AI in 2026: why this is the year the way we work really shifts

Our view on AI, software development and the role of IT in a changing world

The year 2026 has only just begun, but one thing is already clear: this will not be an "ordinary" year for IT. Where AI was mainly the subject of experiments, demos and debates in recent years, we at JAM-IT notice that it now has a permanent place in how we work, think and build.

Not as a replacement for people. Not as a magic button. But as a fundamental shift in our role as developers and IT partner.

Talking to Armando and Martijn, one thing kept coming up: AI is not a passing trend. This is comparable to the rise of the internet. You can stay on the sidelines, but eventually you have to join in.

From building yourself to directing: a new role for developers

What makes 2026 so interesting for IT and app development is not only what AI can do, but above all what it does to the way we work.

Where you used to be deep in the code, the role shifts more and more towards overview, direction and control. Armando puts it well: working on applications feels more and more like being a conductor. You oversee the whole: front-end, back-end, conventions, quality, while AI works alongside you at the detail level.

That does not mean knowledge matters less. Quite the opposite. Precisely because AI can do so much, it becomes more important to:

• ask the right questions,
• guard the choices you make,
• and keep the end goal in focus.

The developer of 2026 spends less time "in the lines of code" and more at the functional and conceptual level. More product owner, less typist. More reviewing, less manual work.

AI as a colleague: working faster without losing yourself

At JAM-IT we no longer see AI as a tool, but almost as an extra team member. A very efficient one, at that. We do not only direct colleagues, but AI as well. And it works, provided you do it deliberately.

The big advantage? We can:

• switch between technologies faster,
• move into other languages more easily,
• and test and work out ideas more quickly.

But there is a risk in that too. The options are so broad that it is easy to be tempted into adding "just this" and "that as well". AI makes expanding almost addictive. That is why focus is crucial: step by step, keep it simple, keep checking against the goal. AI helps us move faster, but we remain responsible for direction, quality and coherence.

Why 2026 is the moment to embrace AI seriously

For companies still doing little with AI, 2026 is a turning point. Not because everything has to change tomorrow, but because getting started now means you learn to understand what AI can and cannot do. Anyone experimenting now:

• learns where processes can be smarter,
• sees where quality improves,
• and discovers where time can be saved.

Wait too long and you run the risk that the gap becomes too big. This is not a small optimisation, but a structural change in the industry. As Martijn sees it: at some point you simply cannot keep up if you do not move along.

More than AI alone: the rise of European infrastructure

Alongside AI we see another development that is becoming increasingly important towards 2026: European hosting and infrastructure. Dependence on American cloud providers feels uncomfortable to more and more organisations. Not because it does not work technically, it often works excellently, but because control, regulation and data ownership are carrying more and more weight.

We expect Europe to pick up the pace here. More self-sufficient, more alternatives, more awareness. That process has already started, but over the coming years it will only become more important for organisations that want to keep a grip on their data and continuity.

What does this mean for security and privacy?

AI accelerates innovation, but it also rubs up against security and privacy. Doing everything securely makes things more complex. Doing everything fast brings risks with it. Our view? It comes down to balance. Handle risks deliberately, make choices explicit and understand what you are and are not handing over. Innovation and security do not have to exclude each other, but they do call for mature decision-making.

Which skills will make the difference?

Strikingly, the core of the profession changes less than you might think. Good developers remain:

• analytical,
• critical,
• and able to translate complex questions into workable solutions.

The difference lies in how you apply those skills. Where you used to work mainly with documentation and search engines, you now increasingly have the conversation with AI. Not to take over the thinking, but to arrive at better choices faster.

Our role as IT partner going forward

Whatever changes: the basis of JAM-IT stays the same. Thinking with our clients. Delivering quality. Working together openly and honestly.

AI is an aid, not an identity. Precisely because many technical tasks go faster, there is more room for what sets us apart: human choices, understanding context and building solutions that genuinely fit an organisation. 2026 will not be a year in which everything suddenly happens automatically. But it will be a year in which one thing becomes clear: those who embrace AI deliberately build in a smarter, faster and more future-proof way. And that is exactly where we want to take our clients.

Read also: "Which AI models are there, and when do you use which one?"