Global instability, technology disruption, and a drastic shift in trade practices continue to affect business as we head into 2026. One thing is clear: The uncertainty continues, but so, too, does the demand to keep moving forward regardless of how unpredictable things are. Here’s what is on the minds of AV professionals as the industry ramps up for another year.
Trust Issues and AI
AI has a significant presence in Pro AV, with its integration into PTZ cameras, speakerphones, and transcription and translation tools. For Aaron Xia, CEO and co-founder of Telycam, the next trend to watch is AI's evolution from being an assistant into becoming a more autonomous operator in, say, the production environment, where systems would be able to predict what users need and make changes in real time when needed.
“For example, in multi-camera live streaming, PTZ cameras would be able to communicate with each other and analyze the environment to automatically coordinate camera switching and live directing based on the scene,” Xia illustrated.
That said, Xia recognized rolling out these features isn’t without its challenges. “The main obstacles to breaching this barrier have been a lack of sufficiently diverse real-world data and limited on-device processing power within individual AV products for that level of AI,” he explained. He added that privacy concerns, as well as the need for ultra-low latency, render it difficult to train and deploy advanced AI models capable of operating effectively in live production settings.
Jason Roberts, VP of workplace strategy at FORTÉ, also noted that data collection and integration remain an obstacle to AI’s evolution within Pro AV. “Most AV environments have dozens of disconnected systems—from meeting platforms, room schedulers, control processors, and sensors—all generating valuable insights, but very few of those systems speak the same language,” he observed. “Without that interoperability layer, AI can’t reach its contextual depth or deliver meaningful automation.”
Trust is another issue that AI must address, Roberts added. Many companies won’t go all-in on AI until they are confident that it’s reliable and transparent about what exactly it’s doing with their data. “Organizations are understandably cautious about letting AI make autonomous adjustments in live collaboration spaces, especially in industries with strict privacy or compliance requirements,” he said.
Bill Chamberlin, president of Verrex, believes that one of the next applications for AI in Pro AV is self-repair, which could improve integrators’ efficiency significantly. “I think we’re going to see a lot of growth with proactive break/fix and self-healing,” he said. “Even today, with some of the systems out there, you can write proactive scripts so if it’s not seeing a display or it’s on the wrong port, it’s automatically fixing itself.”
Not only does this capability eliminate the need to roll a truck to resolve these issues, but Chamberlin said it also builds increased trust in the systems AV professionals are deploying.
According to Rob Pickering, director of technology at TRITECH Communications, for clients to truly benefit from AI, AV integrators need to understand how they are already using it and their goals for leveraging it in the future. This requires determining what AI tools organizations have already deployed and examining how Pro AV solutions intersect with these technologies.
“If you think about something like Copilot, how is that client using it?” Pickering asked. “To what level does it come into the conference rooms? What are the features that we need to [provide]?” Integrators should be thinking about their systems in the context of the client’s entire workday, he added.
On an internal level, Pickering would like to see AI technology that can create a set of drawings (a baseline design) that teams can then review, edit, and validate. He also sees the potential for AI to streamline the design process for system upgrades. For this latter application, AI would analyze previous deployments and summarize that data, giving designers quick insight into the customer’s present technology profile.
AI is also being tasked with voice messaging, audio translations, written transcriptions, and even script summaries. "With the latest advancements in AI come dramatically improved options to reach people from a variety of languages and reading or hearing abilities, while maximizing consistency in the quality of announcements and messaging," said Bill Bennett, media solutions architect at ENCO Systems.
For example, AI can create very humanlike synthetic or modeled voices and offer real-time translation in multiple languages. In fact, GenAI can go further, summarizing an emergency weather report, creating a script from the report, and creating a voice recording that can be dispersed. "Now, when it's 3:00 in the morning and the gruff voice of a sleepy security guard is all that's available, AI can create a quality of voice that can be consistent day in, and day out," Bennett said.
While AI is that powerful, it's not quite that easy. "Like any new technology, AI requires some skill in learning how to choose from the multitude of technology options in the marketplace, including how to adapt to the workflows and signal and file formats required in the professional audiovisual industry in ways which are both reliable and efficient," Bennett added. "Designers and integrators need to trust in resources who have been doing this already, to help get them up to speed. ENCO has more than 1,000 broadcast customers using AI tools to create their messaging, many in fully automated settings, which is not dissimilar from messaging and announcing in commercial spaces where quality and consistency are key to repeatable, understandable messaging, regardless of the audience."
