5 ways AI agents will transform the way we work in 2026

AI agents can now understand a goal, semi-autonomously develop a multi-step plan, and take actions on your behalf — all under your expert guidance and oversight.

We’re moving away from abstract, future-gazing possibilities, and focusing on delivering tangible business value right now. Today, Google Cloud dropped its 2026 AI Agent Trends Report, along with a companion NotebookLM. Here’s a look at the five key trends that are defining where agents will fundamentally reshape business and drive new value in the coming year.

1. AI agents will help everyone be more productive.

Employees will now be able to delegate tasks to different AI agents to reach their goals, shifting their daily work from routine execution to higher-level strategic direction. AI is already becoming a core driver of work from the start: More than 57,000 team members at Telus are regularly using AI and saving 40 minutes per AI interaction. Meanwhile, Suzano, the world's largest pulp manufacturer, developed an AI agent with Gemini Pro that translates natural language questions into SQL code — resulting in a 95% reduction in the time required for queries among 50,000 employees.

2. Agentic workflows will become a core part of business processes.

Multiple agents in a system can collaborate, coordinate and communicate to automate complex, multi-step processes. This sophisticated automation goes far beyond chatbots to answer questions, so AI can support specific functions with higher business value.

In 2026, we’ll see businesses start connecting agents according to their needs and requirements, running entire workflows from start to finish. For example, Salesforce and Google Cloud are building cross-platform AI agents using the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol — a leap forward in establishing an open, interoperable foundation for agentic enterprises.

3. Agents will bring five-star experiences to life for everyone.

The era of scripted chatbots and reactive customer service is coming to an end. In the coming year, we’ll see agents speeding up this shift — establishing hyperpersonalized, “concierge-style” service as the new standard for customer interactions.

For example, global manufacturer Danfoss is using AI agents to automate email-based order processing, automating 80% of transactional decisions and reducing the average customer response from 42 hours to near real time.

4. AI agents will supercharge security operations.

In a modern security operation center (SOC), human analysts are often overwhelmed by a constant stream of data and alerts. AI agents offer security teams the extra power and coverage they need to identify and respond to threats even faster. Macquarie Bank provides efficient, proactive fraud protection and digital self-service capabilities with Google Cloud AI, directing 38% more users towards self-service and reducing false positive alerts by 40%.

We predict 2026 will be the year AI agents take over the most taxing security operations work, automating manual tasks like alert triage and investigation. This will allow human analysts to dedicate their focus to their most critical work: hunting threats and developing next-generation defenses.

5. Companies will double down on training an AI-ready workforce.

Adopting the latest AI technology and tools is only the first step. The biggest challenge — and the most critical factor for success — is people. During 2026, organizations will move from simply buying AI to building an AI-ready workforce, transitioning away from one-off training toward developing adaptable, continuous learning plans. These programs provide hands-on practice with real-world scenarios, allowing employees to build the AI skills they need at their own pace and on their own schedule.

Check out the full report for more details about AI agent trend predictions in 2026.