Predict 2026: Why AI Will Force DevOps to Reinvent Itself

Every year at Predict, we ask a simple question. What is the big story for the year ahead?

For 2026, the answer is unmistakable. AI is the story. But for the DevOps community, the more important question is not whether AI matters. It is how deeply AI will change the way we build, ship, secure, and operate software.

That is why this year, Techstrong has named AI as our Person of the Year, the first time we have ever given that recognition to a technology. And it is why Predict 2026 is shaping up to be our most important event yet.

This is the eighth year of Predict, and for the first time, the event fully reflects the vision I had when I first imagined it. Predict was always meant to be analyst-driven. A place where experienced observers of technology could step back from the daily noise and tell us what they really see coming next. In 2026, that vision finally becomes real.

AI Is Reshaping the DevOps Contract

For years, DevOps has been about speed, automation, and collaboration. AI changes that equation. We are now entering a world where agents write code, generate tests, remediate incidents, and make operational decisions in real time.

That raises hard questions for DevOps teams. What does velocity mean when machines are doing the work? How do we maintain reliability when systems are learning and adapting on their own? How do we secure pipelines that increasingly act autonomously?

Predict 2026 is designed to tackle those questions head-on.

If you work in DevOps, platform engineering, or SRE, this is an event you should not miss!

Analyst Led Insights for a New DevOps Reality

This year, nearly the entire Futurum analyst team will present at Predict 2026. These sessions are not product pitches. They are grounded forecasts about where DevOps, software engineering, and IT operations are headed next.

How Will Agentic AI Impact the Licensing and Pricing of SaaS Software

Keith Kirkpatrick of Futurum joins me to examine how agentic AI breaks traditional SaaS assumptions. As AI agents do more of the work traditionally done by humans, DevOps leaders will face new pricing models, new metrics, and new accountability frameworks.

AI and Agent Accelerated Development

Mitch Ashley, VP and practice lead for software lifecycle engineering at The Futurum Group, dives directly into what this means for DevOps teams. AI-driven agents are collapsing development cycles, automating testing, and reshaping CI/CD. This session explores how DevOps practices must evolve to stay effective.

2026: The Year Ahead

Daniel Newman, CEO of Futurum, provides the macro view. His session connects AI-driven development, platform shifts, and enterprise strategy, offering context for why DevOps is changing so quickly and what leaders should prepare for next.

AI’s Structural Shifts and Physical Limits

Nick Patience, VP and practice lead for AI Platforms at Futurum, focuses on the realities DevOps teams cannot ignore. Power constraints, cooling requirements, hardware specialization, and the rise of small language models all influence how AI-powered platforms are built and operated.

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, looks at trust, governance, and security in an AI-driven delivery pipeline. For DevOps teams, this is where DevSecOps moves from aspiration to necessity.

The Strategic View at Futurum

Tiffani Bova, Futurum’s chief strategy and research officer, adds an executive lens. Her session ties DevOps outcomes to business growth, customer expectations, and competitive differentiation in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

These sessions are essential for anyone serious about modern DevOps. Register now here.

From Vision to Execution

Predict 2026 does not stop at theory. The afternoon sessions move squarely into execution and operations.

AI’s Growing Pains Force CIOs to Reinvent Cloud, Security, and Operational Strategies

Dion Hinchcliffe, Futurum Distinguished Thought Leader, explores how AI workloads are stressing existing cloud and operational models. For DevOps and platform teams, this session highlights where current approaches will break and what needs to change.

Data: Enabling the Great AI Acceleration in 2026

Brad Shimmin, VP and practice lead for data intelligence, analytics, and infrastructure at Futurum, reminds us of an uncomfortable truth. AI success depends on data. DevOps teams increasingly sit at the intersection of pipelines, platforms, and data flows that make AI possible.

Security, RSA Insights, and the DevOps Pipeline

Predict 2026 also features analysts from the RSA Conference ecosystem, offering early insight into the cybersecurity themes that will dominate 2026 and RSAC in March.

For DevOps teams, this is especially relevant. AI-driven pipelines expand the attack surface, blur accountability, and demand tighter integration between DevOps and security than ever before.

Join us to understand how DevOps and security converge in 2026.

DevOps Dozen Awards and Community Recognition

As always, we will announce the DevOps Dozen award winners live during Predict. These awards recognize the teams and individuals who are pushing DevOps forward through innovation, resilience, and real-world impact.

Predict has always been about community, not just content. This is one of those moments that reminds us why.