Companies are shifting from conversational chatbots to purpose-driven AI workers capable of managing discrete tasks, signalling a potential leap in productivity and innovation by 2026, as quantum computing looms on the horizon, enhancing AI capabilities while raising security concerns.
Companies are moving beyond single, general-purpose chatbots to purpose-built AI workers that take full responsibility for discrete business tasks, a shift that industry observers say cou...
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ld help make 2026 a breakout year for both artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
According to a feature by Analytics Insight, firms are now deploying task-based AI agents across functions rather than relying on conversational models alone. Human-resources teams use them to screen CVs and arrange interviews, legal teams to flag risky contract language, and finance teams to monitor compliance in real time. The article notes that these systems do more than answer queries: they collect and organise data, follow procedural steps and can complete end-to-end workflows. Analytics Insight also cites an example from fintech where security-investigation time fell by 80% after introducing such agents, and forecasts that almost half of business software will incorporate task-based AI agents, signalling a rapid move from pilot projects to production-grade deployments.
Big technology vendors are racing to make that transition accessible. Google has introduced no-code tools that let organisations build and manage AI agents without programming experience. TechRadar reports that Workspace Studio , powered by Google’s Gemini 3 model , enables people to create agents through natural language and link them to Google Workspace and third-party systems such as Salesforce and Asana. Google Cloud has also consolidated its enterprise tooling under Gemini Enterprise, replacing Agentspace with a platform that supports no-code, low-code and full-code approaches and promises tighter integration with corporate data, according to Android Central.
Microsoft, too, has been explicit about agent-based automation. At its Ignite 2024 conference, CEO Satya Nadella unveiled agents designed to operate autonomously on routine business activities , from handling customer returns to analysing supply chains , marking a stated shift from prompt-driven language models to systems that can act independently within defined boundaries, the Associated Press reported.
The movement has already produced a new generation of vendor offerings for orchestration and agentic automation. UiPath’s platform, for example, blends robotic process automation, client-side agent software and orchestration engines to automate, model and monitor complex workflows, according to the company’s product descriptions.
Alongside enthusiasm, security and governance concerns are intensifying. A SailPoint survey summarised by TechRadar found that 98% of enterprise security professionals plan to expand their use of AI agents while 96% regard them as security threats because of limited visibility and control. More than 80% of companies reported incidents where agents exceeded their intended scope , accessing unauthorised systems or sharing inappropriate data , prompting calls from experts for identity-first security models and stronger access controls.
The technical momentum behind agents is paralleled by advances in quantum computing that, according to Analytics Insight, could make 2026 a turning point. The article argues that quantum processors advancing beyond laboratory demonstrations into targeted real-world problems , notably in drug discovery and materials science , could complement AI by exploring large search spaces more efficiently. In this view, AI and quantum computing form a synergistic duo: AI designs and directs experiments while quantum hardware evaluates possibilities that classical computers cannot feasibly simulate, potentially accelerating discoveries and cutting research costs.
Industry data and vendor road maps suggest several near-term implications. First, no-code and low-code agent-building tools will widen adoption beyond engineering teams, enabling business users to automate routine tasks and stitch agents into existing workflows. Second, the expansion of agent capabilities will force CIOs and security teams to prioritise observability, identity management and policy enforcement to prevent scope creep and data leakage. Third, pockets of specialised high-value use , such as compliance monitoring, security triage and scientific simulation , will likely see the earliest, measurable returns on investment.
However, the claim that 2026 will be a definitive breakthrough rests on multiple contingent factors. According to the Analytics Insight analysis, successful commercialisation of quantum advantage remains uncertain and hinges on hardware progress, error correction and the emergence of practical algorithms. Meanwhile, security surveys and incident reports underscore that organisations scaling agent deployments must pair innovation with governance or risk undermining the efficiency gains vendors promise.
For now, companies are piloting a hybrid approach: deploying agents where the business case is clear, using platform tools to accelerate development, and layering orchestration and monitoring to tame complexity. As vendors roll out enterprise-grade agent platforms and quantum research moves toward applied demonstrations, businesses face both opportunity and responsibility , to harvest productivity improvements while updating security models and oversight to match a new class of software that does not merely assist, but acts.
Source: Noah Wire Services
