Predict 2026: AI is Forcing Cloud Native to Grow Up
Every year when we host Predict, we ask what the coming year will demand of technology leaders. For 2026, the answer is unavoidable. AI is the story. But for the cloud native community, the real story is what AI is forcing us to confront about platforms, infrastructure, and operational maturity.
That is why Techstrong has named AI as our Person of the Year, the first time we have ever given that designation to a technology. It is also why Predict 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most important conversations we have hosted.
Register now to join us at Predict 2026.
This is the eighth year of Predict. When I first imagined this event almost a decade ago, I saw it as a place where analysts could speak plainly about what was coming next. Not vendor roadmaps. Not wishful thinking. Just informed predictions. In 2026, that original vision finally comes into focus.
AI is Stress Testing the Cloud Native Stack
Cloud native promised scalability, resilience, and portability. AI is now testing whether we actually built those things.
AI workloads push Kubernetes clusters to their limits. They expose weaknesses in networking, storage, scheduling, and observability. They force new conversations about data gravity, latency, and cost. They also blur the lines between development, operations, and infrastructure teams.
Predict 2026 exists to help the cloud native community understand what needs to change and what needs to mature.
If you are building or operating cloud native platforms, this is the event you should attend.
Analyst-Driven Insight Into the Cloud Native Future
This year, nearly the entire Futurum analyst team will take the Predict stage. These sessions focus not on tools, but on the structural shifts shaping cloud native architectures.
How Will Agentic AI Impact the Licensing and Pricing of SaaS Software
Keith Kirkpatrick of The Futurum Group joins me to discuss how agentic AI disrupts traditional SaaS assumptions. As AI agents become primary consumers of services, cloud native platforms will need new ways to meter usage, manage identity, and control cost.
AI and Agent Accelerated Development
Mitch Ashley, VP and practice lead for software lifecycle engineering at Futurum, looks at how AI-driven agents accelerate development and deployment. For cloud native teams, this raises questions about pipeline design, environment sprawl, and platform reliability under continuous change.
2026: The Year Ahead
Daniel Newman, CEO of Futurum, provides a wide-angle view of how AI is reshaping enterprise technology. His session ties together cloud platforms, AI innovation, and business strategy, offering context for why cloud native must evolve.
AI’s Structural Shifts and Physical Limits
Nick Patience, VP and practice lead for AI platforms at Futurum, focuses on the physical realities that cloud native teams can no longer ignore. Power density, cooling constraints, hardware specialization, and the rise of small language models all influence how cloud native platforms are designed and deployed.
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, explores trust, governance, and risk in AI-driven systems. For cloud native teams, this session underscores the need for security and policy to be embedded directly into platforms.
The Strategic View at Futurum
Tiffani Bova, chief strategy and research officer at Futurum, connects cloud native investment decisions to growth, competition, and customer expectations. Her session reinforces why platform choices matter far beyond engineering teams.
These are essential perspectives for anyone serious about cloud native in 2026. Register here.
From Platforms to Production Reality
Predict 2026 also looks at what happens when cloud native platforms meet operational reality.
AI’s Growing Pains Force CIOs to Reinvent Cloud, Security, and Operational Strategies
Dion Hinchcliffe, Futurum Distinguished Thought Leader, examines how AI workloads stress existing cloud and operating models. This session is especially relevant for platform teams navigating cost control, performance, and reliability at scale.
Data: Enabling the Great AI Acceleration in 2026
Brad Shimmin, VP and practice lead for data intelligence, analytics, and infrastructure at Futurum, focuses on the data foundations required for AI success. For cloud native teams, this means rethinking storage architectures, data pipelines, and governance models.
Security, Resilience, and the Cloud Native Stack
Predict 2026 also features analysts from the RSA Conference ecosystem, offering insight into how AI is reshaping threat models and security architectures. As cloud native platforms become more dynamic and autonomous, resilience and security must be designed in from the start.
Join us to understand how cloud native and security intersect in 2026.
Community, Research, and Recognition
Predict attendees will gain access to a virtual Futurum booth offering exclusive research content, including Futurum Signal reports. These insights help platform teams benchmark their strategies against where the market is heading.
We will also continue our Predict tradition by announcing the DevOps Dozen award winners live, recognizing teams that exemplify innovation and operational excellence in modern software delivery.
Why Cloud Native Leaders Should Attend Predict 2026
Cloud native in 2026 will not look like cloud native in 2024. AI is forcing new levels of discipline around platforms, infrastructure, and operations.
Predict 2026 is about helping cloud native leaders move from experimentation to execution. From possibility to reality.
If you want to understand how AI will reshape cloud native platforms, architectures, and operations, Predict 2026 is the event you cannot afford to miss.
AI is the story of 2026. For cloud native, it is the moment of truth.
