Top Trends of 2026 - Part 3

Hi ZipLawyer! Welcome back for Part 3 of our Top Trends of 2026 series.

Here's more unique trends plus how they impact Law Firms and their clients.

Today's menu:

🤖 Tech: AI & Regs
🛍️ Retail: Slowdown time
🚢 Shipping: Volatility ON

Technology

Technology and telecoms will be defined by the rapid spread of artificial intelligence in 2026, alongside growing regulatory pressure and rising frustration over monetisation. AI tools are becoming mainstream across industries, but turning experimentation into profits remains difficult. At the same time, massive investment in chips, skills and connectivity is reshaping the foundations of the digital economy.

Why it’s happening

🤖 AI adoption outpaces regulation: Generative AI is rapidly shifting from novelty to normality, with most companies expected to have experimented with AI tools by 2026. The technology is beginning to deliver genuinely new insights, not just efficiency gains, but regulation is lagging behind. The EU’s AI Act will come fully into force just as adoption accelerates, creating uncertainty for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions.

🧠 Skills shortages become the real bottleneck: The main constraint on AI is no longer the technology itself, but the people needed to deploy it effectively. Companies need staff who can embed AI into everyday workflows, manage new risks and rethink how work gets done. Demand for AI-skilled workers is surging, especially in fast-growing markets like India, where large-scale training programmes are ramping up. Firms that underinvest in skills risk seeing limited returns from AI spending.

🖥️ Chips and connectivity power the next phase: The AI boom is fuelling heavy investment in infrastructure. Demand for advanced semiconductors is rising as firms seek greater computing power, helping offset weaker growth in consumer electronics. Chipmakers are expanding production across the United States and Asia to strengthen supply and geopolitical resilience. Meanwhile, broader internet access is supporting global AI adoption, even as delays to ambitious satellite connectivity projects underline the challenges of building digital infrastructure at scale.

How does this impact Law Firms?