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From Promise to Performance: How AI Will Evolve in 2026

By Sarah Hoffman, Director of AI Thought Leadership

2025 was the year generative AI grew up, shifting from isolated experiments to integrated systems. It was marked by a wave of model launches, new features like long-term memory that deepened user value, and the first serious experiments with AI agents capable of reasoning and action. What also emerged was a clearer picture of how AI will continue to mature in 2026.

In this report, discover:

  • The defining themes of 2025, from the transformation of search and the rise of memory-enabled AI to the foundations laid for agentic systems and enterprise-wide integration.
  • What to expect in 2026 as AI becomes more proactive, specialized, and seamlessly embedded into products and workflows.
  • Why 2026 will be the year of measurable ROI, as organizations shift from experimentation to disciplined, value-driven adoption.
About the Author
  • Sarah Hoffman, Director of AI Thought Leadership

    Sarah Hoffman is Director of AI Thought Leadership at AlphaSense, where she explores artificial intelligence trends that will matter most to AlphaSense’s customers. Previously, Sarah was Vice President of AI and ML Research for Fidelity Investments, led FactSet’s ML and Language Technology team and worked as an Information Technology Analyst at Lehman Brothers. With a career spanning two decades in AI, ML, natural language processing, and other technologies, Sarah’s expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, VentureBeat, and on Bloomberg TV. Sarah holds a master's degree from Columbia University in computer science with a focus on natural language processing, and a B.B.A. from Baruch College in computer information systems. Sarah is based in New York.

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