A leading AI expert at APS Group has said that agent-style AI and greater transparency will be the two defining factors shaping how organisations adopt artificial intelligence in 2026.
According to APS, agent-style AI is set to become a normal part of day-to-day work, with human and digital workers increasingly interacting and passing data between systems as part of routine business processes.
“Two things will define AI in 2026. First, agent-style AI will become a normal part of day-to-day work,” said Jordan Wain Director of Digital Transformation and AI Solutions, at APS Group.
“Human and digital workers will continue to overlap and interact, trading and passing data and information. It won’t arrive overnight, but it will keep spreading into routine processes, taking on tasks like first-draft creation, brief routing, research summaries, quality checks and continuous improvement.
“When done correctly, that shift will enhance productivity and give teams more space for work that needs judgement, creativity and imagination.”
However, APS has warned that the growing accessibility of low-code and no-code AI tools brings new risks alongside quick wins.
“As low-code and no-code tooling makes building simple solutions accessible to more people, organisations will need to be careful,” Jordan added.
“Quick wins are real, but so are risks around data exposure, fragile automations, undocumented processes and unclear ownership. Strong review habits and clear responsibility will matter just as much as speed.”
The second major shift, APS said, will be a move towards mandatory transparency in how AI is deployed and governed.
“Transparency will move from a nice-to-have to an absolute requirement,” Jordan said.
“Regulation is tightening in the UK and worldwide, and clients are asking harder questions – and rightly so. Companies will be expected to demonstrate how they govern AI and mitigate risk, alongside how they ensure robust quality assurance processes underpinned by the ever-critical human ‘in the loop’.”
APS Group said that while AI capabilities will continue to evolve rapidly, trust will be the deciding factor in long-term success.
“AI will keep advancing at pace,” Jordan added, “but trust will be the factor that decides who scales it well.”