You probably use generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot to boost productivity, but 2026 offers new opportunities – but it comes with risks. AI agents are now live and can work autonomously behind the scenes, which opens up massive potential. It’s tempting to jump into this, but you need to do it with care. It’s not just about what AI can do – it’s about what it SHOULD do, and how much control you’re willing to give up. As a leader, you need to be sharp, strategic, and thoughtful to harness this power.
https://swiy.co/go-beyond-chatgpt
What are you doing – or planning to do – with AI in 2026?
People and organisations are at different levels of the AI journey: some still haven’t started, most have a reasonably good grasp of generative AI, and a few are racing ahead and looking at what else AI can do now.
Right now, AI agents – which can act autonomously on your behalf – are all the rage.
A few years ago, when clients asked me about what’s coming after generative AI, I told them about AI agents, which weren’t a thing at the time, but were the obvious next phase of AI. With an AI agent, instead of you sitting there typing away and getting a response, you instruct your AI agent to go off and do work behind your back – autonomously, automatically, and without your intervention.
Now, in 2026, AI agents are a reality. They’re at your fingertips – literally in ChatGPT and Copilot.
A client recently asked me about this:
“Well, what you said back then is true. Should we go all in on this?”
The simple answer is: No, you shouldn’t! You should be very, very careful.
At least with generative AI, when you type something in, you get a response, and can then apply your human intelligence to assess that response, to edit it, to tailor it, and then use it. In other words, AI is an intelligent assistant, not an autonomous agent.
But with AI agents operating independently of you, you face potential risks.
Security risks.
Privacy risks.
Data risks.
It’s like letting untrained staff loose on your files, database, and customer experience.
Even worse, these AI agents can operate faster and in more complex ways than humans can. And in “unintelligent” ways - like placing a million orders in a second, agreeing to sell high-value items for a few dollars, or being tricked into exposing private medical data.
So, yes, AI agents are powerful – but their power can also be dangerous.
This is just one of the ways that AI has changed in the last year. Because of these changes, I’m running an online presentation soon about what’s new for AI in 2026 – the do’s and don’ts. It’s free, public, and open to all, so please register and invite others in your team and network.
Register for the virtual masterclass:
https://swiy.co/go-beyond-chatgpt
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