If the last few years have been marked by the unbridled race to adopt Artificial Intelligence, 2026 promises to be the year of fine-tuning and balance. This is what the new forecast report from the Pipedrive, global CRM unicorn. According to company executives, the next phase of digital transformation will not be about replacing people, but about redefining the concepts of productivity, leadership and engagement.
The main cultural change expected is the end of the “hours worked” metric as a synonym for efficiency. In a scenario where AI takes over operational tasks, the value of the professional becomes measured by the impact generated and autonomy.
The Hybrid Model Wins
Tanya Channing, COO of Pipedrive, highlights that corporate success in 2026 will depend on the ability to harmonize technological support with human influence.
"Finding the balance between AI and human influence will be of great importance. Teams that combine hybrid models with significant use of AI have had stronger recovery and performance gains", says the executive.
Interestingly, company data shows caution in the market: 47% of current AI users do not plan to expand their adoption immediately. This suggests that the focus now is on extracting real value from what has already been implemented, rather than just accumulating tools.
Marketing: Quality over volume
In marketing, the forecast is for a return to fundamentals. With the ease of generating content via AI, the internet has been flooded with volume. The difference in 2026, according to Steven Quach (CMO), it will be extreme quality and precision.
- Massive adoption: Three out of four (75%) marketing managers already use AI.
- The new role: AI takes care of the repetitive and data analysis, while humans focus on emotional and creative strategy.
- Differential: Brands that use tools to narrow their focus will win, ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience, instead of trying to be everywhere at once.
Sales and IT: The “Why” defines success
For the technical and sales area, the watchword is “co-piloting”. Agur Jõgi, the company's CTO, warns that the competition will no longer be about who has the most AI agents, but about who deploys them for the right reasons.
In sales, this translates into systems that perform personalized follow-ups and lead scoring without manual intervention, freeing the salesperson to engage in the relationship.
Already Sean Evers, VP of Sales, plans to simplify the tools. The trend is to abandon complex software in favor of integrated and intelligent ecosystems.
"Data is no longer just 'nice to have' but is now critical to the mission. Both salespeople and leaders need to become fluent in data", explains Evers, who also anticipates the possible emergence of a Go-To-Market "mega tool" that consolidates currently fragmented solutions.
The final warning from executives is about Customer Experience (CX). Automation reduces costs, but if not managed well, it can frustrate consumers. The winning strategy for 2026 will be to use technology to eliminate bureaucracy, allowing human intelligence to shine in customer connection.
