24 technology trends to watch this year

Published
Score
9

Why it matters

Fast Company published "24 technology trends to watch this year" on March 25, 2026, compiling predictions from its Impact Council members on emerging tech developments beyond basic AI hype. The core event is the release of this annual list, featuring 24 distinct trends solicited from the council—a group of executives and innovators who contribute thought leadership. Trends span AI ethics tools in music (Matt Mandrella, City of Huntsville), deepfakes countermeasures (Scott Harrell, Infoblox), generative AI for drug discovery (Akhila Kosaraju, Phare Bio), personalized learning (Alan Baratz, D-Wave), vertical AI agents in retail (Are Traasdahl, Crisp), EU data regulation impacts (Denas Grybauskas, Oxylabs), contextual AI adaptation (Kevin Laymoun, Constructor), AI accountability (Tyler Perry, Mission North), embedded AI in operations (Alice Mann, Mann Partners), AI trust in the Global South (Hala Hanna, MIT Solve), agentic AI (Peter Smart, Fantasy), analog tech revival (Lindsey Witmer Collins, WLCM Studio), AI localization for marketing (Ben Jeffries, Influencer), AI-blockchain fusion (Michael Tannenbaum, Figure), industry-specific SaaS (Kalie Moore, High Vibe PR), AI as teammate (Jacqui Canney, ServiceNow), AI in outsourcing (Larraine Segil, Exceptional Women Alliance), human-centered AI design (Ben Wintner, Michael Graves Design), voice as browser (Khozema Shipchandler, Twilio), scaling AI productivity (Steve Holdridge, Dayforce), AI workflows in design (Steven McKay, DLR Group), AI agents as developers (Alex Balazs, Intuit), real-time health data (Logan Mulvey, GoDigital Music), and proprietary AI training data (Shely Aronov, InnerPlant).[input]

Involved parties include Fast Company's Impact Council (an invitation-only network via fcimpactcouncil.com) and 24 contributors from companies like Infoblox, Phare Bio, D-Wave, Crisp, Oxylabs, Constructor, Mission North, MIT Solve, Fantasy, Influencer, Figure, ServiceNow, Twilio, Dayforce, Intuit, and InnerPlant; no specific legislation or agencies are named beyond mentions of EU data laws. Basic context stems from ongoing AI maturation post-2024 hype (e.g., generative AI adoption surged to 75% in enterprises per IDC surveys, agentic AI advanced by players like Meta and Microsoft, per Trend Micro and Neudesic recaps[2][6]), with leaders shifting focus to practical integration, ethics, and sector applications amid prior years' experiments yielding limited value (MIT Sloan[7]). The March 25 publication aligns with early-year trend-setting, building on Fast Company's prior recaps like 2024's AI and health innovations (Loft Design[1]).

Newsworthy now as it captures 2026's pivot from 2024's foundational AI leaps (e.g., multimodal models, smaller agents) to actionable, industry-specific implementations like agentic systems and accountability amid rising deepfake/misinfo risks and regulations—timed just two days ago (March 27 today) for executives planning Q2 strategies. This reflects broader momentum where AI moves from novelty to workflow embedding, with council insights offering forward-looking signals on trust, scalability, and counter-trends like analog revival.[input][2][5][6]

Sources

mail

Get notified about new Artificial Intelligence developments

Primary sources. No fluff. Straight to your inbox.

See more entries tagged Artificial Intelligence.