Top 5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2026 – Capgemini

Capgemini has unveiled its TechnoVision Top 5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2026, identifying the technologies expected to reach a critical inflection point over the next year.

While artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (Gen AI) continue to dominate the technology agenda, their impact is now extending far beyond experimentation into software development, cloud architectures, and enterprise-wide operations.

Together, the trends point to a shift toward deeper integration, resilience, and the delivery of tangible business value.

Pascal Brier, Chief Innovation Officer at Capgemini and Member of the Group Executive Committee, said that last year’s Tech Trends anticipated the rise of AI robotics—a vision that has since materialized both in the broader market and within Capgemini through the launch of its AI Robotics & Experiences Lab and ongoing experimentation with Orano.

Looking ahead to 2026, he explained, AI is moving decisively into a phase of maturity. It is set to become the backbone of enterprise architecture, reshape the software lifecycle, and redefine cloud consumption.

At the same time, enterprise systems are shifting toward intelligent operations, while technology sovereignty is emerging as a strategic priority, prompting organizations to build resilient interdependence rather than isolated autonomy.

Technologies to Watch in 2026-

1- The year of truth for AI

AI remains the defining technology of the decade, but investment has so far outpaced the ability of organizations to deploy it effectively and realize value. Business leaders are increasingly recognizing that past disappointments stemmed not from the technology itself, but from fragmented business approaches and methodologies.

In 2026, the emphasis will move from isolated pilots to enterprise-wide implementations rooted in strong data foundations, infrastructure, and what Capgemini describes as “Human-AI chemistry.” The focus will shift from proof-of-concept to proof-of-impact, ensuring AI delivers measurable outcomes, trust, and collaboration at scale.

2- AI is eating software

The evolution of software development is accelerating as AI increasingly takes on the generation and maintenance of code. Developers are moving from writing software to expressing intent, with AI translating outcomes into components.

This transition promises faster delivery cycles and improved quality, but it also raises the stakes for governance, security, and oversight. As organizations rebuild software across the value chain, they will move toward becoming AI-native businesses, operating on adaptive platforms rather than static systems.

Human supervision, systems thinking, and orchestration of AI agents will become critical skills.

3- Cloud 3.0: all flavors of cloud

Cloud computing is entering its next phase, where hybrid, private, multi-cloud, and sovereign architectures become foundational rather than optional. AI and agentic workloads require scalable, low-latency infrastructures that integrate edge and cloud into a single intelligent fabric.

At the same time, geopolitical pressures and high-profile outages are accelerating the push for resilience and diversification.

While Cloud 3.0 enables organizations to better tailor performance, sovereignty, and continuity, it also introduces greater complexity, increasing the need for interoperability, agile governance, and advanced cloud skills.

4- The rise of Intelligent Ops

Enterprise systems are undergoing a fundamental transformation from static systems of record into dynamic engines of intelligent operations.

With agentic AI, organizations can redesign end-to-end business processes to become self-improving, adaptive, and agile. AI agents embedded across finance, supply chain, HR, and customer service are beginning to monitor activity, optimize execution, and resolve exceptions.

Automation will evolve into Human-AI co-steering, where AI proposes and executes while humans supervise and govern. In 2026, success will hinge on the reliability and scalability of AI agents and the strength of Human-AI collaboration.

5- The borderless paradox of tech sovereignty

Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, technology sovereignty has become a strategic imperative. However, full autonomy remains unrealistic in an interconnected world.

Instead, organizations are pursuing resilient interdependence—mitigating risk through diversified suppliers, sovereign and multi-cloud options, regional AI models, open platforms, and emerging chip ecosystems.

Control over critical layers of the digital value chain, from semiconductors to data and AI models, will shape resilience strategies, as hyperscalers increasingly introduce sovereign cloud offerings.

TechnoVision 2026

TechnoVision is Capgemini’s global program that offers a comprehensive view of the technology landscape to support leaders in making informed, technology-driven transformation decisions.

It serves as a practical guide to emerging trends that can enhance organizational effectiveness.

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