At Skywire, we generally don’t like making predictions. Most trends move quickly, and any attempt to guess “the next big thing” almost always misses the mark. Even if it doesn’t, everyone’s already forgotten by March anyway.

However, this year is different. We’ve been struck by the speed and scale of change across a multitude of factors, such as cyber risk, AI, and brand dynamics, in 2025. Now, as we prepare to move into 2026, we only see these factors accelerating.

We sat down with our Creative Director, Tom Wittlin, Technical Director, David Alexander, and Strategy Director Simon Hall, who shared their top predictions as to what brands should look out for over the next year, and how to prepare for what’s ahead.

Prediction 1: Visibility shifts from clicks to credibility

Over the next year, AI-mediated search and zero-click commerce will change how customers discover brands.

It won’t be enough to optimise for keywords or clever tricks; AI systems prioritise clarity, consistency, and trustworthiness. Brands that clearly communicate their products, values, and expertise in structured, machine-readable formats will surface more often, while opaque or inconsistent messaging will be overlooked.

In our view, the solution is to treat visibility as a design problem: map how AI interprets your content, standardise product and policy information, and ensure all channels reflect a coherent, authoritative voice. 

Of course, chasing rankings above all else has always been fairly detrimental, and building credibility has always been important; but we predict that these factors will become ever more pronounced over the next year, and that it will have a lasting impact on visibility for brands with a heavy digital presence.

Prediction 2: A creative vision will matter more than ever

Our next prediction slightly pre-empts an upcoming opinion piece from our Creative Director, Tom, but we feel as though it’s worth mentioning here, too.

As the availability - and application of - AI tools has risen exponentially over the past year or two, we’ve also seen the amount of feed-friendly yet generic generative output flooding the market accelerate at an unprecedented pace. As you might expect, this turns every brand into the same shade of beige, making it more difficult for any of them to actually stand out.

As we move into 2026, the differentiator won’t become who’s using AI, but who’s using it as part of a broader creative vision.

At Skywire, we always preach that the solution isn’t to avoid AI entirely, but rather to understand and accept what it’s good at, and what it’s not so good at. There are plenty of AI tools (especially visual ones) that have tremendous utility as valuable production tools, and it is incredibly efficient at automating certain everyday tasks for individuals and businesses; but amidst this, it must not be forgotten that humans are the ones who are best at setting the direction, deciding the tone, and defining originality. 

In 2026, a creative vision will matter more than ever. Distinctive design, coherent storytelling, and a strong strategic perspective will be what separates the memorable from the forgettable - AI might have raised the floor, yes, but it’s still going to be human input that raises the ceiling.

Prediction 3: Cybersecurity becomes autonomous: for attackers and defenders alike

In April 2025, M&S suffered a major ransomware cyber attack that crippled its online sales and massively compromised vast swathes of encrypted customer data. This made headlines in all major news outlets, cost M&S an estimated £300m in profit, and caused practically every savvy Ecommerce business in the country to conduct a thorough audit of their security practices.

By April 2026, agentic AI agents that we won’t deign to name will allow attacks to run continuously and convincingly impersonate executives, staff, or customers through automated phishing, fraud and ongoing breach campaigns at scale.

This sounds like it gives us all cause for concern. Thankfully, however, defenders will be able to fight back with the same tools.

Automated monitoring can detect unusual behaviour in real time, AI-driven verification can flag suspicious interactions, and processes designed around identity and context keep teams and customers protected. 

We’re already seeing the beginning of this in action, but sometime in 2026, we predict that there will be a shift - and that these autonomous systems will be at the forefront of keeping organisations secure without compromising their operational efficiency.

Prediction 4: AI use becomes unavoidable - and therefore, governable

“No AI” policies simply don’t work. 

Okay, that’s probably less of a prediction and more of a comment on the reality in which we’re currently living, but the widespread realisation of this fact over the coming year will present complications in the workplace if left unchecked.

Employees turn to LLMs for drafting, analysis, and customer interactions because it simply works, but it’s often without oversight. This new breed of rampant, unrestrained convenience creates real risks: confidential data can be uploaded to unapproved tools, outputs can embed errors or bias, and inconsistent usage can breach compliance requirements.

Our prediction is that the forward-thinking organisations in 2026 will begin to treat AI as part of the operating environment, rather than the optional add-on that it’s traditionally been viewed as to date.

This means defining which tools are approved, setting clear rules around sensitive data, and creating governance frameworks that are consistent globally but adaptable locally. 

Training and culture also matter just as much as technology: employees need to understand how to use AI safely, when to question its outputs, and who is accountable for the end result. Done right, AI tools can accelerate work, reduce risk, and push you further up the value chain - and we believe that proper governance will be the next step towards achieving this.

Prediction 5: AI won’t replace jobs; it will simply change them

In a similar view to the above, we’d like to fight back against the doom and gloom by saying that AI won’t take your jobs; it will simply change the nature of them.

AI can make routine tasks much quicker - and in some cases, even automated; while judgment, prioritisation, and interpretation become inherently more valuable. Success comes to those who invest in transition, not headcount reduction: human oversight, synthesis, and decision-making become the premium skills.

It is possible that the advent of AI in the workplace may actually create some new roles, as well. We have spoken at length about the changes coming to SEO for LLMs, and are even hosting an event in central London about this in January (contact us if you’re interested in a free space at it), but we’ve also actually seen agencies hiring dedicated Generative Engine Optimisation managers and consultants for the expressed purpose of fulfilling this for clients.

What will 'good' look like in 2026?

Well, if there’s one takeaway from our predictions, it’s that 2026 will reward brands that think in terms of systems, not silos. 

Cybersecurity, AI, visibility, work design, and creativity aren’t separate challenges - they’re interconnected levers that shape trust, efficiency, and differentiation. Brands that treat them as a single, coordinated ecosystem will move faster, make smarter decisions, and capture value others miss.

In practice, this means 2026 isn’t about chasing the next trend or trying to predict what the next fad will be. It’s about choosing where to lead, where to protect, and where to innovate.

Brands that approach the year with this mindset won’t just survive the acceleration of change; they’ll define what good looks like for the rest of the market.