Every year at Predict, we ask what the year ahead will demand from technology leaders. For 2026, the answer is clear. AI is the story. But for platform engineering teams, the story is more specific. AI is forcing platforms to evolve from enablement tools into mission-critical infrastructure.
That is why Techstrong has named AI as our Person of the Year, the first time we have ever given that recognition to a technology. It is also why Predict 2026 is shaping up to be a defining moment for platform engineering.
Register now to join us at Predict 2026.
This is the eighth year of Predict, and for the first time, the event truly reflects what I originally envisioned nearly a decade ago. Predict was meant to be an analyst-driven event where experienced observers could share clear-eyed predictions about what is coming next. In 2026, that vision finally becomes real, especially for platform teams.
AI Is Changing What Platforms Are Responsible For
Platform engineering emerged to reduce friction, create consistency, and enable developers to move faster with less risk. AI changes the scope of that mission.
AI workloads are expensive, unpredictable, and resource-intensive. Agentic systems act autonomously and continuously. Data pipelines are now first-class platform concerns. Reliability, security, and cost management are no longer downstream problems. They live squarely inside the platform.
Predict 2026 exists to help platform engineering leaders understand how their responsibilities are expanding and what capabilities platforms must provide in this new era.
If you build or run internal platforms, this is the event you should attend.
Analyst-Led Perspectives on the Platform Engineering Shift
This year, nearly the entire Futurum analyst team will present at Predict 2026. These sessions focus on the structural shifts that platform engineering teams must navigate as AI becomes foundational.
How Will Agentic AI Impact the Licensing and Pricing of SaaS Software
Keith Kirkpatrick of The Futurum Group joins me to explore how agentic AI disrupts traditional SaaS models. For platform teams, this affects how shared services are consumed, how usage is measured, and how internal chargeback and showback models evolve when agents replace human users.
AI and Agent Accelerated Development
Mitch Ashley, VP and practice lead for software lifecycle engineering at Futurum, examines how AI-driven agents accelerate software delivery. Platform teams must respond by evolving golden paths, CI/CD abstractions, and guardrails to keep pace without sacrificing reliability.
2026: The Year Ahead
Daniel Newman, CEO of Futurum, provides a broad view of the forces shaping enterprise technology in 2026. His session helps platform leaders understand how AI-driven change connects to broader business and organizational priorities.
AI’s Structural Shifts and Physical Limits
Nick Patience, VP and practice lead for AI platforms at Futurum, focuses on constraints that platform teams can no longer ignore. Power density, cooling, hardware specialization, and the rise of small language models all shape how AI-capable platforms are designed and scaled.
The Urgency of Addressing the Trust Gap in All Things AI and Agentic
Fernando Montenegro, VP and practice lead for cybersecurity and resilience at Futurum, addresses trust, governance, and risk. For platform engineering teams, this reinforces the need to bake security, policy, and compliance directly into platform primitives.
The Strategic View at Futurum
Tiffani Bova, chief strategy and research officer at Futurum, connects platform investment decisions to business growth and competitive differentiation. Her session underscores why platforms are no longer just technical assets, but strategic ones.
These insights are critical for platform leaders planning for 2026. Register now here.
From Platforms to Production Reality
Predict 2026 also examines how AI-driven complexity plays out in day-to-day operations.
AI’s Growing Pains Force CIOs to Reinvent Cloud, Security, and Operational Strategies
Dion Hinchcliffe, Futurum Distinguished Thought Leader, explores how AI workloads strain existing cloud and operational models. For platform teams, this session highlights where current abstractions break and what needs to evolve.
Data: Enabling the Great AI Acceleration in 2026
Brad Shimmin, VP and practice lead for data intelligence, analytics, and infrastructure at Futurum, focuses on data as the foundation of AI success. Platform teams increasingly own the pipelines, storage, and governance that make AI usable at scale.
Security, Resilience, and the Platform Mandate
Predict 2026 also includes analysts from the RSA Conference ecosystem, offering insight into how AI reshapes threat models and security architectures. As platforms become more autonomous and more powerful, security and resilience must be intrinsic, not bolted on.
Join us to understand how platforms, AI, and security intersect.
Research, Community, and Recognition
Predict attendees will have access to a virtual Futurum booth with exclusive research, including Futurum Signal reports. These insights help platform leaders benchmark their strategies against where the market is heading.
We will also announce the DevOps Dozen award winners live, continuing a Predict tradition that recognizes teams pushing the boundaries of modern engineering and operations.
Why Predict 2026 Matters for Platform Engineering
Platform engineering in 2026 will look very different from today. AI is expanding the scope, responsibility, and strategic importance of platforms across the enterprise.
Predict 2026 is about helping platform leaders move from enablement to ownership. From supporting teams to shaping outcomes.
If you want to understand how AI will redefine platforms, golden paths, and internal developer experience, Predict 2026 is the event you should not miss.
Register today here and join us at Predict 2026
AI is the story of 2026. For platform engineering, it is the moment platforms become the product.