As disruption accelerates and AI becomes indispensable, CIOs and technology leaders face a critical question: How do you harness innovation without losing control?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner experts Gene Alvarez and Tori Paulman walk through the Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026, as debuted at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo. They explore why the pace of change is faster than ever, and how three new "innovation superheroes" — the Architect, the Synthesist, and the Vanguard — can help organizations build resilience, orchestrate intelligent systems and safeguard digital trust.

Tune in to discover:

Why 2026 marks the end of "optional AI," and what that means for your strategy
How AI-native development platforms and supercomputing will transform productivity
Why multiagent systems and domain-specific language models are key to reducing complexity
How physical AI bridges the digital and physical worlds
Why preemptive cybersecurity and digital provenance are essential for enterprise protection

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Download the full Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026
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Top Tech Trends 2026: Meet the Innovation Superheroes