HCLSoftware has launched its Tech Trends 2026 report, a global study based on interviews with more than 173 CXOs, and the clearest message from it is that AI agents have moved from experiments to the operating core of enterprises.
The report states that 8 in 10 enterprises are already running AI systems in production, with 85% either piloting or operating autonomous AI agents that can take actions, not just make suggestions.
For the first time, agentic AI is no longer treated as a future bet but as a baseline capability for running businesses in 2026 and beyond.
Kalyan Kumar, chief product officer of HCLSoftware, said the shift is about who or what actually runs the enterprise. “Enterprises will be defined less by what they build and more by what they allow technology to decide, adapt and govern on their behalf. The next 24–36 months belong to leaders who can turn intelligence into a living operating model — autonomous by default, resilient at scale, and sovereign by design,” he said.
The study finds that this move toward autonomy is happening across almost every layer of the enterprise.
More than 92% of organisations are now actively engaging with robotics that combine cloud and cognitive systems, while over 70% are using immersive and spatial computing in real workflows rather than demos.
At the same time, 84% of enterprises expect AI powered low code and no code platforms to scale inside their businesses within the next 18 months, making software creation itself more automated.
Security and governance are becoming just as important as speed. One in 3 enterprises now flags cybersecurity, trust, and transparency as an urgent priority, and 79% say responsible AI is already in motion rather than something to plan for later.
Yet the report also highlights a gap. While nearly 80% of companies are running or piloting autonomous AI agents, only 26% say they have clear governance frameworks in place to control how those systems act.
According to HCLSoftware, this tension between fast adoption and weak guardrails is shaping how technology leaders think about 2026.
Across all regions, AI agents and autonomous systems stand out as the only technology reaching something close to global consensus. North America, Europe, APAC, and emerging markets all rank it as a top priority, even though other technologies like immersive reality, energy tech, and advanced semiconductors show sharp regional differences based on regulation, capital, and talent.
The report argues that the next phase of digital transformation is no longer about buying tools. It is about redesigning the enterprise so that software systems can decide, adapt, and operate on their own, with humans shifting into oversight, design, and exception handling.
HCLSoftware frames this through its XDO blueprint, which connects experience, data, and operations into what it calls a single intelligent operating model.
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