The founder of the IT company named digital trends that will define business in 2026

The current year is ending without dramatic technological upheavals, but with noticeable structural shifts: artificial intelligence has become part of everyday business processes, platform models have replaced the classic operating system, and the labor market has changed radically. Yuri Gizatullin, founder of the IT company Tiqum, told Izvestia on December 29 about the key trends of digitalization that will determine the development of companies in 2026.

According to him, one of the main directions will be agent-based artificial intelligence (AI agents). We are not talking about chatbots for background information, but about full-fledged algorithmic assistants capable of independently performing complex tasks, from analyzing data arrays to preparing reports and making standard decisions. They will resemble junior employees who are always in touch and do not need days off, which will be a major step in automating work processes.

The expert called the growing conflict between hyperpersonalization and personal data protection another important trend.

"Modern users want businesses to take into account their individual preferences, but they are afraid of excessive surveillance. Companies that find a fine line between personalization and ethical standards will be able to gain the trust and loyalty of customers. An example is people who are happy to buy devices like smart speakers, but are wary of new messengers," Gizatullin explained.

According to him, the third direction will be the development of local ecosystems. Global platforms are no longer a universal solution, giving way to regional and industry-specific products. Such services will gradually merge, forming larger ecosystems tailored to specific tasks and customers.

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The specialist paid special attention to digital twins, which will begin to be massively introduced into the industry in the coming years. These technologies will make it possible not only to test hypotheses, but also to integrate experiments and optimization into daily production processes, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

Gizatullin called the revision of the subscription model the fifth trend. Today, businesses pay for dozens of services, from CRM and task trackers to AI tools and design software. In 2026, companies will start calculating costs more carefully, giving preference to all-in-one ecosystems or one-time licenses for local software. According to the expert, the market is tired of the "air tax" in the form of many similar subscriptions, and those vendors who offer the "pay for the result" model, rather than for access to functionality, will survive.

"2026 will be a time when businesses will start asking themselves, 'Why are we still doing this manually?' rather than, 'why do we need these technologies?' Companies that have become billion—dollar unicorns, consisting of only 1-2 employees, are just around the corner, and it is those who know how to build platforms, and not just perform operational tasks, that will benefit in this new digital reality," he concluded.

Earlier, on December 11, Dmitry Titov, head of Quality management and Artificial intelligence Implementation at Akfix-Rus, told Izvestia how AI helps in choosing gifts for the New Year. According to him, a clear algorithm with a description of the person, context and budget allows the neural network to better understand the task and give personalized ideas that do not lie on the surface.

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