Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2026. Read them in this 18th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
From Bennie Grant, COO of Percona
The tech industry is in both a tumultuous and exciting place right now. Going into 2026, AI’s influence is reshaping the sector, while other emerging technologies quietly transform the industry and everyday life. As we look ahead, 2026 is sure to bring many interesting and unexpected developments. So, let’s take a look at a few of those predictions and what they mean for the year ahead.
Trust, not Perfection, Will Define the Next Phase of AI
One trend we’re likely to see in 2026 is a shift in perceptions around AI. As with any highly disruptive and game-changing technology, the arrival of next-generation AI has fueled no shortage of concern and debate-especially concerning its reliability and safety. However, if history can teach us anything, it’s that over time, expectations and goalposts will soften for this breakthrough technology. I predict that in 2026, we’ll see the industry stop chasing “bulletproof” AI. When the cloud first started to gain traction, there was a whole lot of noise and concern around the potential for downtime, errors, and outages. As October 2025’s AWS outage has shown, we no longer count perfection as a requirement for cloud adoption. Although it was disruptive, the world has picked up and carried on. And no fewer organizations are using the cloud as a result.
So, just as organizations have adapted to occasional cloud outages, they’ll recognize that imperfect answers or guidance are an inherent part of generative systems. Developers and end-users will come to accept that these imperfections are not fatal flaws, but challenges to be managed. The focus will shift from eradicating every error to designing AI that earns trust through transparency, accountability, and resilience. The leaders of this next phase won’t be those who promise perfection, but those who build systems that users can rely on, even when they’re imperfect.
Legacy Systems Will (Quietly) Keep the Lights On
As enterprises race toward new AI horizons and the infrastructure that enables them- Postgres, vector databases, and large-scale data pipelines-older databases like MySQL will quietly remain indispensable for both keeping things running smoothly and fueling innovation. These foundations may not make headlines, but they are the foundation of modern enterprise infrastructure. Regardless of how major vendors evolve or exit, the world will always need experts who keep these systems running, secure, and optimized. Many enterprises still rely on relational database management systems as the backbone for mission-critical transactional workloads (e.g., order management, customer records). And despite the rise of AI, those needs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The everyday functionality that keeps today’s technologies and economies running will continue to grow and thrive, leading to further increases in market share and sustained relevance for these legacy systems in the year ahead.
The Open Source Community Continues the Fight Against Restrictive Relicensing
It’s unclear if or when another open source company will change its licensing around a popular open source product, but what’s become abundantly clear is how the community will react. Every time a company attempts to impose restrictions on once open source software, developers and enterprises respond with swift, collective action. As we saw with Redis and the rise of Valkey, when popular single-vendor open source products suddenly go proprietary (or move towards more restrictive licensing more generally), stakeholders don’t appreciate it. Moving forward, the community will continue to create alternatives in the face of this kind of bait-and-switch. And when they’re not actively establishing new projects, they will be influencing licensing decisions in other ways, ensuring that openness and freedom remain the defining principles of the ecosystem. Transparency isn’t just a standard; it’s the bedrock of open source. And as we move into 2026, I’m confident that the community will continue to exert its influence over the open source software landscape in a way that upholds these foundational principles of open source.
Preparing for the Road Ahead
In 2026, we are certain to see more than our fair share of the unexpected. After all, flux is the name of the game in today’s tech world. With that being said, we’re not entirely in the dark. I remain confident that the above predictions about AI’s imperfections, legacy technologies, and the power of the open source community will ring true over the coming 12 months. And I, for one, am looking forward to seeing it.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bennie brings a wealth of executive leadership experience to Percona. Having been an integral part of Perconas leadership team for over seven years and serving in various critical roles, he possesses an intimate understanding of Perconas vision, operations, and unwavering commitment to our customers.
With over 15 years of global expertise in Professional Services, Support, and Operational leadership, Bennies career includes successfully establishing US operations for Mettoni Inc and driving excellence in senior leadership positions within the technology sector.
As Chief Operating Officer, Bennie is dedicated to upholding Perconas core values, ensuring seamless continuity, and propelling our strategic growth. Bennie lives in Raleigh, NC with his family, where he does his best to follow Arsenal FC soccer team from afar.
