Deloitte has released its annual ‘Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions’ report highlighting how AI is redefining the foundations of hardware, software, telecom, and media.
The 2026 report states that AI is driving infrastructure investment, reshaping business models, and accelerating shifts in how people can connect and consume content.
This could, the report goes on to say, create a more competitive and complex digital economy in 2026 and beyond.
Deloitte also predicts AI’s popularity will fade as industries turn to making AI usable at scale, with progress sought from fundamentals rather than new models.
For the consumer, the biggest changes will be within the streaming and user-generated content spaces as generative AI videos become smoother, and thus, more ubiquitous.
The report outlined how enerative AI video is helping to unlock new creative possibilities that could empower independent creators.
At the same time, the scale and realism raise important challenges around authenticity, audience trust, and responsible usage.
This presents an issue for businesses as they may need to strengthen moderation, invest in tools like watermarking, and comply with emerging regulations on labeling and age verification.
How well they respond could determine if generative video can drive growth without undermining trust in their platforms.
Additionally, Deloitte states that AI is becoming an intuitive interface that summarises results, infusing traditional search portals with AI context.
By 2026, daily usage of AI within search is projected to be three times greater than any standalone AI tool — reshaping how people can discover information.
Deloitte predicts that 29% of adults in developed countries will view at least one AI-generated search summary each day, but just 10% will use standalone AI applications daily.
Instead of users clicking through links and stitching together answers, search will increasingly deliver AI-crafted summaries up front, evolving from a gateway into a guide that can help interpret, organise, and explain information in context.
Agentic AI is expected to drive the next era of enterprise integration. Estimates suggest that the global agentic AI market could reach US$35bn (c. £26bn) in 2030, up from a projected $8.5bn (c. £6.5bn) in 2026.
However, Deloitte predicts that if enterprises orchestrate agents better and more thoughtfully address the associated challenges and risks, this market projection could increase by up to 30%, or as high as $45bn (c. £34bn) by 2030.
Deloitte, vice chair and U.S. Technology Sector leader, Steve Fineberg, said: “AI is becoming the engine of digital business, spanning everything from generative creativity to agentic automation.
“It’s reshaping how technology connects, how people search, and how value is created across the enterprise.
“We’re now seeing it move into every level of software and hardware, and the leaders who can orchestrate that intelligence responsibly will turn experimentation into efficiency — and sustained momentum — at scale.”
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