Greenberg Traurig | Outlook 2026: Emerging Technology

As innovations continue to accelerate, the technology landscape in 2026 may reach a turning point, marking a shift from research and development (R&D) to adaptation. This year’s outlook highlights a shift towards smarter, autonomous systems that operate within the physical world. Organizations that embrace this shift may thrive, while those that lag behind may risk losing pace with a rapidly accelerating digital economy.

1. Moving Toward AI Integration

Virtually every industry has begun adopting AI, moving from experimentation to practical, integrated deployment in business operations. Companies have set their sights on practical applications using AI-powered agents and workflows to automate business processes and deliver a return on investment. At the same time, some software as a service (SaaS) providers have worked to integrate new AI features directly into their software to provide greater insight into data and operations. These trends may continue to drive not just technology adoption, but also full-scale business process transformation as companies rebuild their core processes around AI. As AI becomes more deeply embedded into the heart of business operations, companies may begin placing greater importance on AI governance and reporting, both to ensure operational excellence and to demonstrate the return on investment they and investors are seeking.

At the same time, we may see investment continue to flow into the development of new AI technologies. The data center boom might begin to translate into development of new AI models – some of which may seek to deliver industry-specific capabilities, such as pharmaceutical design and scientific discovery. These trends in model innovation may include “physical AI,” where customized models are embedded into robotics and AI-powered machines that interact with their environment autonomously. Physical AI may begin to transform industries like manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, where AI’s attention to small details may have a significant impact on outcomes. With this, there may be an increased focus on safety and quality control, both for the companies developing and using the technology, as well as for the regulators seeking to maintain effective oversight.

2. Quantum Computing Reaches an Inflection Point

2025 was a watershed year for quantum computing, with technology moving from a research phase into a commercial stage alongside increased private investment and governmental support.

• Technology Development: Major technology companies made progress in developing quantum processors and related techniques last year. Some startups – such as those in the neutral atom or trapped ion space (e.g., Infleqtion and QuEra) – demonstrated practical advantages, while startups in the superconducting space demonstrated improved performance.
• Private Funding: Investors continue to see quantum computing as a burgeoning industry. In 2025, the sector saw around $2 billion in private investment in the United States and around $4 billion worldwide. Some companies completed large funding rounds, such as PsiQuantum ($1 billion Series E) and Quantinuum ($600 million equity capital raise). The latter company recently announced plans for an IPO, as did Infleqtion.
• Government Backing: The bipartisan Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act authorized over $2.5 billion in funding for quantum R&D. U.S. policymakers have signaled the need to accelerate the adoption of post-quantum cryptography technologies; that effort seeks to ensure that data encryption is not vulnerable to attack from quantum technologies.

3. Humanoid Robotics Enter the Physical World

One of the most visible shifts in emerging technology is the movement of AI from purely digital environments into the physical world. The proliferation of humanoid robotics, often referred to as “physical AI,” represents this convergence.

Advancements in machine learning, sensor technology, and robotics are enabling machines that can move, observe, and interact with their surroundings with increasing sophistication. While robots have long been used in industrial settings, the next generation of systems is designed to operate in environments built for humans, including healthcare facilities, warehouses, homes, and public spaces.

Unlike traditional robots that follow predefined instructions, physical AI systems perceive their environment, learn from experience, and adapt their behavior in real time. Examples already exist across industries: factory robots that reroute when production schedules change; autonomous vehicles that identify hazards faster than human drivers; and inspection robots that detect equipment failures before they become catastrophic.

Although concepts such as quantum-enabled robotics remain speculative and may yet be decades away, progress in self-learning and simulation-driven training has started to accelerate today’s physical AI capabilities. As these systems become more prevalent, questions around safety standards, liability, workforce impact, and regulatory oversight may also intensify. Deploying humanoid robots is not merely a technical challenge; it is a societal and legal one that may require thoughtful frameworks alongside innovation.

4. Smart Sensing Networks May Play a Central Role in Longevity Strategies

Longevity technology is often associated with pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, but an equally important (and sometimes overlooked) area is the rise of smart sensing networks embedded in everyday environments.

Wearable devices, sleep trackers, recovery metrics, and health dashboards promise not only productivity, but also improved quality of life and longer independence. Consumers now have access to technologies that once resided primarily in clinics or research labs, and the technologies are increasingly powered by AI-driven personalization, rather than population averages.

