrating, and enterprises are demanding receipts. 1. The Great Capital Shift: Vertical AI Takes the Lion’s Share In 2026, we predict that 70% of venture capital deployed in AI will shift to Vertical AI. Investment will move away from commoditized horizontal LLMs and generic "wrapper" copilots in favor of "Systems of Action" built on proprietary data for specific, regulated industries.

HR As The Exception: Vertical AI will scale in operational workflows but will face a hard adoption ceiling at autonomous decision-making due to "bias reinforcement": the risk that AI simply automates and scales existing... The Takeaway: The era of "AI for everything" is over. The smart money is moving to "AI for this specific thing." As we head into 2026, AI isn’t just advancing its reshaping institutions, policies and how organisations manage risk. Here are my top 5 predictions for the year ahead: Organisations are moving from ad-hoc AI pilots to formal governance programmes.

Auditors, insurers and regulators are applying pressure, forcing companies to map their AI footprint end to end and embed controls into their risk frameworks. AI regulation is shifting from theory to practice. We’ll likely see the first significant enforcement actions tied to AI harms, penalties for privacy breaches or discriminatory outcomes. Regulators will expect clear, auditable controls. The security community is converging around practical standards for AI systems, moving beyond aspirational principles. I expect measurable controls, formal threat modelling for AI, and standards which organisations can benchmark against.

Governments are rethinking fundamental rights in the age of generative AI. Denmark is poised to give individuals copyright-style rights over their own face, voice and body to combat AI deepfakes. If passed, citizens could demand removal of deepfakes using their likeness without consent. Artificial intelligence (AI) experimentation is ending. As 2026 approaches, industry leaders are sending a clear message: The days of flashy demos and pilot programs are over. What’s coming instead is a reckoning — one that will separate companies building sustainable AI systems from those merely chasing headlines.

“In 2026, the conversation shifts from flashy demos to real responsibility,” says Ariel Katz, CEO of Sisense. “Enterprises want to know how AI makes decisions, where the data comes from, and who is in control when an agent takes action.” The shift from curiosity to accountability marks a fundamental transformation in how businesses approach AI. After years of treating AI as an innovative playground, companies are waking up to a stark reality: trust and governance matter more than technological prowess. The foundation for this transformation is already being laid through massive computational infrastructure. Tom Traugott, senior vice president of emerging technologies at EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, describes what he calls the “second wave” of AI innovation—one driven not by new algorithms but by the arrival of unprecedented computing...

<img decoding="async" src="https://solutionsreview.com/identity-management/files/2023/07/9.gif" alt="Ad Image" /> <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium_large wp-image-54796" src="https://solutionsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Predictions-artificial-intelligence-768x384.jpg" alt="AI and Enterprise Technology Predictions from Industry Experts for 2026" width="768" height="384" srcset="https://solutionsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Predictions-artificial-intelligence-768x384.jpg 768w, https://solutionsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Predictions-artificial-intelligence-300x150.jpg 300w, https://solutionsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Predictions-artificial-intelligence-400x200.jpg 400w, https://solutionsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Predictions-artificial-intelligence.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> As part of the 7th Annual Insight Jam LIVE event, the Solutions Review editors have compiled a list of predictions for 2026 from some of the most experienced professionals across the Artificial Intelligence (AI)... As part of Solutions Review’s annual Insight Jam LIVE event, we called for the industry’s best and brightest to share their enterprise technology predictions for 2026 and beyond. The experts featured represent some of the top solution providers, consultants, and thought-leaders with experience in these marketplaces. Each projection has been vetted for relevance and its ability to add business value.

Solving the AI-Readiness Gap Will Become the Primary Investment Priority for Data Leaders. 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 Explore our expert predictions on the trends that will shape the year ahead, from the evolution of the engineer to the end of business models as we know them. The hype is over. The next wave of artificial intelligence will be defined by real-world application, tangible results and a fundamental shift in how we build, work and create value.

As the initial excitement around AI gives way to a demand for measurable impact, 2026 will separate the signal from the noise. Explore our expert predictions on the trends that will shape the year ahead, from the evolution of the engineer to the end of business models as we know them. As AI increasingly handles execution, the competitive advantage will shift. In 2026, success will belong to organisations that excel at clarity, intent and orchestration by embracing “AI-native engineering” principles and capabilities. AI is rewriting the rules of value creation. As AI-native engineering collapses traditional delivery cycles, the commercial models that underpin them will undergo a fundamental transformation.

People Also Search

As The Dust Settles On The Hype Of 2025, The

As the dust settles on the hype of 2025, the AI landscape is shifting from "what’s possible" to "what works." We’ve seen the demos, we’ve played with the agents, and we’ve witnessed the rise... The market is maturing, capital is concentrating, and enterprises are demanding receipts. 1. The Great Capital Shift: Vertical AI Takes the Lion’s Share In 2026, we predict that 70% of venture capital deplo...

HR As The Exception: Vertical AI Will Scale In Operational

HR As The Exception: Vertical AI will scale in operational workflows but will face a hard adoption ceiling at autonomous decision-making due to "bias reinforcement": the risk that AI simply automates and scales existing... The Takeaway: The era of "AI for everything" is over. The smart money is moving to "AI for this specific thing." As we head into 2026, AI isn’t just advancing its reshaping inst...

Auditors, Insurers And Regulators Are Applying Pressure, Forcing Companies To

Auditors, insurers and regulators are applying pressure, forcing companies to map their AI footprint end to end and embed controls into their risk frameworks. AI regulation is shifting from theory to practice. We’ll likely see the first significant enforcement actions tied to AI harms, penalties for privacy breaches or discriminatory outcomes. Regulators will expect clear, auditable controls. The ...

Governments Are Rethinking Fundamental Rights In The Age Of Generative

Governments are rethinking fundamental rights in the age of generative AI. Denmark is poised to give individuals copyright-style rights over their own face, voice and body to combat AI deepfakes. If passed, citizens could demand removal of deepfakes using their likeness without consent. Artificial intelligence (AI) experimentation is ending. As 2026 approaches, industry leaders are sending a clear...

“In 2026, The Conversation Shifts From Flashy Demos To Real

“In 2026, the conversation shifts from flashy demos to real responsibility,” says Ariel Katz, CEO of Sisense. “Enterprises want to know how AI makes decisions, where the data comes from, and who is in control when an agent takes action.” The shift from curiosity to accountability marks a fundamental transformation in how businesses approach AI. After years of treating AI as an innovative playgroun...