What's coming next for AI in 2026 (part 2)
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What's coming next for AI in 2026 (part 2)
Danny Coleman
Published on 27 January 2026
4 min read
Danny Coleman
Published on 27 January 2026
4 min read
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Prediction 6: 2025's tools will see broader adoption
Prediction 7: HR's focus on humans remains essential
Prediction 8: AI anxiety will remain
Prediction 9: Enterprise-grade trust and governance
Explore 2026 AI trends: mainstream adoption, new methodologies, HR’s evolving role, rising technostress, and why trust and governance will drive enterprise success.
Prediction 6: 2025's tools will see broader adoption by mainstream users, alongside new methodologies
As AI adoption shifts to the broader workforce, the potential for AI-enabled features introduced in 2025 (which were previously the domain of power users) will become standard across functions. This will drive demand for more practical, role-specific AI training.
At the same time, new methodologies such as reinforcement learning (where an AI agent is taught optimal behaviours through trial and error) will emerge for advanced and specialised use cases, widening the skills gap for organisations that haven't invested in education.
We expect companies to respond by increasing budgets for structured learning programmes. These programmes will combine foundational AI literacy with tailored training on day-to-day applications. As you might imagine, the organisations that upskill early will gain faster adoption, stronger confidence, and better outcomes.
Neal Riley
Innovation Lead, The Adaptavist Group
We anticipate the emergence of dedicated roles that can bridge the gap between human and AI work. In Gartner's AI Predicts 2026: Rewiring IT for the AI Age, it is predicted that "By 2028, 60% of enterprises will create formal human–AI collaboration architect positions, fundamentally restructuring IT departments for human–AI hybrid operations."*
Prediction 7: HR's focus on humans remains essential
"AI will not replace the human heart of HR." – Neal Riley, Innovation Lead, at The Adaptavist Group.
Rather than eradicating the human experience that HR is built on, we think the real transformation will occur in the partnership between HR and IT as AI becomes an organisation-wide standard.
"AI won't redefine HR roles," says Neal. "Instead, it will augment them, providing fast automation for administrative tasks, enabling HR professionals to focus on company culture, staff wellbeing, and ethical workforce decisions."
As Gartner notes: "HR automation will accelerate, but sensitive decisions, classified by use case, will keep a 'human-in-the-loop,' requiring clear escalation paths and protection areas that the human–AI collaboration architect will formalise."*There will be a clear shared mandate: safeguard people while harnessing AI responsibly.
Prediction 8: AI anxiety will remain and continue to contribute to Technostress
According to our recent report, 'The 'human' cost of digital transformation,' in 2025, nearly two-thirds of knowledge workers (64%) said technology had negatively impacted their lives at work. And while workers aren't overwhelmed by a single system, AI is undoubtedly playing a part: over a third are simultaneously hoarding their own expertise out of fear of AI replacement.
Organisations that align strategy with execution implement AI to complement teams and invest in meaningful training and support to cultivate workforces that feel confident, capable, and in control. As this approach becomes more widespread, the result will be healthier, more engaged, and more resilient workplaces—environments where technology increasingly serves and empowers people in their roles.
In 2026, companies that succeed will treat digital tools as enablers of human potential rather than as metrics to be policed.
Neal Riley
Innovation Lead, at The Adaptavist Group
Prediction 9: Enterprise-grade trust and governance will differentiate adoption
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, AI adoption will increasingly hinge on trust. As organisations scale their use of automation and AI agents, enterprise-grade governance will become a defining competitive differentiator – especially in highly regulated industries.
That means leaders will expect far more than basic compliance. They'll demand granular role-based access controls, transparent auditability through AI dashboards, strong data-residency guarantees, and end-to-end encryption as standard," said Michael Rudenko, Head of Consulting, EMEA, Adaptavist. "Just as critical, customers will look for absolute clarity that their data is never used to train foundation models."
These safeguards won't be optional extras; they'll be essential for securing executive approval, reducing risk, and enabling AI to operate confidently across mission-critical workflows. And as Gartner predicts, "The role of humans will be less about task execution and more about governance and due diligence, ensuring that autonomy does not lead to fragmentation, myopic decisions or unintended consequences."*
*Gartner, AI Predicts 2026: Rewiring IT for the AI Age, 10 November 2025. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.
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Written by
Business Information Services Manager
Danny leads Adaptavist's monday.com Professional Services globally, directing teams that deliver complex system migrations and enterprise work management transformations. He focuses on strategic leadership and clarity, helping global organisations navigate complexity and scale confidently.
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