predictions

Forrester’s predictions help business leaders see what’s coming and what’s most critical for business success. Read on to explore market-defining trends in emerging technology, consumer behavior, B2B sales, customer experience, and much more.

Insights

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Predictions 2027: The Seedlings Of Disruptive Payments Innovation Take Root

Lily Varon November 2, 2026
2027 will be a make-or-break year, with success hinging on trust and control in an increasingly open payments ecosystem. Explore a few of the ways that this will play out.
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Predictions 2027: AI Turns Up The Heat On Software Development

Andrew Cornwall October 30, 2026
As AI accelerates software development, teams will need to rethink everything from developer roles to testing and quality. Forrester’s 2027 predictions explore what happens as AI becomes more deeply embedded in how software gets built.
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Predictions 2027: Human Connection Will Be The Next Battleground For Customer Success And Service

Kate Leggett October 30, 2026
AI will reshape how customers engage with brands in 2027, but automation alone won’t create differentiation. Human expertise, empathy, and trust will become increasingly important to delivering standout experiences.
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Predictions 2027: Humans Reclaim Content Creation; Machines Dominate Content Consumption

Chuck Gahun October 30, 2026
AI is changing not just how content gets created, but who, or what, consumes it. In 2027, brands will prioritize authentic human expertise while adapting content strategies for a world increasingly mediated by machines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Forrester’s predictions?​

Forrester’s predictions identify significant trends and developments that business and technology leaders should prepare for in the year ahead. They highlight emerging opportunities, risks, and market shifts that could influence organizational strategies, investments, customer relationships, and operating priorities.​

What topics do Forrester’s predictions cover?​

Forrester publishes predictions across industries and business functions, including artificial intelligence, emerging technology, cybersecurity, customer experience, consumer behavior, B2B marketing and sales, financial services, healthcare, retail, commerce, enterprise software, and the future of work.​

How are Forrester’s predictions developed?​

Forrester’s predictions draw on its analysts’ research, market expertise, data, client conversations, and observations of business, customer, and technology trends. Analysts assess which developments are likely to become especially important and explain their potential implications for leaders and organizations.​

How can business leaders use Forrester’s predictions?​

Leaders can use the predictions to challenge existing assumptions, inform strategic planning, identify emerging risks, and evaluate investment priorities. They can also help teams explore different scenarios and determine which capabilities, partnerships, or operating changes may be needed to respond effectively.​

Are Forrester’s predictions guarantees about what will happen?​

No. Predictions are informed assessments of likely developments rather than guarantees. Their value lies in helping leaders anticipate change, consider plausible outcomes, and prepare flexible responses. Organizations should interpret each prediction in the context of their own market, customers, strategy, and risk tolerance.​

How does Forrester help organizations act on emerging trends?​

Forrester helps business and technology leaders translate emerging trends into practical decisions. Its predictions, research, data, frameworks, market evaluations, and advisory services help organizations assess potential impact, prioritize actions, manage uncertainty, and adapt their strategies as conditions evolve.​

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Predictions 2027: The Outcome Economy Hits Enterprise Software, And Reality Hits Back

Kate Leggett October 28, 2026
The enterprise application is no longer the center of value creation. In 2027, AI, digital sovereignty, and changing software economics will push technology leaders to rethink how they govern enterprise outcomes.
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Predictions 2027: Automation Initiatives Become More Considered

Paul Miller October 28, 2026
In 2027, business and technology leaders will take a more measured approach to automation, rethinking early AI bets, scrutinizing ROI, and focusing on initiatives that deliver sustainable value.
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Predictions 2027: Marketing Agencies Divide Between Orchestration And Execution

Jay Pattisall October 28, 2026
AI won’t kill marketing agencies, but it will reshape what makes them valuable. In 2027, agencies will increasingly split between intelligence-powered transformation partners and specialist executors as brands insource more content production and demand greater AI expertise.

Who Controls AI In 2027?

As AI transforms B2B go-to-market strategy, technology, security, and customer experience leaders must balance control with adaptation. Forrester’s Predictions 2027 guides, blogs, and webinars reveal what that requires.

