OPINION — One technology trend gaining momentum in 2026 is the rise of artificial intelligence agents. AI agents are software systems that analyze data, make decisions and take action automatically, often in real time, without constant human input.
Once limited to large national retailers, this trend is now shaping how small and mid-sized businesses approach operations, pricing and customer engagement.
Many business owners are still relying on manual processes, spreadsheets or static forecasting tools that were never designed for today’s pace of change. As supply chains grow more complex and customer expectations continue to rise, those approaches can leave businesses slow to respond and exposed to avoidable inventory risks.
