Today, generative AI is being used by millions of people to study, research and create content, and the technology is already embedded in the workflows of many large organisations. The new year is likely to see the prevalence of several key generative AI trends, including the growing use of generative video and agentic chatbots.
The Rise of Generative Video
In 2025, Netflix’s Argentinian-produced series El Eternauta brought generative AI into the mainstream, with producers claiming the technology drastically cut costs and production time compared to traditional special effects and animation techniques. Generative video is expected to be increasingly used throughout 2026, powering big-budget movies and TV shows.
Agentic Chatbots
Generative AI-powered chatbots are set to develop into action-taking assistants in 2026. Rather than simply generating content or providing information, the new breed of chatbots will be able to take on agentic qualities and work towards long-term goals autonomously. ChatGPT debuted its Agent Mode in 2025, while other tools such as Claude and Gemini can already take multi-step actions and communicate with third-party apps. Take a look at the embedded PDF for more information on agentic AI.
AI Training Becomes Mandatory
It’s anticipated that a significant number of large enterprises will mandate AI training in 2026 and beyond to reduce risk and uplift adoption of the technology. Enterprise-wide AI literacy could protect a company from liability – especially important in regulated industries – and improve an organisation’s AIQ (artificial intelligence quotient).
A Growing Focus on Privacy
As businesses invest more heavily in generative AI in 2026, there’s likely to be an increasing awareness of associated privacy risks and a focus on the steps needed to secure customer and personal data.
Those with a strong interest in the field – such as Jonathan De Vita – know that this will drive awareness around privacy-centric AI models in which data processing is undertaken directly on users’ devices or on-premises. Apple is already differentiating itself with its privacy-first focus, and other AI developers and device manufacturers will probably follow its lead this year and beyond.
Ethical, Responsible AI Principles
As AI becomes ever more interwoven into the fabric of society, there will be a spotlight on the responsible use of AI over the coming years. As well as dangerous content and hallucinations, AI can result in data privacy violations and copyright infringement, as developers use data from across the internet to train and run AI models. This will put a focus on creating an approach to develop and use AI in ways that are accurate, transparent, ethical, explainable and accountable.