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Predictions 2027: AI Takes Over Business Buying, But Humans Retain Control

Barry Vasudevan October 28, 2026
AI will take on more of the B2B buying process in 2027, but buyers won’t hand over the final say. Discover how AI agents, human validation, and heightened risk scrutiny will reshape business buying.
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Predictions 2027: The Seat At The Table Comes With A Few Surprises

Joseph Schiavone October 27, 2026
Greater influence will bring greater accountability for CIOs in 2027, as questions around data ownership, AI agent governance, and ROI force technology leaders to clarify who owns what.
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Predictions 2027: Prepare For New Infrastructure Demands

Michele Pelino October 27, 2026
As AI moves into mission-critical production, infrastructure strategies will need to evolve. In 2027, technology leaders will rethink how they source AI infrastructure, build resilience, and invest at the edge.
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Predictions 2027: Manufacturers Remember The Basics While Looking To The Future

Paul Miller October 26, 2026
In 2027, manufacturers will balance pressure to embrace AI and other emerging technologies with the need to control costs, strengthen resilience, and manage new risks.
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Predictions 2027: In Retail, Value Wins

Sucharita Kodali October 23, 2026
With meaningful retail growth harder to come by in 2027, winning market share will require more than aggressive pricing or ambitious AI investments. Discover three predictions for how economic pressure, changing shopping behavior, and agentic AI will reshape retail in the year ahead.

A Third Of Consumers Will Reject Content They Can't Verify

Explore Forrester's 2027 Predictions guide for B2C, CX, and digital leaders to uncover the five shifts putting new pressure on brands to earn trust and regain control.

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Predictions 2027: Digital Commerce Enters Its Post-Click Era

Emily Pfeiffer October 23, 2026
Forrester predicts a new era of digital commerce as AI agents take on more of the buying journey. Digital leaders will need to adapt as discovery, evaluation, and purchasing increasingly happen beyond their direct control.
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Predictions 2027: Consumers Rebel Against Invisible Influence

Jess Lloyd October 23, 2026
Consumers increasingly sense when digital experiences are designed to influence them, and they’re starting to push back. Discover three 2027 predictions for how consumers will reclaim control, disrupt AI profiling, and bypass brand websites.
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Predictions 2027: New Products Will Fill Gaps As AI Reshapes Insurance

Indranil Bandyopadhyay October 22, 2026
Insurance will change as new risks, customer expectations, and AI reshape products and experiences. Explore three 2027 predictions for parametric coverage, longevity-focused products, and agentic AI in insurance.
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Predictions 2027: A Consumer Revolution Is Rewriting Healthcare’s Rules

Arielle Trzcinski October 22, 2026
AI, direct-to-consumer services, and breakthrough therapies are changing how consumers navigate healthcare. Explore three 2027 predictions that will reshape healthcare journeys and challenge organizations to rethink their role.
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Predictions 2027: ​​CMOs Reckon With An AI Reality Check

Mike Proulx October 21, 2026
AI’s blank check is about to expire. In 2027, CMOs will face a tougher test: proving that AI delivers enough value to justify its growing costs and risks. Discover why the next phase of AI adoption will demand sharper choices, stronger governance, and greater accountability.

Your Next Buyer Might Be An AI Agent

Agentic buying will touch 75% of B2B purchases by 2027. Explore Forrester's 2027 Predictions guide for B2B leaders to uncover five shifts needed to maintain trust and control.

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Predictions 2027: The Pursuit And Peril Of Control

Sharyn Leaver October 21, 2026
More control won’t always mean better outcomes. Leaders who know where to set guardrails and how to deftly blend AI with human judgment will have a clear advantage in the year ahead.
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Predictions 2027: The AI Expectations Gap Will Emerge Between Leaders And Employees

Angelina Gennis October 21, 2026
The gap between what leaders expect from AI and what employees experience is set to widen in 2027. Discover three predictions that show why bringing people and technology together will be critical to delivering AI value.
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Predictions 2027: B2B Go-To-Market Teams Must Adapt As AI Shifts Control To Buyers

Karen Tran October 21, 2026
AI is reshaping B2B buying and exposing weaknesses in traditional go-to-market strategies. Explore three predictions for 2027 and what providers must do to compete on credibility, adoption, and trust.
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