If you think just about every assumption about work has already been upended, get ready for even faster change in 2026.

The key driver? Agentic AI.

Because while we’ve already seen big paradigm shifts in where we work, how we do it, and with whom, the biggest transformation is upon us.

That’s the consensus of Cisco workforce tech experts — including Lawrence Huang, SVP & GM of network platform and wireless; Snorre Kjesbu, SVP & GM of Cisco collaboration; Aruna Ravichandran, SVP & CMO for AI, networking, and collaboration; Vinod Muthukrishnan, VP & GM of Webex customer experience; Austin Lin, VP of product management, network platform; and Bob Cicero, Americas director, future-proofed workplaces.

All shared their predictions on the profound changes AI brings to the workplace; its implications for leadership, security, customer experience, and more; and how organizations can thrive amid the profound changes in the coming months.

Connected intelligence: human to human, human to AI, and AI to AI

Perhaps the most overarching workplace trend in 2026 will be around what Cisco calls Connected Intelligence. It’s a new model of collaboration that connects people to people, people to AI, and, increasingly, AI to AI.

“By 2026,” explained Ravichandran, “the workplace won't evolve through more apps or digital assistants, but through Connected Intelligence — where people, data, and digital workers [AI agents] work together side by side.”

Cultural and geographic barriers will dissolve as well.

“Connected Intelligence removes the limits of geography and individual capacity,” she continued. “Knowledge and expertise move instantly to where they're needed. Digital workers surface insights in context, automate workflows quietly, and keep work moving forward — without interrupting human creativity or decision making.”

That means that agentic AI will become, in effect, an integrated team member.

“We’re used to talking about closing the distance between people,” said Kjesbu, “but by 2026, we’ll also be closing the gap between people and AI, and even between different AIs. We’ll start to rely more on AI coworkers, or specialists that can handle everything from summarizing meetings to translating languages and even offering expert recommendations.”

Modernized networks fit for AI

This widespread acceleration in AI usage and capabilities will place new demands on infrastructure. And Huang sees enterprises shifting how they architect their networks to support the next generation of AI applications, while layering in security to protect against the next era of threats.

“Enterprises will need to think about the new business outcomes and which AI use cases will drive and modernize their network infrastructure to account for these,” Huang said. “This includes the exponential increase in network traffic, latency requirements, moving AI inference closer to where data is generated, and the ability to identify, segment and secure each user, agent and service.”

Given that powerful AI capabilities are moving to the edge, Huang sees a key advantage in having network intelligence there as well.

“As enterprise AI matures,” he said, “we're seeing a convergence of frontier model capabilities, an increasing proliferation of agents, and efficient models moving to the edge.”

AI-driven environments will further transform how workplaces function.

Cicero predicts that “agentic AI will leverage data from Wi-Fi, sensors, and connected devices to make real-time adjustments.”

“For example,” he explained, “on a low-occupancy winter day, AI can automatically adjust thermostats, dim lights, power down unused spaces, and suggest collaborative areas, cutting energy consumption while advancing sustainability goals.”

IT operations simplified with AI  

All that may sound complex from an IT perspective. But Cisco’s workforce tech experts see a big shift towards simplification on the network front. As Lin predicts, AI powered NetOps, predictive analytics, and generative user experiences will transform how enterprises architect, manage, and secure their digital infrastructure.

“What began as AI-assisted troubleshooting will evolve into AgenticOps,” Lin said. “IT teams will be empowered to augment their organizations with digital workers that autonomously support portions of the network lifecycle. These agents will help detect anomalies, correlate root causes, monitor config drift, remediate issues, and continuously optimize performance in closed-loop fashion. These digital agents will enable IT professionals to focus on defining service expectations, policy, and business intent, delivering a more seamless and efficient experience for their organizations.”

Ravichandran agreed.

“In 2026," she stressed, "networks powered by intelligent AI agents will manage complexity in the background, constantly learning and adapting to deliver seamless connectivity. This new partnership means IT teams can focus their talent on driving strategy and innovation, while AI ensures our networks are resilient, responsive, and always moving at the speed of business.”

When AI meets CX

In 2026, the way customers interact with brands will be redefined as consumer and enterprise environments converge. As AI powered assistants and intelligent, human-like concierge agents become the new face of customer interactions, organizations will have to seamlessly blend human and digital teams and harness new workforce-engagement tools designed explicitly to optimize this hybrid workforce — unlocking faster resolutions and more connected customer journeys.

"In 2026, the rapid evolution of AI multi-agent collaboration and orchestration will enable a new level of automation and the creation of brand concierge agents," Muthukrishnan said. "Agentic AI will make it possible for workforces to be reimagined for a new era where these AI agents work side by side with human agents to deliver true connected intelligence and elevated customer experiences."

Muthukrishnan predicts that by 2026, these technological advancements will significantly transform the role of human agents, leading organizations to adopt new staffing models.

"AI-powered workforce engagement tools will be utilized," he predicted, "such as quality management and AI routing, and innovations in areas such as real-time speech-to-speech translation. These innovations will enable organizations to fundamentally transform how they manage and optimize hybrid teams of AI and human agents, allowing them to work together seamlessly and deliver true connected intelligence."

Security, trust, and an evolution in leadership

In periods of fast change, trust is essential. And organizations will need to prioritize ethics, compliance, and transparency to build confidence in AI.

Of course, security is a big part of trust. And without it, AI will go nowhere.

By 2026, companies will need to take a more “fused” approach to security,” Kjesbu emphasized, “where protections are built in at every layer, from the edge to the cloud to the core. As AI is woven into everything, we’ll need smarter, more adaptive security that can keep up with new threats. And we’ll have to think about how security and network management work together, not in silos.”

At the same time, leaders will need to adapt. Many leaders are still getting their heads around managing workers who could be in an office, at home, or thousands of miles away. But in 2026, they will be managing teammates that aren’t even human. However, trust, empathy, and communication will be as important as ever.

“The organizations that lead in 2026 will embrace open, interoperable ecosystems built on trust,” Ravichandran concluded. “By unifying secure connectivity with intuitive, embedded AI, they will create workplaces where people and digital workers operate as one — unlocking new levels of agility, creativity, and performance.” 

The opportunity in 2026 is to use both technology and human skills to unleash the best a team can offer.

As Ravichandran sees it, “collaboration becomes a strategic advantage, complexity fades into the background, and work finally moves at the speed of ideas.”