Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase. According to Gartner’s Predicts 2026: Intelligent Applications, the technology is moving beyond simple chat assistants towards agentic workflows — software that can carry out multi-step tasks on your behalf. Gartner forecasts that by 2026, as many as 40% of enterprise applications will include task-specific AI agents, a shift set to change how everyday digital work gets done.
For business leaders, the detail matters more than the headline. Gartner points to four underlying changes in how software will behave.
Four shifts to watch
Fluid knowledge. Applications will start breaking down the data silos that leave more than a third of digital workers unable to find the information they need, surfacing the right knowledge at the right moment.
Embedded intelligence. Rather than bolting on a separate AI tool, decision-making will be woven directly into the systems people already use, in the natural flow of work.
Adaptive experience. Software will increasingly shape itself around the user’s context and task, instead of forcing everyone through the same rigid menus and manual steps.
Autonomous orchestration. Multi-step AI agents will begin to complete complex, end-to-end tasks with far less human prompting — handing people the outcome rather than the busywork.
What it means for your business
The opportunity is real, but Gartner’s advice to leaders is refreshingly grounded. Focus on outcomes, not hype: judge any AI investment by the measurable business result it delivers, not the length of its feature list. Fix the data bottleneck: high-quality, well-organised, AI-ready data remains the single biggest obstacle to scaling autonomous tools, so get the foundations right first. And amplify your people: the strongest returns come not from replacing staff, but from training them to guide and govern these systems.
That final point is the one we would underline. Agentic AI works best when it is adopted deliberately — with clear governance, protected data and a confident, well-trained team — rather than simply switched on and left to run. It is exactly the thinking behind our own AI & Automation service, where we help organisations across Greater Manchester put practical AI to work safely, starting with the data and governance that make it dependable.
If you are weighing up where AI could genuinely help your business in the year ahead, we would be glad to talk it through and help you separate the genuine opportunities from the hype.
Source: Gartner, “Predicts 2026: Intelligent Applications”.