AI is rapidly advancing in how we work, shop, and think, with nearly 78% of companies globally adopting some form of AI technology. While the average American uses AI for tasks such as chatting and answering questions, the technology is rapidly becoming more autonomous. Experts at Sas Innovate 2026 said that the only thing preventing AI from becoming fully autonomous is keeping it in check is the ability to act autonomously rather than respond to prompts. Banks and insurers are using agentic AI to make their jobs easier and make menial tasks easier. However, there are concerns about the large amounts of water and energy used to support data centers supporting AI use, and a new model from Anthropic poses a cybersecurity risk. Despite these efforts, banks like JP Morgan Chase and Citibank have been open about embracing AI use.