At Moneypenny, we see this shift happening in real time. Supporting millions of calls, chats and messages every year across the UK and US, we’ve seen first-hand how AI is evolving and what it means for customer experience.
To help business owners prepare for the year ahead, our Chief Technology Officer, Pete Hanlon, shares the top AI predictions shaping the next chapter of business.
1. AI becomes a true member of the team
AI is stepping out of the sidelines and into the core of business operations. In 2026, AI systems will be handling parts of financial, sales, marketing and operational workflows.
Our own AI Voice Agent already shows how AI can work side-by-side with people, handling routine conversations so teams can focus on high-value work. The key to success will be controlled deployment, using AI where reliability is proven and not where risks are too high.
2. Coding assistants become colleagues
AI coding tools are levelling up. Instead of simply generating snippets, they will work across the full development lifecycle – from planning a feature and designing architecture to testing, deploying and monitoring systems.
Tools like Claude Code, Codex and Cline point towards a future where engineering teams gain a reliable digital colleague, not a replacement. The outcome will be faster delivery, more resilient infrastructure and teams who can innovate rather than firefight.
3. Smaller, smarter models drive efficiency
In 2026, bigger isn’t always better. Smaller, smarter Micro Large Language Models (MLLMs) – compact models with impressive reasoning and performance at a fraction of the compute and energy cost, enabling businesses to bring advanced AI to everyday workflows.
4. Energy becomes the new AI bottleneck
Even with advances in efficiency, global AI demand is soaring. The International Energy Agency and Goldman Sachs predict data-centre energy consumption will be more than double by 2030.
In 2026, AI performance will be judged not just on capability, but on energy responsibility.
5. Compliance becomes non-negotiable
The EU AI Act comes into force in 2026 and will influence global standards. AI governance is about to be treated as seriously as financial auditing. Businesses will need to show:
- transparency
- fairness
- accountability
- traceable decision-making
Moneypenny has already embedded governance and auditing into our AI Voice Agent to ensure clients can scale safely, responsibly and confidently.
Our AI Voice Agent delivers instant responses, seamless routing and consistent service.
6. Content provenance takes centre stage
With synthetic text, voices and videos accelerating, trust becomes a precious currency. In 2026, organisations will prioritise watermarking, detection and identity verification to combat deepfakes and misinformation.
For customer communication specifically, provenance will matter. Clients will need to know, “am I speaking with a person or with AI and can I trust it?”
7. ROI takes priority over hype
After the surge in enterprise adoption in 2025, the conversation now shifts to results. Businesses will demand clear, measurable ROI from AI solutions, such as:
- reduced response times
- lower operating costs
- improved customer journeys
We already see this among our clients, who are using AI to reshape customer journeys and unlock meaningful competitive advantages. The winners in 2026 will be those who let AI excel at what it does best, not those who overreach into high-risk use cases.
8. On-device AI takes off
With Apple, Microsoft and Google embedding AI directly into devices, we’ll see a rise in hybrid systems that run partly on-device and in the cloud. For customer communication, that means faster, smoother and more secure conversations between businesses and the people they serve.
9. Physical AI joins the workforce
AI won’t remain on screens. In 2026, physical AI, including robots and autonomous systems, will expand across:
- logistics
- healthcare
- frontline services.
Combined with conversational AI, these systems will enable human-machine teams that can deliver service in entirely new ways.
10. AI accelerates scientific discovery
From drug development to climate modelling and materials science, AI will dramatically speed up research and innovation cycles. These breakthroughs will ripple into new industries, new expectations and new customer needs – reshaping how businesses serve and communicate.
11. SEO shifts from keywords to conversations
The rise of LLM-powered search is rewriting the SEO rulebook. Search behaviour is becoming:
- conversational
- entity-based
- zero click
- AI-summarised
This shift means businesses must optimise content for humans and AI models.
12. AI-powered marketing assistants become essential for UK business
Small businesses will adopt AI marketing assistants to help with marketing activity, empowering them to compete with larger brands.
13. First-party conversation data becomes marketing gold
With cookies disappearing and privacy tightening, businesses need new forms of insight. Call transcripts, live chat interactions and intent signals become a powerful first-party resource for marketing and business operations.
14. Authenticity becomes the most valuable brand asset
As AI-generated content explodes, customers will reward brands that feel real, transparent, human-led and trustworthy. Moneypenny’s human-plus-AI model is perfectly aligned with this shift. People will choose brands that use AI responsibly.
15. The year of balance, trust and opportunity
2026 won’t simply be another step forward for AI. It will be the year businesses learn to balance automation with trust, scale with sustainability and intelligence with compliance.
At Moneypenny, we see AI as a partner that elevates people, not one that replaces them. We believe the future is human-led and AI-powered. We’re already helping businesses embrace this partnership today and preparing them for what’s next.
Speak to our team about how Moneypenny’s AI Voice Agent can help you deliver faster, friendlier and more reliable customer conversations, 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
How will AI change customer conversations in 2026?
AI becomes a true team member, handling routine calls and messages instantly, while humans focus on complex or high-value tasks. Tools like Moneypenny’s AI Voice Agent deliver faster, more consistent service.
Why do smaller AI models (MLLMs) matter?
Micro Large Language Models offer strong performance with far lower energy and compute costs, helping businesses use AI more efficiently and sustainably.
What new regulations will affect AI use?
The EU AI Act arrives in 2026, making transparency, fairness and accountability essential. Businesses must show how their AI works and ensure responsible deployment.
How will AI impact trust and content authenticity?
With synthetic voices and text rising, customers will want to know whether they’re speaking to a person or AI. Provenance tools such as watermarking, verification and transparency will become critical.
What ROI can businesses expect from AI?
The focus shifts from hype to measurable results for example, reduced response times, lower operating costs and improvements to customer journeys. The winners will use AI where it reliably adds value.
