Looking Ahead: Predictions for Artificial Intelligence and Medicine in 2026

"In 2026, medical AI will move from the ‘Peak of Inflated Expectations’ to the early ‘Slope of Enlightenment’ on the Gartner Hype Cycle—a sign that hype is giving way to reality. As real-world evidence grows, many AI tools will fall short of expectations, exposing issues like bias and workflow fit. This reckoning will be healthy, separating hype from substance and accelerating clinically validated, trustworthy AI systems."

"The biggest advances in AI won’t come from flashy demos, but from practical tools embedded in clinical care, built by multidisciplinary teams who understand both technology and patient needs."

Hugo Aerts, PhD
Investigator
Mass General Brigham

"Agentic AI and generative AI will become transformative forces in biomedical research and therapeutic development. These technologies will uncover hidden connections in vast scientific literature and generate hypotheses that would take years for humans to identify."

"Beyond knowledge synthesis, generative AI will accelerate the design of molecules, engineered proteins, and regulatory DNA sequences with unmatched precision, compressing timelines from insight to intervention and ushering in an era where computational intelligence and human expertise work hand in hand."

Luca Pinello, PhD
Investigator
Mass General Brigham

"By late 2026, we’ll see a shift from narrow, single-purpose AI tools to agentic systems that orchestrate complex clinical workflows. These systems will integrate multimodal data, track patient progress and proactively coordinate care with clinicians in the loop. At Mass General Brigham, early versions will likely appear in imaging-heavy specialties like radiology and pathology. The breakthrough won’t be a single algorithm but safe, rigorously evaluated workflows where AI agents act as accountable collaborators to define the next era of AI-enabled care."

Raymond Mak, MD
Physician Investigator
Mass General Brigham