Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2026 Barcelona: Day 2 Highlights

We are bringing you news and highlights from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, taking place this week in Barcelona, Spain. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference. You can read the highlights from Day 1 here.

On Day 2 from the conference, we are highlighting seven themes CIOs need to master, exploring the future of data centers, and how government CIOs are shaping the future of digital government. Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates.

Presented by Mary Mesaglio, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner

CIOs are faced with designing an AI-shaped organization, deploying mature AI agents, capitalizing on next-gen enterprise apps and choosing strategic investment postures. In this session, Mary Mesaglio, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, provided a clear roadmap to safely de-risk AI at scale while successfully navigating a volatile global landscape.

• “AI agents are experiencing a reality check, where the goldilocks zone of implementation is where reliability and security meet autonomy.”

• “The AI value gap is really an AI risk gap. Cost is the biggest tactical risk to scaling AI.”
• “SaaS is shifting to a headless utility and that makes it more embedded in the tech stack.”

• “AI-shaped organizations are focused on employees becoming managers of AI tools and agents.” 
• “Physical AI will make other forms of AI legacy by 2035.”

Journalists can receive additional information and/or request an interview with Mary Mesaglio by contacting Laurence Goasduff at laurence.goasduff@gartner.com.