Market Insight: 10 Predictions For Applied AI Technologies In 2026 And Beyond

Executive Summary

This report explores key trends expected to influence the applied AI technology market in 2026 and beyond. AI remains firmly at the centre of the corporate agenda as organizations seek to convert sustained LLM performance gains and unprecedented investment into tangible business value. In 2026, enterprise AI adoption reaches a critical point of reckoning, where rapid innovation and aggressive spending collide with the realities of commercialization at scale, cyber security exposure, governance constraints and concerns of an AI market correction. The year ahead will be defined by more selective, value-driven AI deployments, alongside a sharper ‘fail fast’ approach to use cases that do not deliver measurable returns. Ownership of AI will continue to shift beyond the chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO) and chief data officer (CDO), becoming more distributed across business functions as organizations place greater emphasis on business case discipline, governance frameworks and AI literacy. Against this backdrop, the report sets out key predictions for the applied AI market, from adoption of graph databases to a potential AI start-up software extinction event. Drawing on global survey data and deep research into both vendor and buyer strategies, Verdantix analysts present 10 predictions to help executives and technology leaders anticipate the opportunities and risks ahead.