AI could finally pay off for businesses in 2026 - thanks to this, experts say

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• AI will enter a new phase in 2026, analysts said. 
• Businesses will better leverage the tech and see results. 
• AI agents and commerce opportunities will be key. 

The AI hype fueled by the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022 has only accelerated. Organizations, however, have yet to see much ROI on their mounting investment in the technology -- but experts say that wait may be over in the new year. 

Based on promises of AI's potential to dramatically optimize operations through new developments in the space, including models that are smarter, cheaper, multimodal, better at reasoning, and even autonomous, business leaders have funneled money into related expenses. Global corporate AI investment reached $252.3 billion in 2024, and US private AI investment hit $109.1 billion, according to Stanford data ...