Enterprise technology is entering a more demanding phase. After years of investing in AI, cloud infrastructure, and application modernization, organizations are turning their attention to execution.
The priority is no longer deploying new technology. It is making sure those investments improve operations, support business goals, and produce measurable results.
Unisys’ 2026 AI & Cloud Insights Report, based on a survey of 1,000 senior business and IT decision-makers, finds that competitive advantage is shaped by how well AI fits into existing operations and delivers value over time.
Organizations are now focused on making AI investments deliver measurable business outcomes, raising expectations for the technology that supports them.
Cloud environments must support larger AI workloads. Security programs must account for more autonomous systems. Modernization efforts are expected to remove barriers that slow innovation.
The report describes organizations focusing on these operational priorities while building a foundation for long-term AI adoption.
Why It Matters: Success now depends less on adopting AI and more on making it deliver measurable business outcomes. Deploying AI is only one part of the equation. Organizations also need cloud environments that can support AI growth and security programs that keep pace with expanding AI capabilities. The report presents these priorities as connected decisions that influence operational performance across the enterprise.
- Agentic AI Gains Ground: Organizations see agentic AI supporting cloud management, automating repetitive work, and improving productivity. 75% of respondents believe agentic AI will become essential for managing expanding cloud application portfolios, while only 23% have begun enterprise-wide deployments. The gap between interest and deployment shows that organizations are still working through governance, workforce readiness, and operational planning before introducing AI into more business functions. The report also notes declining concern over AI-driven job displacement as experience with enterprise AI continues to grow.
- Business Value Becomes the Benchmark: Confidence in cloud infrastructure, automation, and enterprise data capabilities continues to grow, with about 90% of respondents reporting they have the technology needed to support AI-driven operations. At the same time, fewer organizations are exceeding operational efficiency expectations than one year ago. The report suggests the challenge is no longer technology readiness. The harder task is turning that readiness into measurable business performance while overcoming data and execution challenges.
- Cloud Demands Greater Discipline: Organizations continue expanding hybrid and multi-cloud environments to support AI initiatives. Every new cloud environment introduces another layer to manage. Visibility becomes harder. Governance requires more attention. Costs become more difficult to control. The report encourages organizations to simplify operations so cloud investments remain sustainable as AI adoption expands.
- Modernization Focuses on Outcomes: AI enablement and technical modernization remain leading priorities, yet many organizations continue managing fragmented applications and technical debt. Modernization is also becoming an opportunity to simplify the enterprise. Retiring outdated applications and reducing technical debt create environments that are easier to maintain and better prepared for future AI initiatives.
- Cybersecurity Enables Enterprise AI: AI systems are gaining greater autonomy and access to enterprise data, making governance and security central to enterprise AI adoption. Nearly three times as many organizations reported cybersecurity breaches compared with the previous survey, reinforcing the importance of resilient security programs. More than 90% of respondents say cloud security capabilities influence the level of autonomy granted to AI systems, while nearly all believe mature security practices help organizations adopt new technologies faster. The report presents cybersecurity as the foundation that allows organizations to expand AI with greater confidence while managing operational risk.
Go Deeper -> AI & Cloud Insight Report – Unisys
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