Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2026. Read them in this 18th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By Michal Brger, CEO of eM Client
The rapid adoption of AI has brought convenience, automation, and new ways of working, but it has also introduced real questions about privacy, data ownership, and the future of digital communication. In 2026, these questions will come to a head. Users, governments, and businesses will start rethinking the tools they rely on and the trade-offs they’ve accepted. At the same time, familiar technologies like email will gain new relevance as the industry searches for stability and trust in an increasingly complex ecosystem.
Here are the trends that will define that shift.
The AI Monetization Battle Will Trigger a Global Privacy Reset
AI providers have spent years investing heavily in model development, often without clear revenue models. In 2026, that pressure will reach a breaking point. Subscriptions alone will not be enough to sustain large-scale AI infrastructure, so companies will look for additional ways to monetize their platforms. That will include more aggressive data collection, training models on user conversations, expanding targeted advertising, and sharing insights with third parties.
Many users still assume their AI interactions are private. As more details surface about how conversational data is used, we’ll see a strong backlash. People will begin to question the real cost of “free” AI and reassess the apps and services they use daily.
This will drive a shift toward privacy-first tools that rely on limited cloud exposure and more local processing. Regulatory bodies, especially in Europe and parts of Asia, are likely to strengthen rules around data handling, model training sources, and automated decision-making. The companies that win user trust will be the ones that prioritize privacy and build innovation on top of that foundation.
Organizations Will Start Pulling Away from Big Tech Ecosystems
For years, Microsoft and Google have dominated the productivity market. But 2026 will bring the beginning of a meaningful shift. Government agencies and large enterprises will increasingly question their dependency on a small number of U.S.-based providers, driven by concerns around data sovereignty, long-term reliability, and geopolitics.
Some countries already restrict government use of proprietary or foreign-owned communication tools. As these policies expand, organizations will actively look for alternatives that guarantee data ownership and transparency.
This trend creates a growing opportunity for independent software vendors, especially those capable of collaborating to deliver cohesive, full-featured productivity stacks. Most organizations aren’t interested in assembling countless tools on their own. They want an integrated setup that mirrors the convenience of major platforms without the privacy trade-offs. In 2026, smaller vendors will work together more intentionally to offer exactly that.
Email Will Become the Intelligent Backbone of Modern Communication
Email has been declared obsolete many times, but nothing has replaced its universality. It remains the only widely adopted communication standard not controlled by a single provider, and it functions across industries, cultures, and competing technology ecosystems.
In 2026, email’s resilience will become more valuable. As organizations manage increasingly fragmented communication tools, the neutrality and stability of email will serve as an anchor.
At the same time, AI will significantly upgrade the email experience. Tasks such as drafting messages, sorting inboxes, identifying priorities, and generating context-aware replies will become largely automated. These improvements will help people recover hours of lost productivity and reduce the mental strain of managing constant communication.
With these advances, email will evolve into a central command hub for work. While real-time collaboration and messaging apps will continue to serve their specific purposes, email’s reach and consistency will keep it at the core of business communication.
A Shift Toward “Reasonable AI” in Everyday Tools
As AI capabilities expand, users will be more conscious of how and where their data is processed. Many still don’t realize that most AI interactions are handled in the cloud and often help fuel additional model training or ad targeting. In 2026, this will become more widely understood.
Users will start demanding “reasonable AI”, systems that rely on local, embedded models whenever possible and that treat privacy as a default expectation, not an optional feature. They will also want AI that adapts to their personal preferences and communication style rather than producing generic content that feels disconnected or impersonal.
Authenticity will matter more as AI-generated text becomes easier to detect and easier to ignore. Tools that preserve a user’s voice will stand out in a market crowded with identical-sounding outputs.
Interoperability Will Become a Practical Competitive Edge
Interoperability has long been essential, but many smaller vendors lacked the resources to deliver deep integrations. AI-driven development may finally level that playing field. Faster coding, automated testing, and AI-assisted API generation will reduce the time required to build reliable connections between tools.
This shift will allow smaller vendors to collaborate more easily and create unified experiences that can compete with the major platforms. For customers, easier onboarding and seamless workflows will become a key deciding factor when selecting software. Interoperability won’t just be a technical feature. It will be something organizations expect from the start.
A Year Defined by Higher Expectations
2026 will push the industry to rethink long-standing assumptions about convenience, trust, and control. Privacy expectations will rise, AI will be evaluated with more scrutiny, and communication tools will evolve to balance automation with authenticity. The companies that succeed will be the ones that adapt to these new expectations and put users at the center of how their products are designed.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michal Brger is the CEO and co-founder of eM Client, the modern email client built for smarter productivity.
