Organisations rebuilt around AI
Top 20 AI Predictions for the Next 5 Years
At five years the uncertainty widens. These are the developments we think are more likely than not, with lower confidence where marked.
These are our own forecasts, written in November 2026. They are informed opinion, not fact, and some will be wrong. Each prediction carries a confidence rating of High, Medium or Low, and confidence falls the further ahead we look. Nothing here is career, financial or investment advice.
1
AI matches experts at most computer-based tasks
Area
AI capabilities
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
For work done entirely on a computer, AI can perform most individual tasks to an expert standard. Whole jobs remain harder because of judgement, context and accountability.
2
AI runs long research programmes
Area
AI capabilities
Confidence
Low
What to expect
AI systems carry out research lasting months with limited supervision, speeding up science and engineering, including AI research itself.
3
General-purpose robots are in commercial use
Area
AI capabilities
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Humanoid and mobile robots work in warehouses, factories and some hospitals and shops in large numbers. Home use is still early.
4
The cost of intelligence falls sharply
Area
AI capabilities
Confidence
High
What to expect
Capability equal to today's best models is available at a small fraction of the cost and runs on local devices.
5
AI is trusted to work unsupervised in defined areas
Area
AI capabilities
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
For specific tasks such as bookkeeping, claims handling and code maintenance, AI is reliable enough to be offered with guarantees or insurance.
6
Organisations are redesigned around AI
Area
Work
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Companies have fewer management layers and smaller teams, with agents doing most routine process work.
7
Most routine knowledge work is led by AI
Area
Work
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Preparing documents, reporting, scheduling and basic analysis are done by AI, with a person signing off.
8
Shorter working weeks are tried more widely
What to expect
Some sectors share productivity gains through four-day weeks or shorter hours, but adoption is patchy.
9
AI agents are managed like staff accounts
Area
Work
Confidence
High
What to expect
Agents have identities, access rights and activity logs in company systems, and securing them is a major discipline in its own right.
10
Drug and engineering development speeds up
Area
Work
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
AI-designed medicines reach late-stage trials or first approvals, and design times for chips and materials are cut.
11
A personal AI is the main way into digital services
Area
Everyday users
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
For many tasks people ask their assistant rather than open an app or website, and apps become services that assistants call on.
12
Glasses and wearables challenge the phone
Area
Everyday users
Confidence
Low
What to expect
A sizeable minority of people use AI glasses every day for tasks they once did on a phone.
13
AI companions are common and contested
Area
Everyday users
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Many people have ongoing relationships with AI companions, and regulation, especially for children, becomes a major public issue.
14
Self-driving is common in big cities
Area
Everyday users
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Driverless taxis are an ordinary sight in large cities, and hands-off motorway driving is standard on many new cars.
15
Proof of what is real is built in
Area
Everyday users
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Because synthetic media cannot be told apart by eye or ear, devices and platforms build in verified identity and records of where content came from.
16
Clear displacement in clerical and support roles
Area
Jobs
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Employment falls measurably in several office occupations in advanced economies. The effect on overall unemployment is still disputed.
17
Jobs grow around AI infrastructure
Area
Jobs
Confidence
High
What to expect
Building and running data centres drives demand for electricians, power engineers, cooling technicians and construction workers.
18
New occupations are established
Area
Jobs
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Recognised roles include agent fleet manager, specialist AI trainer, human and AI workflow designer and robot technician.
19
Area
Jobs
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Courses become shorter and learning continues through working life, with more weight on judgement, communication and practical skills.
20
Work and AI become mainstream politics
Area
Jobs
Confidence
Medium
What to expect
Wage insurance, retraining and how to share the gains from AI are central election issues in many countries.