Expert Predictions For AI In 2026

It’s almost impossible to remember a world before AI became mainstream. A world before Grok, ChatGPT and Claude were deployed to help us navigate life, work and travel.

As we enter 2026, AI is no longer just a tool from sci-fi movies or used by specialist teams. It’s a tool that has completely changed how businesses run, public sectors function and students get personalised help.



In fact, the AI economy is projected to hit $4.8 trillion by 2033 according to UN Trade and Development, with AI already driving many sectors and countries forward.

A Big Year For AI In 2025

When it comes to the evolution of AI, 2025 was a big year with some pretty incredible milestones. These include:

• NVIDIA becoming a multiple trillion dollar company.
• Big AI companies launched new models.
• Data centres being built under the sea and in space.
• The world’s first AI actor was created.
• Movie stars like Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine signed deals that allowed their voices to be used by AI agents.
• Neo, the world’s first mainstream humanoid robot was released for £15,000.
• Big tech doubled down on AI, signalling thousands of layoffs.

But what does 2026 have in store for AI? To find out, we asked the experts. Here’s what they had to say…

Piero Pavone, CEO, Preciso

“AI is the latest topic that’s got industry tongues wagging about authenticity, human-centricity and real experiences. At its core, advertising is about engaging humans, and the best way to do this is through human creativity, intuition and experience. AI is great at streaming workflows and creating scale at speed, but it’s found repeatedly to be wanting when it comes to creativity, nuance and editorial prowess. A hybrid system of human control of AI’s powers is the best way forward.

“AI’s power comes in its ability to offer speed and scale. But, like any exciting, innovative technology, it has its issues. One of those is that AI algorithms can inherit the bias of their creators, whatever that bias might be. The problem is that when this inherent bias is suddenly, hugely extrapolated across adtech platforms and ad campaigns, any unexpected bias might cause performance issues, or even brand safety concerns. AI technologies are famously resource intensive to run and power. The digital advertising industry produces a vast amount of carbon each year, famously exceeding that of the air travel industry. Rapid adoption of AI technologies will not help change that, so we must all work hard to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of AI, and in doing so reduce the tech’s carbon footprint.”

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