The AI industry will be reorganized around agents in 2026. MIT Technology Review has declared this year the ‘Year of the Agent.’ Beyond simple chatbots, AI capable of autonomously performing complex tasks is beginning to be deployed in corporate settings.
A notable change is the rise of Chinese open-source models. DeepSeek-R1 demonstrates inference performance equivalent to OpenAI o1, but is distributed under a completely open license. TechCrunch analyzes this as a ‘turning point towards pragmatism.’ Companies are no longer relying solely on closed APIs. There’s a growing trend towards preferring customizable models within their own infrastructure. In particular, DeepSeek’s cost-effective training has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for startups. Conversely, the US government is intensifying the tech hegemony competition by strengthening export controls on Chinese AI chips. Microsoft has identified ‘Agent Workflow Integration’ as the top priority among the seven trends to watch in 2026.
The next six months are expected to see fierce competition for standards in the agent ecosystem. The open-source camp will compete with flexibility and cost advantages, while the closed camp will counter with performance and stability. Depending on the direction of regulations, a reorganization of the global AI supply chain is also inevitable. Companies should diversify risk with a multi-model strategy.
FAQ
Q: How does an AI agent differ from a traditional chatbot?
A: An agent receives user commands and autonomously combines various tools to complete complex tasks. While a chatbot is limited to single conversational responses, an agent can perform a series of actions such as sending emails, analyzing data, and executing code.
Q: Is it safe for companies to use Chinese open-source models?
A: The license is Apache 2.0, allowing for free commercial use. However, data sovereignty and export control risks should be reviewed with the legal team. On-premise deployment eliminates external dependencies, potentially increasing security.
Q: Which areas will AI investment focus on in 2026?
A: Agent orchestration platforms, multimodal reasoning models, and edge AI optimization technologies are key. In particular, large amounts of capital are flowing into enterprise agent marketplaces and workflow automation toolchains.