If 2025 was the year artificial intelligence became unavoidable, 2026 will be the year everyone starts talking seriously about AI agents.
An AI agent is a software system designed to plan and execute tasks autonomously, make decisions and interact with digital tools or environments with minimal human oversight in pursuit of a defined goal. When people fear that AI will take over jobs, they are usually worried about white-collar automation. The more immediate question is not what AI agents might do someday; it is who is pushing them now, and to what end.
