Happy New Year, everyone!
I hope you all had a great start into 2026. A new year always feels like a blank sheet of paper – full of possibilities and new ideas. And looking at what's happening in the IT world right now, I can guarantee we won't be getting bored this year.
Over the last two years, we've spent a lot of time marveling at ChatGPT and the like. But now, we're taking it a step further. I've taken a look at what will really move us in 2026 – and how it will change our daily lives and our work.
1. AI that thinks along with you (Agentic AI)
You might know the feeling: you type a question into a chatbot and get an answer. That's nice, but 2026 is getting cooler. We're now talking about "AI agents". The difference? An agent doesn't just tell you how to book a vacation; it just does it for you – if you let it.
It plans the route, compares prices, and books the hotel. For us in software development, this means we're no longer just building tools for you to operate, but environments where these assistants can work for you. This saves both you and me a lot of time for the things that really matter.
2. Software that helps itself
In the past (like, two years ago), we developers had to painstakingly search for every bug ourselves. Now, we're entering the era of "AI-native" software. Imagine a program noticing on its own that something is wrong and repairing itself in the background, almost like magic.
Programming itself is also becoming more natural. More and more often, we simply describe what the software should do, and the AI helps us translate that into stable code. This makes technology more accessible for all of us.
3. Intelligence right in your pocket (Edge AI)
Until now, AI often needed a fast internet connection to giant data centers. But in 2026, the power is increasingly right there in your smartphone or laptop. Thanks to new chips, your private data doesn't have to leave your device as often. This not only makes technology faster but also protects your privacy better.
4. Security: A game of cat and mouse
Unfortunately, scammers are also using the new technology. AI-generated fake emails look deceptively real today. But don't worry: on the other side, there are now AI shields that detect attacks in milliseconds, before we even notice them. It remains an exciting race, but luckily we're getting better and better tools to help us.
5. Tech that cares about the environment (Green IT)
We all know: computing power needs electricity. That's why 2026 is the year of efficiency. Instead of building ever-larger models, we're relying on specialized, "small" AIs that use much less energy but do their jobs perfectly. Sustainability in IT has finally stopped being a buzzword and has become truly important for all of us.
My Conclusion: What does this mean for you?
2026 will challenge us all, but it also offers huge opportunities. it's less about understanding every technical detail and more about how we use these new possibilities to solve our problems.
I look forward to walking this path together with you. Stay curious, stay brave, and above all: stay healthy!