Gartner unveils key strategic predictions shaping IT leadership through 2026 and beyond

At its IT Symposium/Xpo 2025 in Orlando, Gartner unveiled ten strategic predictions that forecast how AI will redefine workforces, reshape business ecosystems, and intensify global regulation by 2026 and beyond

Gartner has outlined its top strategic predictions for 2026 and beyond, underscoring how the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) will transform industries, workforces, and regulatory environments. Announced at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2025 in Orlando, Florida, the insights are grouped into three central themes — Talent in the AI Age, Sovereignty, and Insidious AI.

AI disrupts productivity and reshapes workforce skills

According to Gartner, the next few years will mark one of the most significant transformations in decades as generative AI (GenAI) reshapes mainstream productivity tools, recruitment, and skills demand. By 2027, the integration of GenAI and AI agents is expected to disrupt traditional productivity software markets, driving an estimated $58 billion market shift.

AI skills will soon become essential hiring criteria, with 75% of recruitment processes including AI proficiency assessments by 2027. At the same time, organizations will reintroduce “AI-free” cognitive evaluations to measure independent thinking amid growing automation.

Governance, sovereignty, and legal accountability rise

Beyond talent and tools, Gartner predicts that AI sovereignty and governance will become defining global challenges. By 2027, 35% of countries are expected to develop region-specific AI platforms based on localized data and regulatory frameworks.

AI will increasingly dominate business processes, with multiagent systems managing up to 80% of customer interactions and AI-driven B2B commerce representing over $15 trillion in global spending by 2028. However, as reliance deepens, AI-related legal liabilities are also projected to rise, with over 1,000 global “death by AI” legal claims anticipated by 2026.

Additionally, Gartner foresees the emergence of programmable money, where 22% of financial transactions could include built-in AI-driven conditions by 2030, signaling a convergence of finance and autonomous systems.

Balancing innovation with human adaptation

“The risks and opportunities of rapid technology change are increasingly affecting human behavior and choices,” said Daryl Plummer, VP and Chief of AI Research at Gartner. He emphasized that CIOs and business leaders must prioritize human adaptation and governance alongside technological advancement to navigate the next phase of AI disruption.