Gartner’s latest forecast anticipates a radical shift in IT and business landscapes by 2026, driven by AI-native development, hybrid supercomputers, and advanced data security, signaling a new era of innovation and automation.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, Gartner, a leading global research and advisory firm, has unveiled the top 10 strategic technology trends set to shape the future of IT and business transformation in 2026. Presented at Gartn...
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er’s IT Symposium/Xpo in Orlando, these trends reflect the realities of an AI-driven, hyperconnected world and are grouped into three overarching themes, The Architect, The Synthesist, and The Vanguard, each addressing critical aspects of building secure, scalable digital foundations, orchestrating diverse technologies, and enhancing trust and security.
Central to Gartner’s forecast is the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI), which permeates nearly all identified trends. A standout innovation is AI-native development platforms, which utilize generative AI to accelerate software creation by empowering smaller, agile teams, including non-experts, to build robust applications through collaborative AI agents. Gartner predicts a significant transformation by 2030, where 80% of organisations will have transitioned from large engineering teams to these AI-augmented smaller groups, and 40% of enterprise applications will be developed using such platforms, a dramatic rise from just 2% in 2025. This shift not only promises increased developer productivity but also hastens digital innovation across sectors.
Complementing this is the emergence of AI supercomputers, hybrid architectures combining CPUs, GPUs, neuromorphic processors, and even quantum processors to deliver the massive computational power needed for training complex AI models. The adoption of these hybrid systems is expected to surge, with 40% of enterprises projected to employ them by 2028, compared to 8% currently. These powerful platforms hold promise for transformative applications in fields like drug discovery, climate simulation, and energy exploration, signalling a new era of technological capability.
In the realm of data protection, confidential computing stands out as a vital advancement. By isolating data processing within secure hardware environments, it aims to safeguard sensitive information from unauthorised access, even from cloud providers themselves. Gartner anticipates that by 2029, 75% of data processing performed in less trustworthy environments will leverage this technology, helping organisations meet stringent sovereignty and regulatory compliance demands, particularly in heavily regulated industries.
Another key area with substantial potential is multi-agent systems (MAS). By orchestrating multiple specialised AI agents capable of working together, MAS address complex workflows that single AI systems cannot efficiently handle alone. Gartner forecasts that by 2027, 70% of multi-agent systems will utilise specialised agents, with 60% achieving interoperability across different providers by 2028, heralding advancements in automation and operational sophistication.
Cybersecurity also features prominently, with a strategic shift towards preventive security supported by AI. Given the anticipated rise to over one million new vulnerabilities annually by 2030, organisations are urged to invest in proactive defences that anticipate and neutralise threats before they manifest. Gartner estimates that half of the spending on software security will be directed towards such preventive measures, reflecting a growing emphasis on resilience and risk management in an increasingly hostile threat landscape.
Additional trends noted by Gartner encompass digital provenance, AI security platforms, domain-specific language models, physical AI, and geopatriation, each reinforcing the broader narrative of integrated, trusted, and innovative technological ecosystems. These trends collectively signify profound changes in how businesses design, deploy, and protect their digital assets.
Industry observers, including CIO Dive, emphasize the interconnectedness of these trends, pointing out that their adoption will not only drive business transformation but also ensure organisations remain competitive as AI becomes deeply embedded in IT infrastructures. Gartner itself advocates for decisive, proactive engagement with these trends to navigate the rapidly changing technological environment successfully.
In summary, Gartner’s 2026 technology forecast underscores AI as both a catalyst and cornerstone of the next wave of digital advancement. As enterprises prepare for this transformation, leaders must focus on building adaptable digital foundations, leveraging diverse AI-enabled systems, and prioritising trust and security to thrive in an increasingly complex and hyperconnected world.
Source: Noah Wire Services
