Data Trends: Analytics, Governance, and More in 2026

Key takeaways

• Data trends cover changes in data analytics, big data, data privacy, data breaches, and data careers.

• Some current big data trends include edge computing and non-database processing solutions.

• Trends in data refer to patterns that demonstrate a general change in the data and tech landscape over the last several years.

Data science trends include the rise of generative AI, the emergence of roles such as chief data officer, and the growth of big data generated by mobile devices. Explore notable data trends over the previous year, and compare them to the forecast for data science, analytics, and privacy trends.

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Gartner data and analytics trends to know

Here are a few of last year’s top trends in data, according to Gartner [1]:

• AI risk management: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in daily business processes has proliferated in recent years. While it has streamlined workflows and, in some cases, cut down on costs, it has also introduced security vulnerabilities and ethical conundrums. Data poisoning is an example of a cyber threat inherent to AI and machine learning (ML) technology. Adhering to regulations is key to any data management strategy, but AI ethics and responsibility go beyond that. Sustainable AI use must be coupled with governance to maintain trust, make informed decisions, and effectively measure value.

• Data sharing: The concept behind this trend is for organizations to create “data as a product.” In short, this means applying product thinking to data sets by securing them, ensuring their discoverability, and strengthening their trustworthiness. Data sharing can enhance transparency and trust among stakeholders and consumers. It also improves connections among researchers, building efficiency by enabling the pooling of resources.

• Conscious automation: In SolarWind’s 2026 global survey, 34 percent of IT professionals responded that their organization has somewhat adopted automation technology, while 16 percent reported their organization had completely adopted AI and automation [2]. However, keeping humans in the loop to make strategic decisions is key to a responsible automation initiative. A strong data literacy program should encourage a combination of advanced analytics with human decision-making at the helm.

Thoughtful AI integration and data literacy training were both highlighted at the Gartner Data and Analytics Summit in June 2025 and will remain core data trends until 2027 [3].

What are trends in data?

A trend in data is a pattern that indicates a general change in something over time. This article examines trends identified by various sources in the tech industry, including technological research and consulting firms like Gartner and enterprise-level companies like Amazon.

Data science trends

There’s no denying the buzz surrounding generative AI in 2025, particularly in the data science space. An Amazon Web Services (AWS) sponsored survey revealed that 87 percent of respondents are taking action to ensure their data strategy is capable of extracting value from generative AI [4]. Despite this, more than half of the respondents reported making no changes to their data yet. Data executives suggest that the economic value of generative AI has not yet been delivered and that implementation is still largely experimental. These insights align with the shift toward the AI trust, risk, and security management (AI TRiSM) framework in the IT space.

Data analytics trends

The evolution of executive roles is a notable data analytics trend for 2025. An MIT survey sponsored by Thoughtworks showed that 87 percent of data leaders and tech executives agreed that people in their organizations are confused about where to resolve data and tech-related issues or obtain relevant services [5]. The same survey revealed that 79 percent of C-suite decision-makers reported organizational hindrance due to a lack of collaboration with other tech leaders [5]. As time goes on, we might see a shift toward broader, overarching tech leadership positions rather than specific, specialized roles such as chief data and analytics officer.

Read more: 4 Data Analyst Career Paths: Your Guide to Leveling Up

Big data trends

The vast amounts of data generated today across various platforms like smart devices, mobile phones, and web applications can be challenging to collect and process, especially in real-time. These conditions lead to dark or unprocessed data and missed opportunities for gathering valuable insights. In response, edge computing is on the rise for processing data close to or on the originating device. The increasing prevalence of the Internet of Things (IoT) emphasizes the need for big data analytics solutions, and non-database sources can be key.

Hear more about big data in this lecture from Cloudera's Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization:

Data governance trends

For two consecutive years, reports have identified data governance as the top activity on which chief data officers (CDOs) spend their time [6]. Strengthening governance procedures is among the top trends not only in data but also in cybersecurity and IT. This shift can partly be attributed to the need to work responsibly with emerging technologies like generative AI. However, governance is also critical for maintaining the quality and trustworthiness of data.

Data privacy trends

In April 2024, comprehensive privacy bills were passed in New Jersey, Kentucky, and New Hampshire. These actions came after a momentous 2023, when the number of states with comprehensive privacy laws jumped from five to 13. WilmerHale Privacy and Cybersecurity Law firm predicts this state-level trend will continue, projecting the following year to be active for privacy regulators and professionals [7].

Data breach trends

According to Statista, over 278.8 million individuals were impacted by data compromises in the US, including data breaches, leakages, and exposures, in 2025 [8]. This marks a dramatic increase from the 1,367.12 million individuals affected in 2024 [8]. Gartner predicted greater emphasis on employee behavior and cybersecurity awareness in 2024. The research and consulting firm also predicts that 50 percent of chief information security officers (CISOs) in large enterprises will have shifted toward human-centric security design by 2027 [9]. This response aligns with the rise of ransomware and social engineering attacks made more convincing and scalable by generative AI tools.

Data career trends

Mass layoffs in 2022 and 2023 caused some panic not only in the data space but also in the general tech sector. Surprisingly, a study conducted by 365DataScience concluded that the largest group of employees laid off in late 2022 held non-tech positions in HR & Talent Sourcing, making up 27.8 percent of layoffs across companies like Twitter, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google. Software engineering is the second-largest group impacted by layoffs, accounting for 22.1 percent [10].

Data scientists comprised only a small percentage of the titles laid off by major tech companies. If you’re an established or aspiring data science professional, the good news is that titles in this field are still in demand.

Data trends: Key facts

1. Generative AI adoption is now widespread, with 45 percent of IT budgets being earmarked for generative AI in 2025, according to the AWS Generative AI Adoption Index [11].

2. Executive leadership roles may transform over the next year to close communication gaps and strengthen cross-functional collaboration in data-driven organizations.

3. Rapid, scattered data generation is leading to a rise in edge computing and other non-database processing solutions.

4. Governance is a top priority for organizational leaders, state legislators, and data privacy professionals.

5. Emphasis on employee cybersecurity training and development continues to grow after 3,322 data compromises in 2025 in the United States [8].

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