Fosway AI insights 2026

Fosway AI Strategic Research Programme

Fosway has been tracking the emerging AI story in HR, talent and learning since the earliest days and has already published multiple research outputs including the emerging realities of corporate use and vendor adoption. But following the advent of Gen AI, and an explosion of interest in the wider technology market, AI is growing exponentially as a factor for HR solution buyers. Billions are being invested in adding AI into all aspects of the HR technology stack, and now LLMs, copilots and AI agents are being introduced in the HR, talent and learning ecosystem, aiming to transform the employee experience and operating model across the employee lifecycle.

But if that is the positive side of AI, what are the questions, risks and issues? What is real and what is hype? Where is AI useful and where is it dangerous? What about the ethics of AI and introducing bias? What controls or governance should companies put in place? Where does AI fit best in your solutions and wider tech stack, and how do you connect the benefits across the HR ecosystem? Which vendors are actually delivering on AI promises? What is all this AI going to cost? And who is paying for it?

The Fosway AI Insights Strategic Research Programme aims to get beyond the hype and noise, exploring these questions and more, and taking a detailed look at the reality of AI on a segment by segment basis including Cloud HR, talent management, talent acquisition, digital learning and learning systems.

What to expect

• AI Market Assessments on each segment: A look at the state of a segment’s market maturity in terms of its innovators, laggards and those in between – and what the future may hold

• AI trends research analysing real corporate intent and usage of AI, where it is being applied and what benefits it is bringing, as well as how this is changing the team and budgets

• Deeper corporate insights based on qualitative research of corporate experiences, challenges and lessons learned, as well as decision tools and a blueprint approach to building success with AI

• Impartial analysis of the market and vendor capabilities and roadmaps, to support future decisions on your vendor choices and wider HR ecosystem

ai in Learning Systems

AI Market Assessment for Learning Systems – The race to include AI within learning platforms has led to a tsunami of noise, hype, and ambiguity. Generative AI has made it easier than ever for vendors to build some form of AI narrative. Critical questions remain: What features are genuinely live? What is still on the roadmap? And what patterns emerge when we look beyond individual claims to the wider market?

AI In talent & People Success

AI Market Assessment for Talent & People Success – This year, the 2025 Fosway 9-Grid™ for Talent & People Success report highlighted a HR software market rich in innovation. Vendors are leveraging AI to innovate the employee experience and HR’s ability to accelerate business transformation. There has been very little structured analysis of what being AI-enabled really means and what AI features are genuinely live and delivering value. This is where Fosway’s AI Market Assessment for Talent & People Success comes in.

ai in Cloud HR

AI Market Assessment for Cloud HR – This year’s Fosway 9-Grid™ for Cloud HR revealed Human Capital Management (HCM) vendors competing for AI budgets and expanding their offerings by embedding AI at the core of their platforms. Nowhere is this more evident than in the recent wave of mergers and acquisitions, which also aim to accelerate AI innovation and deliver more intelligent employee and manager experiences. Yet, generative AI has made it easier than ever for any vendor to build some form of AI narrative.

ai in Talent Acquisition

AI Market Assessment for Talent Acquisition – a paper that analyses vendor roadmaps, what is mainstream and what is next, including Niche Play and Edge Advantage features. This is also supported by private analysis tools for deeper vendor understanding and expert analyst-driven input to support TA teams exploring AI options and supply-side decisions.

ai in Digital Learning

AI Market Assessment for Digital Learning – Early in 2025, the research for the Fosway 9-Grid™ for Digital Learning made it clear that AI developments dominated roadmap investment, crowding out nearly all other innovation stories. AI is the story, and vendors are clamouring to be a part of the narrative. But until now, there has been very little structured analysis of what this means at an AI capability level. This Fosway research changes all that.

Leverage the research for private input and recommendations

The AI Market Assessment papers are the start of the deliverables from a multi-phase, open-ended research programme that offers multiple engagement points for HR, learning and talent teams and vendors to understand the value of getting – and staying – ahead of the technology and making better decisions on their supply options as well as how AI impacts their business.

Get directly involved as a core participant, or to leverage the research to provide private input and recommendations to accelerate your strategy and success with AI.

Fosway Corporate Network

If you are a corporate HR, talent or learning leader, or someone responsible for HR, talent or learning technology strategy, where do you get the best insight and challenge to help you make the best choices and strategic decisions? Join Fosway’s corporate network to get access to deeper research, insights and engage directly with the Analysts that understand the deeper realities of the market and vendor choices better than anyone.

Examples of membership features include attending our annual face-to-face Symposium event, virtual roundtables, monthly analyst enquiry calls and benchmark reporting, as well as service credits for company-specific input and analyst engagement.