Gartner predicts 2026 trends will accelerate AI, cybersecurity and digital sovereignty shifts

Gartner outlines a transformative blueprint for 2026 and beyond, highlighting rapid advancements in AI supercomputing, domain-specific models, and security measures, all driven by geopolitical and technological shifts, demanding proactive strategic responses from organisations worldwide.

Gartner has outlined a transformative set of strategic technology trends set to redefine organisational priorities and operations in 2026 and beyond. From cutting-edge advancements in a...

rtificial intelligence (AI) to heightened cybersecurity measures, digital provenance, and cloud sovereignty, these trends represent a convergence of innovation, risk management, and governance challenges facing technology leaders worldwide.

Central to Gartner’s vision is the expansion of AI supercomputing platforms, which combine CPUs, GPUs, specialised hardware, and orchestration software to handle complex, data-intensive workloads. These platforms are ushering in unprecedented levels of performance and efficiency across industries such as healthcare, where drug development cycles are accelerating from years to weeks, financial services, which are simulating global markets to mitigate portfolio risk, and utilities modelling extreme weather to optimise grid resilience. According to Gartner analyst Tori Paulman, over 40% of leading enterprises are expected to adopt hybrid computing architectures for critical workflows by 2028, a sharp rise from just 8% today, highlighting the rapid pace of adoption.

Alongside raw computational power, Gartner emphasises the role of multiagent systems (MAS) in automating complex business processes. These distributed AI agents collaborate to achieve sophisticated goals, enabling organisations to improve operational agility, enhance team skills, and scale rapidly with reduced risk. Gene Alvarez, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, remarked that MAS enables modular, specialised AI agents to work in tandem with human teams, boosting efficiency and enabling swift adaptation to evolving business needs.

The report further stresses the growing importance of domain-specific language models (DSLMs), specialised AI models tailored to industry-specific requirements. Unlike broad, general-purpose large language models, DSLMs offer enhanced accuracy, explainability, and regulatory compliance for sectors with stringent contextual demands. Gartner projects that by 2028, over half of enterprise generative AI models will be domain-specific, highlighting a trend towards precision and contextual awareness in AI deployments.

Security remains a major priority as AI technologies proliferate. Gartner predicts that more than 50% of enterprises will employ AI security platforms by 2028 to consolidate visibility, enforce policies, and defend against threats such as prompt injection and unauthorised AI agent actions. Preemptive cybersecurity, which leverages AI-driven operations and deception techniques to act against threats before they manifest, is expected to constitute half of security spending by 2030. Paulman explains this shift succinctly: “Preemptive cybersecurity is about acting before attackers strike using AI-powered SecOps, programmatic denial and deception. This is a world where prediction is protection.”

Another critical emerging area is confidential computing, which secures data processing by running workloads in hardware-based trusted execution environments. This approach restricts access even from cloud providers or infrastructure owners, addressing intensifying concerns about data privacy and sovereignty. Gartner forecasts that by 2029, over 75% of operations on untrusted infrastructure will be secured through confidential computing, reflecting increasing investments in protecting sensitive workloads.

Gartner highlights digital provenance as an essential response to the growing use of third-party code and AI-generated outputs. Digital provenance tools—such as software bills of materials, attestation databases, and digital watermarking—verify the origin, ownership, and integrity of digital assets to combat risks associated with supply chain vulnerabilities and false or tampered data. Without robust provenance practices, organisations could face penalties costing billions of dollars by 2029.

Geopatriation is another significant trend reshaping cloud computing landscapes. Driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and regulatory demands, many organisations are shifting their data storage and computational workloads from global public clouds to local or sovereign environments. Alvarez notes that this shift provides CIOs with greater control over data residency, compliance, and governance, fostering trust among customers concerned about privacy and national interests. Industry data corroborates this movement, with more than half of multinational organisations expected to have digital sovereign strategies by 2029, up sharply from less than 10% today.

Additionally, Gartner points to AI-native development platforms that integrate generative AI into software creation processes. These platforms lower technical barriers, enabling smaller multidisciplinary teams to innovate rapidly while retaining governance oversight, ultimately restructuring engineering divisions into AI-augmented, agile units by 2030.

Finally, the integration of physical AI—encompassing robotics, drones, and intelligent devices—is accelerating automation and operational safety in physical environments. This trend demands cross-functional collaboration between IT and engineering teams, pushing organisations to address challenges in workforce management and skill development.

Taken together, these strategic technology trends underscore a year of critical transition for CIOs and technology leaders. With disruption, innovation, and risk escalating at unprecedented speeds, Gartner advocates for a balanced approach emphasising responsible innovation, operational excellence, and digital trust. Organisations that embrace these interconnected trends proactively will not only withstand volatility but also define industry trajectories for decades to come. As Paulman aptly summarised, “The next wave of innovation isn’t years away; it’s here, and those who act now will shape the future.”

Source: Noah Wire Services