Business leaders will enter 2026 with an uncomfortable mix of uncertainty, optimism, and pressure to accelerate AI and quantum computing, according to a paper published by the IBM Institute for Business Value. Its findings are based on more than 1,000 executives and 8,500 employees and consumers.
Only about a third of executives are optimistic about the global economy, but more than four in five are confident in their company’s performance in the year ahead.
Executives expect faster decision-making and are eager to redesign operating models, while employees are largely positive about AI in their jobs. Customers are ready to reward (or punish) brands based on how companies use their data.
Trend 1: Agent AI becomes a strategic asset
Agentic AI is emerging as one of the key tools leaders expect to use next year, and most executives say they already have AI agents helping them.
However, for agent AI to be successful, the opinion expressed states:
Data architecture must support near real-time insights rather than periodic reporting. The success of AI agents depends on access to core systems (ERP, CRM, supply chain platforms). Agent AI moves from experimental to operational.
Leaders feel they need to decide which decisions can be delegated to AI agents. AI agents require human review and must remain human-driven.
Trend 2: Employees will demand more training, but AI is fine
Most employees say the pace of technology change in their roles is sustainable and they feel confident continuing to use new tools.
Twice as many employees say they would embrace rather than resist further use of AI in the workplace, seeing technology as a way to eliminate repetitive tasks and learn new skills. This is consistent with findings by KPMG.
As executives expect significant reskilling demands from employees, leaders should expect at least half of their workforce to require some form of reskilling by the end of 2026, thanks to AI automation. Other research agrees with IBM, stating that the most needed skills are problem solving, creativity and innovation.
Employees say they are willing to change employers for better training opportunities, meaning that skills development plays a direct role in reducing employee turnover.
Trend 3: Customers become responsible for their data policies
Executives surveyed agreed that consumer trust in a brand’s use of AI will determine the success of a new product or service. Consumers tolerate occasional errors, but not opacity.
Customers want explanations about how their data will be used, knowledge about when AI will be involved in interacting with their data, and easy ways to opt in or out. Research by Deloitte and KPMG (see above) supports this picture.
Implications for leaders include treating transparency as a product feature and choosing models that support explainability.
Trend 4: AI and cloud will require local provisioning
AI sovereignty—an organization’s ability to control and manage AI systems, data, and infrastructure—has moved to the center of resilience planning. Almost all executives surveyed said they will factor AI sovereignty into their 2026 strategies.
Given concerns about data residency and cloud jurisdiction, leaders are rethinking where their models run and where their data resides. A survey of UK and European IT leaders shows growing concerns about over-reliance on foreign countries (in the latter case, ‘US-based’ cloud services).
Advisory firm Accenture also urges leaders to develop sovereign AI strategies that prioritize control, transparency, and choice (PDF).
Key points include the need for a portable AI platform, monitoring data compliance, and focusing on the physical location of data.
AI resilience is ultimately about continuity and transparency. You need to ensure that your organization can adapt and operate openly even as the global technological and geopolitical landscape changes.
Trend 5: Planning for quantum benefits
The report’s findings suggest that quantum is well on its way to experimentation in the short term. IBM’s own quantum readiness study (along with monetizing quantum services) suggests that early quantum advantages are likely to be achieved in subject areas such as optimization and materials science.
The report identifies a small number of high-impact quantum applications within companies and encourages them to join the ecosystem early. “Identify big bets to win in emerging technologies, such as quantum, and partner on innovation to share costs,” the report says.
(Image source: “California Perfect” by Moonjazz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)
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