Strategic Predictions For 2026 How Ai S Underestimated Gartner

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 3, 2025, 2:08 PM

strategic predictions for 2026 how ai s underestimated gartner

Gartner 2026 Predictions: How AI Will Transform Business Strategy Artificial intelligence is reshaping enterprise decision-making far more deeply and quietly than most leaders realise, according to Gartner’s 2026 Strategic Predictions unveiled at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025... Read more How Companies Turn AI Pilots Into Powerhouses in 2025 Enterprises across Asia-Pacific are accelerating their use of artificial intelligence. However, most still struggle to move beyond pilot projects into full-scale operationalization...

Read more AI Agents Are Set to Replace Enterprise Software Dec 16, 2025 | ! Homepage Slider, ! Recent Industry News, Artificial Intelligence, Breaking News, Gartner, Technology, Trends | 0 | AI is no longer a future-facing concept.

It’s already embedded in the systems, decisions and strategies that shape business. Yet many leaders still underestimate how quickly and subtly these shifts are unfolding. The Gartner top strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond spotlight the undercurrents of AI-driven transformation. First presented at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, these predictions offer a forward-looking view of how AI is influencing business decisions, operations and strategy — and why leaders need a sharper lens to see what’s... These aren’t just trends — they’re inflection points. The challenge is to be aware they are happening, and then to know which to lean into and which to guard against.

Gartner clients have access to insights around all 10 predictions. A sampling of five are here. Prediction: Through 2026, atrophy of critical-thinking skills, due to GenAI use, will push 50% of global organizations to require “AI-free” skills assessments. Gartner 2026 Predictions: How AI Will Transform Business Strategy Artificial intelligence is reshaping enterprise decision-making far more deeply and quietly than most leaders realise, according to Gartner’s 2026 Strategic Predictions unveiled at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025. Executives widely acknowledge AI as disruptive.

However, Gartner warns that the magnitude and subtlety of AI-driven change is still underestimated across talent, procurement, governance and productivity. Gartner highlights five of the most transformative undercurrents shaping global organisations: Together, these predictions signal a deep realignment of enterprise workflows, regulatory expectations and competitive strategy. Gartner emphasises that organisations must strengthen governance, elevate digital skills and prepare for AI-mediated decision ecosystems well before these shifts accelerate. https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/strategic-predictions-for-2026 Director, Data Platform Australia and New Zealand

Each year, Gartner publishes its Strategic Predictions—forecasts designed not as certainties, but as provocations to help leaders prepare for the forces likely to shape business and society. These predictions provide a useful lens on how AI, governance, sovereignty and productivity trends can intersect with local economic conditions. From skills shortages to sovereign AI debates, the implications are significant. We explore Gartner’s nine predictions for 2026 and beyond, their impact and how businesses can prepare. By 2027, Gartner predicts that 75% of hiring processes will include certification or testing for AI proficiency. In Australia as in other places, AI literacy will become a baseline requirement for many roles.

Universities, TAFEs and employers all need to play a role in bridging the skills gap. Australian banks are already embedding AI literacy into staff development, ensuring employees can adapt to AI-enhanced processes. ORLANDO, Fla., November 3, 2025 — Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company, today revealed its top strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond. Gartner’s top predictions span three categories: talent in the AI age, sovereignty and insidious AI. “The risks and opportunities of rapid technology change are increasingly affecting human behavior and choices,” said Daryl Plummer, VP, Distinguished Analyst, Gartner Fellow and Chief of AI Research for the Gartner High Tech Leaders... “To properly prepare for the future, CIOs and executive leaders should prioritize behavioral changes alongside technological changes as first-order priorities.”

Gartner’s top 10 strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond include: Through 2027, GenAI and AI agent use will create the first true challenge to mainstream productivity tools in 30 years, prompting a $58 billion market shakeup GenAI changes will allow organizations to prioritize requirements to GenAI innovations that accelerate work completion. Legacy formats and compatibility will decline in importance, reducing barriers to entry and resulting in new competition from a wide array of vendors. As we look toward 2026 and beyond, Gartner’s top strategic predictions point to an unmistakable truth: AI is no longer a technology trend — it is the new economic infrastructure. From sovereign AI ecosystems to agent-driven decision making, the next wave of transformation will reshape how organizations scale, compete, and govern data.

At DDN, we see these predictions converging around a single, unavoidable imperative: real-time data intelligence is now the foundation of enterprise advantage. The winners of the AI economy will be those who pair rapid innovation with disciplined data control, infrastructure readiness, and responsible governance. Below is DDN’s perspective on the future Gartner describes and what businesses must do to not just prepare, but lead. Gartner predicts that by 2027, 75% of hiring processes will require AI proficiency — while at the same time, overreliance on AI will force 50% of companies to conduct “AI-free” skills assessments. This is the new skills paradox: Enterprises need both AI fluency and independent human judgment. Gartner, a provider of business and technology insights, has unveiled its strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond, highlighting the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on talent, sovereignty, and business operations.

The forecasts were presented at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2025 in Orlando, where analysts explored how AI is reshaping industries in what they call a “world of shattered norms.” “The risks and opportunities of rapid technology change are increasingly affecting human behavior and choices,” said Daryl Plummer, VP, Distinguished Analyst, Gartner Fellow and Chief of AI Research at Gartner. “CIOs and executive leaders must prioritize behavioral change alongside technological change to prepare effectively for the future.” By 2027, Gartner predicts that 75 percent of hiring processes will incorporate AI proficiency certifications and testing, making AI literacy a core job qualification. As generative AI (GenAI) skills increasingly correlate with higher salaries, candidates who demonstrate the ability to use AI to enhance productivity and decision-making will stand out. However, by 2026, half of global organizations will require “AI-free” skills assessments to test candidates’ independent problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.

This shift aims to preserve human judgment amid growing AI reliance and will create a new market for AI-free evaluation platforms. AI Sovereignty and Regional Fragmentation At the recent Gartner IT Symposium/XPO, Gartner revealed its top ten strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond, covering three categories: talent in the AI age, sovereignty and insidious AI. Gartner predicts that by 2027, generative AI agents will pose the first real challenge to mainstream productivity tools in 30 years, leading to a $58 billion market disruption. Also: Don't mistake rebranded chatbots for true agentic AI, Gartner warns Legacy formats and compatibility will become less important as generative AI advances enable organizations to focus on innovations and speeding up work completion.

By 2027, 75% of hiring processes will include certifications and testing for workplace AI proficiency during recruiting.

Strategic Predictions For 2026 How Ai S Underestimated Gartner

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