Predictions about AI in 2026 from Chris Louma, Courtney Bragg, MBA, Katerina Guerraz, M.P.H., and others

We asked leaders in managed care and other sectors of U.S. healthcare to make predictions about what the major developments in U.S. Not surprisingly, a large number of the predictions concerned artificial intelligence. Here are some of them.

Agentic AI will orchestrate key supply chains

In 2026, we’ll see healthcare move from isolated data efforts to shared, trusted data ecosystems that serve as the backbone of AI-driven resiliency. Providers and suppliers will align around standardized, high-quality data, shifting information from a competitive advantage into a collective asset that drives transparency, efficiency and measurable cost savings.

As agentic AI matures, intelligent agents will begin autonomously orchestrating key supply chain functions such as replenishment, contracting and supplier diversification before disruptions occur. This level of intelligence will expand the definition of value to expand beyond cost reduction to include clinical impact, resilience, and transparency, ushering in a new era of value-based, collaborative supply chain leadership.

AI will need trust to work

AI is an incredible tool but it’s just a tool and an ineffective one without trust and engagement. Because of unprecedented policy changes spanning Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA marketplace markets, coupled with misinformation and scams, people are going to seek trusted sources.

Local, grassroots organizations and trusted messengers are necessary to break through the noise, while tools are needed to efficiently scale. Without trust and engagement, we will have a lot of expensive tech tools rusting.

Healthcare will become frictionless because of AI

Aetna will redefine healthcare through AI — creating a frictionless, intelligent ecosystem for providers and an effortless navigation experience for members, all driving better outcomes. From AI-driven claims automation to generative AI embedded in the Aetna Health app, we’re transforming every interaction into a smarter, more personalized experience. The future of health care is predictive, connected, and powered by AI — and I’m excited about the opportunities in 2026 and beyond.

AI in behavioral health will need to get better

In 2026, AI will continue threading itself into behavioral health, and the bar will rise sharply for what counts as meaningful innovation. Patients, families, and clinicians will become increasingly selective, choosing tools that actually improve care rather than add noise.

The organizations that pull ahead won’t be the ones chasing novelty. They’ll be the ones using AI in clinically sound, ethically grounded ways that genuinely improve treatment. AI overseen by licensed humans in the loop — supervised, compliant, and aligned with established clinical standards — won’t just be a differentiator; it will be a strategic advantage for those who do it right.

Lenacapavir will be opportunity for responsible AI

Lenacapavir will redefine HIV prevention and arrives as global strategies from UNAIDS, PEPFAR [President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] and the Global Fund [The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria] all highlight responsible AI and community empowerment. This convergence will present an opening for governments to adopt AI-supported delivery models that strengthen agency and access to transformative biomedical interventions such as lenacapavir. To avoid overreliance on any single AI model provider, countries will need architectures that prioritize interoperability and multimodel routing (i.e., services leveraging many large language models for various tasks and fallback during outages). These approaches can help manage costs while ensuring continuity of service. My hopeful prediction is that 2026 is the year safety and impact data become nonnegotiable for every AI and digital investment decision donors, implementers, and Ministry of Health make.

AI will automate workflows

2025 was a proving ground for artificial intelligence, and 2026 will be marked by the evolution from pilot programs to enterprise-level adoption. Specifically, ambient listening tools for clinical documentation will become standard, deeply integrated features within major electronic health records. Beyond the exam room, sophisticated AI agents will automate complex workflows, such as prior authorizations and claims management to ease financial and staffing pressures. Ultimately, the success of these initiatives will depend on robust data governance. Only organizations with trustworthy, well-managed data will be able to scale their AI deployments effectively and earn clinician trust.

Across all industries, we will see AI fighting AI due to the rise in intelligent malware that adapts itself regularly to evade the library-based detection that is relied upon widely today. Security systems will need to evolve beyond signature-based detection to identify anomalous behavior patterns that suggest potential AI-powered malicious activity.”

PA will become more collaborative, AI-enabled

In 2026, we should expect a higher rate of acceleration in the transformation of prior authorization (PA) processes from barriers to meaningful support for clinical care. As expectations rise for faster and clearer decisions, AI-enabled, real-time PA tools will cut down delays and reduce the paperwork that overwhelms providers, clinical decision-makers and, ultimately, patients trying to navigate the complexities of our current system. Smarter analytics will help flag routine requests for automatic approval, while only the most complex cases will need extra review. The result is a PA process that’s more collaborative, transparent and better aligned with clinical judgment, so patients get the right care, at the right time. This is one of many steps towards creating a better healthcare experience for patients.

AI will transform the post-acute and long-term care sectors (and the Bills will win the Super Bowl

In 2026, the post-acute and long-term care sector will experience profound transformation driven by the acceleration of AI, changing reimbursement models and the continued expansion of value-based care. AI is moving from its pilot phase to becoming the core operational infrastructure across skilled nursing, assisted living and home-based care settings. We’ll see lower staff workloads and stronger compliance as ambient documentation, automated assessments, predictive modeling and AI-driven medication surveillance take hold. My personal prediction is that within the next year, the organizations that embrace AI as a foundational layer of care delivery will start becoming industry leaders. Outside healthcare, my top prediction is that the Bills will be Super Bowl champs in 2026!