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      Disruption isn’t slowing down — it’s accelerating

      AI, quantum, and other next generation technologies are rewriting the rules of business. Strategy and execution must keep pace with an unwavering focus on ROI.

      Are you ready to lead in the Intelligence Age?

      To excel, organizations need to balance ambition with rational thinking. To thrive amid disruption, leaders should modernize their methods of measuring tech value, adopt strategies that favor flexibility and speed, and build cultures that welcome change. Expectations are high and adoption is rapid, but scaling introduces additional complexity and returns vary widely.

      Technology leaders should also keep one eye on the horizon — anticipating the future and preparing for the magnitude of disruptions to come. KPMG’s Global tech report 2026, Leading in the Intelligence Age: Excelling today, shaping tomorrow examines how organizations are responding.

      Key findings from our research

      Meeting the challenge of the Intelligence Age

      In an era characterized by the immense growth of tech, most organizations have bold plans to uplift maturity in 2026, fueling the shift from experimentation to scale. However, intensifying challenges of tech debt, cost pressures and talent shortages are holding many back from realizing their tech goals.

      Building adaptive strategies amid continual disruption

      With the fast pace of innovation, tech plans are often obsolete before implementation. To thrive amid this constant change, technology leaders must coordinate investment priorities across the enterprise, build clarity around strategic decision making, create a culture that can leverage the best of tech, and ensure the foundations of data and resilience are spot on.

      Realizing value from tech investment

      ROI on tech investment can vary dramatically based on factors such as readiness, diligent governance, execution discipline, and organizational agility. Investment decision making, particularly for new AI tools, has often been based on indirect and hypothetical benefits, adding to the complexity of getting it right. Tech executives need to look at the typical pattern of ROI for guidance and update their ROI KPIs to align with the kinds of business value that AI can generate.

      The foundations for the next wave

      The rise of agentic AI is commanding the attention of tech executives, but there are even more disruptive AI tech trends on the horizon. Quantum provides immense computing power and calls for superior security, while Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence hold unpredictable potential. One eye must always remain fixed on what is coming next.

       

      * High performers are organizations distinguished by advanced tech maturity, process maturity, and the ability to consistently deliver significant value from their digital investments.

      The KPMG data shows tech executives expect a sharp move from pilots to ROI in the next year: 88 percent of organizations are already embedding AI agents into their workflows, products and value streams. High performers expect about half of their tech teams to be permanent human staff by 2027. This signals a future where small, durable human cores orchestrate large AI-augmented ecosystems.

      Zack Kass

      Global AI advisor, thought leader, and former Head of Go-To-Market, OpenAI

      Your 2026 agenda

      Accelerating learning, building a future-ready and agent-empowered workforce, and having one eye on emerging technology trends are just some of the essentials that should be on your 2026 agenda.

      Discover even more future-forward technology transformation tips in our report.

      KPMG Global tech report 2026

      Leading in the Intelligence Age: Excelling today, shaping tomorrow
      Download the report
      Adoption is rapid, but returns vary widely, shaped by factors that include diligent governance, execution discipline, and organizational agility. Against this backdrop, static planning is becoming obsolete. To thrive, organizations need adaptive strategies that embrace flexibility and speed.
      Guy Holland

      Global Leader, CIO Center of Excellence

      KPMG International

      About the research

      The KPMG Global tech report 2026 is based on a survey of 2,500 tech executives from 27 countries, including 43 percent from Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); 29 percent from Asia-Pacific (ASPAC); and 28 percent from the Americas.

      The tech executives are representatives from eight industries: automotive, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, government, healthcare and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, and tech and telecom. A significant proportion of the tech executives surveyed are senior leaders, and annual revenues for all organizations in our survey are above US$100 million.

      This report features valuable insights on emerging technology trends from interviews with eight global technology leaders including Dean Bortz, Director, AI Go-to-Market, Google; Zack Kass, Global AI advisor, thought leader, and former Head of Go-to-Market, OpenAI; Noelle Russell, AI Solutions Architect and Strategic Advisor, CEO, AI Leadership Institute; and Seth Patton, General Manager, Product Marketing, Microsoft 365 Copilot.

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      Transformation is an ongoing journey

      Accelerate growth and build lasting resilience with KPMG Velocity. Expect to change smarter and move faster — eliminating inefficiencies and building trust and confidence, at every step.

      KPMG Velocity

      Change smarter, move faster with KPMG Velocity

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      Key contacts

      Bobby Soni
      Bobby Soni

      Global Technology Consulting Leader

      KPMG International

      Guy Holland
      Guy Holland

      Global CIO Center of Excellence Leader

      KPMG International