Digia: AI Agents and Robotics to Reshape Business in 2026

Digia Oyj's Chief Technology Officer Juhana Juppo and Senior Vice President Sami Paihonen predict that in 2026, AI agents will become significantly more prevalent, functioning as human collaborators and team members. This development is expected to free up employees from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic responsibilities.

According to Gartner, 40 percent of companies will deploy AI agents next year, a substantial increase from the current five percent. These advanced agents will operate with greater independence and increasingly function as part of agent teams designed to solve complex knowledge work challenges.

The technological shift emphasizes energy efficiency and hybrid models. The use of large language models will become more precise, with companies combining models of varying sizes as needed. This trend is partly driven by the anticipated doubling of data center energy consumption by the end of the decade.

Regulatory frameworks, particularly within the EU, are increasingly influencing AI adoption. Businesses must integrate compliance into their AI strategies. Investments in AI for the security and defense sectors are also growing, and the rise of humanoid robots is expected to alter production structures, potentially enabling reshoring of manufacturing.