As populations age, particularly among baby boomers and Gen X, demand has begun growing for technologies that support independent living while providing reassurance to caregivers. Smart sensors embedded in homes can passively monitor movement, detect falls, and identify deviations from normal activity patterns without constant human supervision.

Developers design these systems to complement, not replace, human care by offering early warnings and real-time insights. While technological advancements and adoption raise important considerations around privacy, data security, and consent, the potential benefits, including faster emergency response and reduced caregiver burden, suggest smart sensing networks might play an increasingly central role in longevity strategies in 2026 and beyond.

5. Personalized Learning Technologies Reshape How We Learn

Education has also started undergoing meaningful transformation. Personalized learning technologies, some powered by AI, are reshaping how individuals learn and acquire skills.

Rather than deploying uniform “textbook” learning styles or pacing, personalized learning tools adapt content to an individual’s comprehension, abilities, and progress. Software platforms and wearable technologies can assess focus and retention, allowing child and adult learners alike to revisit material or adjust how they engage with it. Examples include adaptive learning systems, immersive virtual and augmented reality tools, and collaborative digital platforms that enable flexible, individualized learning paths.

These technologies extend well beyond traditional classrooms. They have growing relevance for workforce training, professional development, and lifelong learning. As adoption of personalized learning expands, issues such as data governance, bias, accessibility, and educational equity may require careful attention. However, when implemented thoughtfully, personalized learning technologies offer the potential to make education more inclusive, effective, and responsive to individual needs.

6. The Next Era of Satellite Communications

The satellite communications industry has entered a pivotal phase in 2026, shaped by record-setting (but still constrained) launch activity, active venture and PE investment, constellation growth, and evolving regulatory landscapes. The increasing number of launches supporting mega-constellations, with demand still exceeding supply, exemplifies the sector’s expansion. Operators are also scrambling to secure the radiofrequency spectrum necessary to support their services. As satellite networks become more integral to national infrastructure and commercial innovation, operational safety and debris management remain priorities.

U.S. policymakers and federal agencies are responding to the rapidly evolving satellite communications sector with a renewed focus on supporting innovation. The Federal Communications Commission (which is the agency charged with regulating spectrum for commercial use in the United States) has embarked upon a rewrite of its rules. The rewrite aims to simplify the agency’s licensing processes, making it easier for operators to obtain the FCC licenses they need to access the spectrum their services require. After decades of acting as gatekeeper, carefully scrutinizing applications and proposed services from a perceived deny-first perspective, the agency has done an about face and now appears to hold a permissive attitude towards licensing.

Meanwhile, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s FY 2026 budget, enacted by Congress, sustains some investment in earth science and satellite-based data acquisition while emphasizing programmatic discipline and risk management in orbital operations. This shows a refining of NASA’s science and technology investments while orienting the agency toward the Moon to Mars initiative supporting sustained human spaceflight missions and commercial lunar systems.

Executive Order 14369, Ensuring American Space Superiority, which President Donald Trump signed Dec. 18, 2025, orients space policy priorities toward a return of Americans to the Moon by 2028, initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, and a commercial replacement for the ISS by 2030. The order elevates the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as coordinator for national space policy and sets tight agency deliverables, including acquisition reforms favoring commercial solutions and a spectrum leadership review that considers reapportioning and sharing of spectrum between federal, commercial, and allied users to support space, broadband, and national security missions.

Looking ahead, legal practitioners advising clients in this space may see evolving licensing regimes, with a potential growing emphasis on regulatory efficiency and predictability. The convergence of commercial innovation and regulatory adaptation may require ongoing attentiveness for those who wish to navigate emerging risks and opportunities in the satellite communications ecosystem.

Authors:
• Chinh H. Pham, Shareholder, GREENBERG TRAURIG
• Ryan P. Kelley, Shareholder, GREENBERG TRAURIG
• Kieran Dwyer, Shareholder, GREENBERG TRAURIG
• Kathryne C. Dickerson, Shareholder, GREENBERG TRAURIG
• Michael J. Attisha, Ph.D., Of Counsel, GREENBERG TRAURIG

Compliments of Greenberg Traurig-a Premium Member of the EACCNY