The AI Shift in 2026 Kit Cox on the road ahead

As we move towards 2026, the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving. Gone are the days of enthusiastic investment in shiny, new AI products. The landscape is shifting, and businesses must adapt. Kit Cox, CTO and Founder of Enate, is at the forefront of these changes. He outlines how AI needs to be approached in the next year to ensure it delivers real value, drives growth, and avoids the pitfalls that have plagued many companies in the past.

AI Fatigue
For businesses to truly harness the power of AI, understanding the "what" behind the technology is crucial. According to Cox, many organisations have been swept up in the hype surrounding AI, only to find that their investments haven't yielded the promised returns. As a result, AI fatigue is setting in. "I truly believe that anything can be learned, if enough thought and intention is put behind it. For example, writing code is easy but it's knowing what to build that is the hardest part. The same logic applies to AI: if you don't understand the results it needs to deliver, automation fails." Cox argues that businesses have rushed into automation without understanding the foundational work required to make it successful. This has led to disappointing results for many, and as AI fatigue deepens, the focus in 2026 will shift to fixing those foundational issues. "Over the last few years, automation enthusiasm has driven companies to invest in shiny AI products and even lay off employees. They were given the false promise that AI could shoulder the workload."

As businesses begin to recognise the limitations of this approach, leaders will need to shift focus toward solidifying their core operations. Understanding the work that needs to be done, and fixing operational inefficiencies, will become the priority. Without this clarity, Cox warns, companies will create barriers to effectively deploying AI, stalling their chances of real growth. "If service providers don't know what work is being done, they won't be able to see where the improvements can be made in their offering. Without this understanding, they will create barriers to deploying agentic AI which has potential to drive efficiency and business growth."

The Rise of Process Debt
In the rush to automate, many companies have neglected to accurately map the true nature of their operations. While business leaders have spent years mapping processes, Cox highlights that they often fail to account for the messy, undocumented realities that drive day-to-day work—email, spreadsheets, and human improvisation. "Many operations leaders spent years mapping the 'processes' that deliver service, but in reality, they didn't consider the actual work that gets done; the messy, undocumented reality of email, spreadsheets, and human improvisation."

This gap between perceived processes and the actual operations is what Cox calls "process debt," and he believes it will soon become the new technical debt in the corporate world."In 2026, that neglect will rear its head. 'Process debt' will become the new corporate liability: the accumulated confusion between what companies think they do and what they actually do. Agentic AI, designed to perform autonomous work, will fail spectacularly when faced with this gap." Service providers will need to address this process debt before they can scale automation. Only once the real, on-the-ground work is understood can automation truly begin to drive efficiencies and deliver value.

IT Empowerment
Cox also sees a fundamental shift in how technology is deployed within businesses. As AI continues to evolve, the most agile companies will be those that empower the people who use technology every day - rather than relying on large, centralised IT departments. The future of IT, according to Cox, lies in decentralising control and placing the power in the hands of those who truly understand the challenges they face. "The most agile companies in 2026 won't have the biggest IT departments. Instead, they'll put the power of technology into the hands of those using it every day, empowering their teams to be the drivers of the technology solutions that will solve their day-to-day challenges."

The old model of having IT experts manage every piece of technology will no longer be sustainable. With off-the-shelf tools becoming more accessible, operational teams - from customer advisors to logistics managers- will be the ones implementing and rolling out technology solutions. "In the past, organisations had central IT teams because technology was so complex that it required experts to be on hand to keep things running smoothly. However, as off-the-shelf tools continue to democratise access, we will see IT control move away from IT and instead be in the hands of the technology users that experience the problems day-to-day."

Cox argues that IT departments should focus on critical issues like identity, access, and network governance, rather than trying to control every piece of technology. "CIOs who cling to gatekeeping across all the technology in the organisation will see their influence wane, while those who empower teams to invest in solutions that solve their specific problems will help the business to thrive."

The End of AI-Washing
The AI landscape has been marred by promises of "AI-powered" products that often fail to deliver. This trend is starting to turn, with Cox predicting that in 2026, the mantra for businesses will be: "Don't buy promises, buy proof."

Approaching 2026, many businesses are now wary of technology that promises the world but fails to meet expectations. As AI fatigue sets in, businesses will demand clear, tangible results before making further investments. "After years of being dazzled by 'AI-powered' promises, many businesses are scarred and wary of technology that promises the world but fails to deliver on expectations." Instead of buying into slick sales pitches, service and operations teams will demand clear ROI metrics that justify AI investments. The focus will shift from marketing buzzwords to real-life cost savings and measurable improvements. "Technologies that can genuinely cut manual work, reduce exceptions or speed up approvals, must also show their impact with hard numbers and, most importantly, real-life cost savings."

Cox believes that transparency will be key to AI's future success - those selling "magic AI" will be exposed, and only those who can deliver on their promises will succeed in the enterprise space. "Those still selling 'magic AI' will find themselves exposed and locked out of serious enterprise conversations. Transparency sells AI, not hype."

A New Era of AI in Business
As we look ahead to 2026, the AI landscape will be defined by a shift towards practicality and accountability. The excitement of the past years will give way to a more measured, results-driven approach. Businesses will focus on building solid foundations, tackling process debt, and empowering technology users to drive change. And in the world of AI, the promises of magic will be replaced by the reality of proven, measurable impact. For Cox, the future of AI lies in businesses making smarter decisions about their technology investments and recognising that automation is only as good as the operations it is built upon. The next year will be about creating a sustainable, transparent, and effective AI ecosystem—one that delivers real, lasting value.