The NTT DATA Technology Foresight Report 2026 has revealed six trends projected to shape technology innovation.
"The rise of mass intelligence shifts our focus from acceleration to significance," said Oliver Koeth, managing director, Technology & Innovation DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), NTT DATA. "When emotionally aware systems, sovereign compute, and trusted infrastructure come together, technology evolves into a purposeful ally - amplifying resilience and reinforcing the values that will define our shared future."
Trends and Overview for 2026
Among the trends examined in the report were the following:
- Human-orchestrated autonomy: The new phase of autonomy involves human-guided intelligent systems that can operate and act at scale
- Embodied agency and emotions: There will be emotionally responsive systems that humanise data and enable human and artificial empathy.
- Intelligence we trust: Cybersecurity will become a trusted layer of adaptive intelligence. Security will learn and adapt to complex threats, protecting the integrity, transparency, and ethical behaviour of AI systems.
- Informed infrastructure: continuous intelligence in infrastructure will optimise performance, anticipate demand and balance agility, cost, control and sustainability.
- Sovereign Silicon Ecosystems: Nations are building end-to-end chip ecosystems to secure supply chains, protect IP, and maintain computing leadership. Control over silicon is essential for digital transformation, emphasising collaboration, sustainability, and global innovation.
- From illusory efficiency to sufficiency: This shift from narrow efficiency to sufficiency emphasises the need for technology to help businesses thrive responsibly within limits, while enhancing resilience and building long-term credibility.
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