Five key AI trends in 2026

"2025 was a year in which AI spread incredibly quickly and became noticeably more professional," says Konstantin Leitz, Vice President Business Innovation at Inform, and defines five trends.

Trend 1: AI agents take over operational tasks

AI agents will be increasingly integrated into operational processes in 2026. They will monitor processes in real time, detect deviations and support decisions in the event of short-term changes, for example in logistics or material supply. Several specialized agents will work together in parallel and coordinate automatically across departmental boundaries.

Trend 2: AI is becoming the core of modern software architectures

In future, software will be developed with AI in mind right from the start. Learning, data processing and decision logic are integral components of the architecture. The development process itself is also changing: AI-generated code, automated tests and adaptive deployment pipelines are becoming standard. At the same time, new skills such as prompt design, validation of AI results and system architecture are becoming increasingly important.

Trend 3: AI systems are becoming more specialized and modularly combined

Instead of universal models, companies rely on domain-specific AI systems that are trained with specialist and industry data. These deliver more precise results and can be combined in a modular way, for example for forecasts, prioritization or the evaluation of resource situations along complex process chains.

Trend 4: Transparent and compliant AI systems are becoming mandatory

As complexity increases, so does the need for transparency. "AI observability - i.e. the monitoring of behavior, performance and decision-making logic - is becoming a key quality feature. At the same time, companies must meet new regulatory requirements such as the AI Act, NIS-2 or the Cyber Resilience Act and demonstrate the secure, compliant operation of their AI systems.

Trend 5: New roles and skills characterize the use of AI

People are moving more into the focus of AI use. New roles are emerging at the interfaces between specialist departments, data and AI. Employees such as planners and dispatchers are increasingly working with AI-supported recommendations. Training and change management will be crucial in order to use AI safely and effectively in day-to-day work.

"For companies, 2026 will above all be a year in which the practical use of AI will become much more mature," summarizes Leitz. "Many developments will move closer to the operational core and show where AI makes a difference."