Our Scans · AI-Native SME Infrastructure & Automation · Weekly Summary

• [New] There are 5 main AI Trends that will influence Project Management in 2026: agentic project management, predictive project intelligence, natural language PM interface, autonomous risk monitoring, and AI benefits realization tracking. PMTI
• [New] The distributors treating AEO as core commerce infrastructure now, not a marketing afterthought later, will be the ones whose catalogs AI procurement agents are actually citing in 2027. McFadyen Digital
• [New] AllianceBernstein expects a more uneven credit landscape in 2026, with dispersion rising as AI infrastructure spending reshapes winners and losers. The Idea Farm
• [New] Global growth in 2026 will remain sluggish overall, but a surge in AI-related investment - especially in data centers, chips, and digital infrastructure - will provide a significant boost that helps offset weakness elsewhere. The Idea Farm
• [New] Worldwide AI spending is forecast to reach roughly $2.5 trillion in 2026, up about 44% year over year - split across infrastructure, services, and software. Unico Connect
• [New] To fully exploit the potential of an emerging AI revolution, America is going to need an energy revolution to power digital infrastructure, especially data centers. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Semiconductor industry association SEMI expects global chip sales to reach US$ 1 trillion in 2026 and potentially double by 2035, driven largely by artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center expansion. Astute Group
• [New] SoftBank Group Corp. is already advancing large-scale AI infrastructure projects in the United States, and will support SB Neo's business by leveraging its infrastructure, personnel and other resources. SoftBank
• [New] Amazon has promised a $13 billion chunk of its mammoth capex plans to build AI and cloud infrastructure in India. theregister
• [New] $55 Billion AI Infrastructure Expansion: Alibaba plans to invest $55 billion in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure between FY2026 and FY2028. Bingx Exchange
• [New] Fastest-growing Solution Type: Surveillance & security monitoring platforms are forecast to grow at 8.5% CAGR during 2025-2032, reflecting an increasing demand for AI-enabled analytics and real-time situational awareness. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Google DeepMind has introduced an AI Control Roadmap that treats highly capable AI agents as potential insider threats, granting permissions only after verified behaviour and continuously monitoring their actions. MarketingProfs
• [New] By 2027, the vast majority of Global 500 companies will use autonomous AI agents to oversee and repair cloud infrastructure. Red Hat
• [New] AI infrastructure could generate up to 2.5 million tonnes of electronic waste each year by 2030, much of it processed in low-income economies with limited safeguards, while critical minerals are extracted in jurisdictions with weak environmental oversight. United Nations University
• [New] Weekly use of AI chatbots for news rose from 7% in 2025 to 10% in 2026, with growth concentrated in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southern and Eastern Europe - regions with historically weaker institutional media infrastructure and higher vulnerability to AI-generated disinformation. CRC
• [New] Hyperscalers including Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are projected to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on data centers and AI infrastructure over the coming years. Carnegie Investment Counsel
• [New] Google has reportedly limited Meta's access to its Gemini AI models after demand for computing capacity exceeded what Google could provide, highlighting growing infrastructure constraints across the AI sector. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] SB Neo will draw on SoftBank Group's 10-gigawatt-scale energy and AI infrastructure already under development in the U.S., and expand capacity in phases. Morningstar, Inc.
• [New] If VCF becomes the standard landing zone for private AI and regulated workloads, Broadcom will have turned a mature infrastructure business into a renewed hybrid cloud growth engine. WindowsForum
• [New] Asia Pacific is projected to reach at a CAGR of 11.1% over the forecast period, driven by increasing awareness, AI adoption, and expansion of imaging infrastructure. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The Canadian government's Digital Border Strategy targets full automation of border operations by 2030, including the implementation of AI-driven eGates with multilingual support at major airports, such as Toronto Pearson and Vancouver, representing a strategic infrastructure modernization. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Amazon said it will invest an additional $13 billion in India, expanding its cloud, AI, and digital infrastructure footprint in one of the world's most important technology markets. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin

Last updated: 16 July 2026