Four automation trends that will shape 2026

In 2025, the headwinds of market volatility, energy pressures, workforce shifts and escalating cyber risk created a pivotal moment for the process industries. Automation technologies such as industrial AI, interoperable control architectures, secure connectivity and digitally enabled workforce tools are changing plant operations, quietly but profoundly improving efficiency, reliability and safety across sectors.

For leaders in oil and gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, power, water and more, a few key themes dominated 2025. As we move forward into 2026 and beyond, let’s review these trends from the past year and what they may signal for the future.

Industrial AI: Pragmatic benefits over buzzwords

Industrial AI is a white-hot topic these days, but AI has existed in automation for decades, dating back to the expert systems of the 1960s and 1970s. Fuzzy logic and neural networks have been applied to control systems since the 1980s. In more recent years, as AI has shifted to a data-driven approach, the concept of "AI in the plant" has become linked — negatively in some cases — with isolated pilots and uncertain outcomes. 

Today, the conversation has shifted to results. Industrial AI applications are increasingly embedded in real operations, where they stabilize processes, improve quality and anticipate failures before they become costly downtime.

Analysts tracking AI in manufacturing note a clear pattern: successful AI initiatives are tightly aligned to the process context and framed around measurable business outcomes. They are domain-specific, built for particular unit operations, equipment classes or product families. They are integrated into existing workflows, not standalone dashboards on a side screen. They are designed to augment, not replace, expert personnel, allowing engineers and operators to make faster, better-informed decisions.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) published a position paper in November 2025 suggesting a pragmatic outlook for industrial AI. There are significant benefits to successful AI implementation in industry, and the risks can be mitigated with robust standards, training and industry collaboration.

In 2026, we will see deeper integration of AI with digital twins, enabling safe testing of changes before they hit the plant. There will also be growing emphasis on governance and assurance, particularly where AI intersects with safety, quality and regulatory oversight.

Interoperable automation: Modernizing without starting over

A second defining trend of 2025 was the strong push toward interoperable, modular automation and control systems. Across the process industries, leaders are looking for ways to modernize without tearing out what already works.

Well-established frameworks such as ISA‑95 give plants a common language for connecting control, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and the enterprise. In parallel, major suppliers and user organizations are championing automation architectures that are layered, with a robust, deterministic control core and a flexible digital layer for analytics, optimization and visualization. They are also upgradable in phases, allowing existing plants to add edge and cloud capabilities while preserving proven control and safety logic.

For 2026, procurement and specification practices will more explicitly call out interoperability, referencing ISA‑95 models, ISA/IEC 62443 security requirements for industrial automation and control systems and other frameworks.

Securing the connected plant: Cyber as core to safety and reliability

The continuing convergence of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) means that cybersecurity is now a load-bearing pillar for process safety, reliability and regulatory compliance.

Modern process facilities now rely on dense sensor networks, smart field devices, wireless instrumentation, remote support and cloud‑connected analytics. To manage the risk, operators segment networks into zones and conduits, separating corporate IT from the process control network while preserving necessary data flows.

A key benchmark for industrial control system cybersecurity is the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards, a globally recognized reference point that establishes roles and responsibilities across vendors, integrators and owner/operators. It addresses network segmentation, secure remote access and defense‑in‑depth strategies. It also defines OT‑specific practices such as asset inventories, vulnerability management and incident response.

Discussions on IT/OT convergence underscore a key message: unmanaged convergence can increase risk, but intentional, well‑governed collaboration between IT and OT significantly improves visibility, resilience and response.

In 2026, we can expect more regulatory and customer scrutiny of cyber‑physical risk, especially in critical infrastructure and high‑hazard sectors. Unified security programs that cover both IT and OT will grow, with dedicated OT security roles bridging the disciplines. Cybersecurity requirements should be built into every new connectivity and AI initiative from the start, rather than added after the fact.

The human factor: New tools, new skills and new expectations

Perhaps the most compelling and profound automation trend of the past year is in how humans are responding. Operators, technicians and engineers are being equipped with more powerful digital tools but also facing more complex expectations.

Human‑machine interfaces are becoming richer and more context‑aware, replacing static graphics with role‑specific views, mobile access and embedded decision support. Digital knowledge bases, AI assistants and advanced diagnostics are reducing time to insight — whether through instant access to manuals and procedures, or through guided troubleshooting. Workforce demographics are also shifting, with experienced personnel retiring and a new generation that is tool‑savvy but less steeped in plant‑specific institutional knowledge.

At ISA, we believe success hinges on people. Specifically, training and communication are key. The workforce must understand the capabilities and limitations of new technologies. Organizations that upskill employees while redefining roles around higher‑value tasks will see the best outcomes.

In practice, this means the expansion of operator and technician development to include simulation and digital twins for practicing abnormal situation handling and new modes of operation. It incorporates industrial cybersecurity awareness, so frontline staff can recognize unusual behavior and respond appropriately. There is also renewed emphasis on situational awareness and appropriate alarm management, ensuring that new tools simplify the view during an incident rather than overwhelming the control room.

The plants that will thrive in 2026 are those that treat workforce development as a strategic investment. They blend automation, data and cybersecurity education into operator and technician pathways. They partner with universities and professional organizations to shape curricula, industry standards and credentials.

Building efficiency, reliability, safety and trust in 2026

Automation has always been about making our everyday lives safer and more efficient. Our message at ISA is that “automation depends on people.” As we head into 2026, the tools accessible to the process industries are more powerful than ever; as automation professionals, our task is to apply them with the same rigor, integrity and systems thinking that define our great community around the world.