Agentic AI Heads 2026 Tech Trends While AWS Rolls Out New Tools
AI agents that handle full workflows on their own are grabbing attention as enterprises gear up for 2026. Bernard Marr kicked off Forbes’ list of eight key tech trends with agentic platforms, calling them the breakout from basic chatbots. These agents manage multi-step tasks, connect to outside services, and run with little human input—like virtual coworkers tweaking processes live.
Agentic Platforms Top Marr’s 2026 List
Marr points out enterprises can scale these agents fast using low-code tools that handle compliance and ethics too. He ranks them first among shifts like GenAI copilots in 80% of workplace apps by 2026, per IDC, and industry cloud platforms that Gartner says 70% of enterprises will use by year’s end, up from 15% in 2023.
Agents fit into a bigger picture with quantum computing prep, zero-trust edge security for IoT, XR for training, green software mandates from EU rules, and digital twins modeling whole factories. Read Marr’s full breakdown in his Forbes piece. Recent examples show agentic AI in action across sectors. The FDA deployed new capabilities to improve staff workflows (Investing.com). LTIMindtree built 1,500 AI digital employees (Moneycontrol). CrowdStrike was named an AWS Agentic AI partner to secure cloud workloads (IT Brief Asia). A software developer sees compliance as a bright spot despite predictions that 40% of projects will fail (01net.it).
AWS Adds 29 Agentic Features to Amazon Connect
AWS is putting agentic AI to work right now in Amazon Connect, their contact center service that hit $1 billion run rate this year. They announced 29 new capabilities ahead of re:Invent to deliver personalized customer help across channels—parsing complex queries, pulling account data, filing requests, and updating orders without people stepping in.
Pasquale DeMaio, VP of Amazon Connect, says it combines customer profiles with predictive smarts to act before customers ask. Early users like Centrica cut handle time 38% and lifted satisfaction 19 points in a 10,000-agent setup. Toyota North America handles over a million calls yearly, down 20% in time. AWS stresses observability so companies see exactly how agents decide, with tests on thousands of scenarios.
- Real-time data pulls from CRM, inventory, loyalty systems via Model Context Protocol.
- Natural speech from Nova Sonic, plus partners like ElevenLabs.
- AI runs background tasks while reps build rapport.
The CCaaS market sits at $2.55 billion in the US, growing 14-15% yearly toward $97 billion global by mid-2030s. Check details in Victor DeY’s Forbes report.
These moves show agentic AI moving from talk to tools that cut costs and boost service now, setting the pace for enterprise workflows next year.
