Here, five industry experts share their insights on the key AI trends business leaders should be aware of in 2026, and how anticipating these developments now can set them up for success in the year ahead.

Make sure your IT systems are ready for the demands of AI

Ian Murrin, co-author of Transform! The 14 Behaviors Driving Successful Digital Transformation in the Age of Gen AI, points out that organisations cannot fully realise the potential of AI unless their underlying technology is fit for purpose. He explains: “If you want AI to accelerate your business, you first need a technology foundation that won’t hold it back.” This principle should guide decision-making long before new tools or AI capabilities are introduced. “Tackling technical debt requires careful prioritisation, iterative development, and disciplined engineering practices that allow organisations to modernise while still running critical operations.

“Businesses that address technical debt proactively, rather than layering AI on top of unstable systems, are the ones that can harness AI safely and sustainably. It is not a one-off project or a race to implement the latest tools; it is about building a resilient, future-ready technology foundation that enables innovation to scale and delivers measurable business impact.”

Build a governance programme to protect against AI risks

Once your systems are in order, the next step is to protect your business from the potential threats AI presents. “Every organisation deploying AI needs a clear governance programme to protect against the operational, reputational, and regulatory risks these systems bring,” advises Ray Eitel-Porter, co-author of Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock its True Potential.

He outlines that a robust programme should start with clearly defined principles and policies, establish accountabilities, and implement structured checkpoints for monitoring AI systems. “The processes and controls should be ‘right-sized’ to suit the size and activities of the organisation – awareness training for everyone in the company to help them understand both where AI can be used to help and what risks to watch out for is essential.

“By systematically addressing the nine key risk areas, including accuracy, fairness, explainability, security, and workforce impact, organisations can innovate with confidence. Governance isn’t a brake on AI; it’s the foundation that allows AI to deliver real value safely and sustainably.”

Use AI personas to truly understand your audience

When your systems are ready and protected, AI can be harnessed across functions, such as to provide powerful insights into your target customer. “It’s difficult to position your organisation to meet customers’ needs without knowing your customers,” says Jenna Tiffany, marketing expert and author of Marketing Strategy. “A widely used method of getting to know your customers involves creating personas that define your ideal customer by establishing likes, dislikes, habits, behaviour, where they work, income and so on.

“AI can provide impressive help to develop these personas, but as with all AI production, the quality of response depends on the value of the data you put in. Make sure the prompt is specific, feeding in all the relevant consumer information. Ensure you have the right data to identify multiple personas for different key customer groups.”

According to Jenna, successful AI personas come from splitting your research from your customer base into key areas: notable behaviour, personality identifiers, environment, and behaviour. This information can be fed into ChatGPT to train a model based on these behaviours. Within custom instructions you can add details about your persona, the words they use, how they talk, and so on. “From this you can ask questions to the model, all of which allows you to understand more about your persona and as such your target audience. From these responses you can tailor your marketing and business strategy to target your audience effectively.”

Autonomous AI agents can revolutionise workflows

Creating marketing personas is just one of the many ways AI can be employed in your business. Cien Solon, Founder of LaunchLemonade, predicts that AI will completely transform business operations in the next 12 months: "By 2026, the centre of gravity in AI shifts from individual tools to systems that behave more like active participants in the economy.”

She notes that the rise of autonomous agents is already underway: “We are beginning to see the early stages of agents that can search, negotiate, transact and coordinate work without constant human oversight. The next step is the emergence of agent marketplaces where companies will deploy networks of small, specialised agents that collaborate and pass tasks between one another. With this, work becomes fluid. Tasks move to the agent best equipped to handle them. Teams begin to manage outcomes rather than micromanage steps.”

“As these systems mature, automation will feel more autonomous. Agents will set short term goals, monitor their own performance and adapt to changing conditions in real time,” Cien explains. “The guardrails leaders put in place will matter. Clear boundaries, safe data access and visible decision trails will determine which organisations scale successfully.

“The question for leaders in 2026 is not which tool to adopt, but how to build a working environment where humans and intelligent agents collaborate effectively and confidently."

But don’t lose the human touch

“As technology evolves rapidly, connecting with your customers is more than just posting content – it’s about connection and authenticity,” says Jon-Stephen Stansel, social media marketing expert and author of The 10 Principles of Effective Social Media Marketing. “Platforms may evolve, algorithms may shift and AI tools may change how we create, but the fundamentals of effective customer interaction remain the same. Behind every interaction is a real person.”

Jon-Stephen argues that alongside implementing technology, to truly stand out, businesses must focus on being human and prioritising their audience. “AI offers powerful opportunities, but it will always need the guiding hand of humanity to perfect. No matter how advanced, AI lacks taste and human insight.”

He adds that AI can be a great tool for brainstorming ideas and streamlining some of the repetitive tasks that will free up time to focus on creative tasks. “The best outcomes will only come from skilled professionals in the driver’s seat, with AI operating as a powerful co-pilot that extends capability but doesn’t replace expertise,” he concludes.

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