A new IEEE global survey forecasts widespread consumer adoption of agentic AI by 2026, as the technology evolves into a mainstream Smart Assistant for everyday tasks. Respondents identified personal scheduling, data privacy management, health monitoring, and automated errands among the most common consumer uses expected to reach mass or near-mass levels next year.
The study, ‘The Impact of Technology in 2026 and Beyond: an IEEE Global Study’, indicates that 96% of global technologists expect continued rapid advancement and adoption of agentic AI across industries and consumers. Increased reliance on data-driven systems is projected to generate a surge in demand for data analysts to assess accuracy, transparency, and potential vulnerabilities. Top technical skills expected to grow in importance include AI ethics, data analysis, machine learning, data modeling, and software development.
Technologists also anticipate significant AI influence across robotics, extended reality, and autonomous vehicles, with software, banking, healthcare, and transportation cited as sectors undergoing the greatest transformation. Nearly half of respondents expect AI integration throughout their organizations by 2026, emphasizing measurable business outcomes and regulatory alignment.
Over half of those surveyed predict that between one-quarter and half of global jobs will be augmented by AI software next year. Respondents also estimate that building the global data center infrastructure required to sustain AI growth could take between five and seven years. The IEEE study gathered insights from 400 technology leaders across six major economies, reflecting the rapid acceleration of AI-driven change across industries.
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