NTT DATA outlines six technology trends shaping 2026 in new foresight report

NTT DATA has released its Technology Foresight Report 2026, setting out six trends that it believes will shape the next phase of technology innovation. Announced in Singapore on 9 February, the annual report explores how organisations are using digital tools, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to drive growth and long-term competitiveness.

The report argues that businesses are entering what it describes as the age of mass intelligence. In this phase, companies are placing greater emphasis on systems that can learn, adapt and operate with a degree of autonomy. Rather than focusing solely on speed and scale, organisations are being urged to develop medium- and long-term strategies that establish a clear and sustainable position in global markets.

To produce the report, NTT DATA examined developments at the intersection of technology, business and society. It identified six major trends that reflect how innovation is reshaping enterprise models, infrastructure and national priorities. The company positions the report as a strategic guide, intended to help clients anticipate change and align investment decisions with broader economic and societal shifts.

Oliver Koeth, Managing Director Technology and Innovation DACH at NTT DATA, said the emergence of mass intelligence requires a more considered approach to technological progress. “The rise of mass intelligence shifts our focus from acceleration to significance,” he said. “When emotionally aware systems, sovereign compute and trusted infrastructure come together, technology evolves into a purposeful ally – amplifying resilience and reinforcing the values that will define our shared future.”

Six trends redefining autonomy, trust and infrastructure

One of the central themes identified in the report is human-orchestrated autonomy. NTT DATA suggests that intelligent systems are entering a new phase, where they can operate at scale and at speed while remaining guided by human intent. In this model, automation does not replace oversight. Instead, human direction ensures that decisions made by autonomous systems remain transparent, purposeful and aligned with enterprise and societal objectives.

The report also highlights the rise of embodied agency and emotions in technology systems. Emotionally responsive systems are described as emerging social infrastructure, capable of fostering trust and engagement. Synthetic emotion, in this context, is positioned as a way to humanise data interactions and enable closer collaboration between people and machines. NTT DATA argues that this co-evolution of human and artificial empathy could support well-being, productivity and broader societal transformation.

A third trend, intelligence we trust, centres on cybersecurity. As AI systems gain greater autonomy, security is evolving into a layer of adaptive intelligence. According to the report, cybersecurity frameworks must not only defend against complex threats but also safeguard the integrity, transparency and ethical behaviour of AI-driven systems across increasingly interconnected ecosystems.

In parallel, the report introduces the concept of informed infrastructure. Here, infrastructure becomes an active foundation for innovation rather than a passive backbone. By applying continuous intelligence, organisations can optimise performance, anticipate demand and balance agility, cost, control and sustainability in real time. This infrastructure spans devices, edge environments and cloud platforms, orchestrating workloads across hybrid environments to maximise efficiency and value.

Sovereign silicon and sustainable growth priorities

Beyond enterprise systems, the report points to geopolitical and environmental factors influencing technology strategy. Under the theme of sovereign silicon ecosystems, NTT DATA emphasises the importance of semiconductor innovation for national resilience and technological autonomy. Governments are investing in end-to-end chip ecosystems to secure supply chains, protect intellectual property and maintain leadership in computing. Control over silicon is presented as a key driver of digital transformation, supported by collaboration and sustainability.

The sixth trend, described as a shift from illusory efficiency to sufficiency, signals a broader rethink of growth models. Rather than pursuing narrow measures of efficiency, organisations are encouraged to adopt a sufficiency-based approach. This model seeks to balance business success with responsible operation within planetary boundaries, strengthening resilience and long-term credibility.

NTT DATA states that the Technology Foresight Report plays a central role in its innovation strategy. The company uses the findings to co-create future visions with customers worldwide and to develop the technologies and services needed to realise them. Recent examples include the unveiling of its Smart AI Agent ecosystem, a proof-of-concept report on inter-data centre connectivity using IOWN APN with MUFG Bank and NTT West, and a global partnership with Google Cloud to accelerate agentic AI adoption and cloud modernisation.

Through these initiatives, the company positions the foresight report not only as a research publication but also as a practical framework guiding new business creation and broader social change.