An innovative technology that was once a supporting act for digital transformation has become the main event, with GenAI and agentic AI having a significant impact. Organizations’ operational and economic destinies now depend directly on how quickly and responsibly they can industrialize AI. This playbook, the first in our 2026 Global AI Report series, is based on extensive research among more than 2,500 C-suite and other senior decision-makers across 15 industries and 35 countries in 5 regions. It covers developments in AI, GenAI and agentic AI as well as various approaches to AI, including private, sovereign and sustainable AI.