Dishing on Displays
Outside of the impact that tariffs may have on display technology, Chamberlin estimated that the Pro AV industry will continue to see price decreases, which will, in turn, render large-format screens more accessible to a wider client base. “It will make it more [feasible] to put large-format displays in more multipurpose spaces, more experience centers, and things along those lines,” he offered. “It’s just going to make it more affordable.”
Pickering also sees an uptick in demand for larger displays. “Spaces are scaling up, meaning newer technologies are allowing larger displays to be rapidly ordered, deployed, and commissioned to where it was just not possible before,” he said.
This is because, in part, several manufacturers are packaging their offerings in a more streamlined fashion, according to Pickering, which simplifies both procurement and installation. “Manufacturers have provided an ordering mechanism [where the display] comes with everything,” he explained. "It’s a single SKU. It’s got the mounts. It’s one line item on a bill of materials.”
For hybrid meeting environments, FORTÉ’s customers are standardizing on 21:9 displays for executive boardrooms, high-end collaboration spaces, and innovation centers, according to Roberts. He said clients like the aspect ratio’s support of immersive layouts (such as Microsoft Teams Front Row), and also appreciate its wider perspective, which creates more meeting equity between on-site and remote participants.
“The added horizontal real estate enables dynamic content zones for people and data that create a more engaging visual balance and reduce cognitive fatigue during long meetings,” Roberts added.
At Planar, chip on board (COB) will continue to be a focus in 2026. Robert Detwiler, senior director of product management, called it a “mainstay” within the company’s LED offerings. He also predicted the arrival of the next generation of MicroLEDs in the coming year.
Additionally, Detwiler pointed out the growing number of facilities that are treating their displays as a design feature. “Displays need to blend into the architecture or be designed to work with architecture, as spaces become more and more highly designed,” he said.
While Planar will continue to invest in LED, the company also acknowledges the continued demand for large-format LCDs, tiled LCDs, as well as smaller-format touchscreens and desktop monitors. “LCD displays are a very good option for space-constrained environments and applications that require the highest resolutions,” Detwiler said. “While the cost of LED continues to be more accessible, the cost of LCD displays continues to remain below LED.” This is why, he explained, Planar remains committed to expanding and improving its LED family of products.
Palmer Digital Group manufactures indoor and outdoor digital kiosks, display enclosures, and menu boards. Chuck Lewis, EVP at the company, believes the incorporation of voice-activated AI into digital kiosks and signage will become increasingly prevalent. He noted that this feature can be especially helpful in quick service restaurant (QSR) applications, as well as retail.
“For example, you can go into a clothing store, approach one of our kiosks, and ask it where you can find women’s jeans,” Lewis illustrated. “It can direct you to the right aisle without you having to wait in line [for a salesperson] to tell you [where you go].”
Trial of the Tariffs
Few would argue that predicting the 2026 tariff landscape is possible. However, one could submit that navigating today’s trade climate requires similar skills to those AV professionals applied during the pandemic, such as adaptability, agility, and communication. But while this industry may have refined these chops just a few years ago, it’s becoming apparent that when it comes to tariffs, everyone pays in one form or another.
Take Aurora Multimedia, for example. It's a U.S.-based AV technology manufacturer, its assembly line is in the United States, and it employs American workers. It is, as CEO/CTO Paul Harris quipped, “living the American Dream.”
If all of this is true, why is Harris quipping about anything right now? "Made in the USA" companies shouldn’t be complaining—aren’t they benefiting from the tariffs? Maybe some are. But if you’re an AV tech manufacturer, you probably need to source a few rather important bits and pieces from overseas to make your complex electronics. That means that you’re paying tariffs.
“If you’re putting tariffs on the raw materials that are only made overseas right now, and you don’t give me an exemption, you are causing me to pay a higher price for those materials,” Harris explained.
For Aurora Multimedia, that’s not a hypothetical concern. The semiconductors essential to its AV over IP product lines are produced exclusively in Taiwan. With no tariff exemptions in place, every shipment carries additional cost.
Another challenge, according to Harris, is blanket ordering—purchasing components in bulk under long-term contracts. While those agreements lock in pricing, new tariffs are applied to any units that haven’t yet shipped, causing unanticipated cost spikes.
“All of a sudden, a product that cost $300 to build might now be $600,” Harris said. “You’re playing an odds game. If you think a trade deal is coming, you might wait a month or two, but in doing so, you risk gaps in your supply chain.”
That wait-and-see strategy can quickly backfire. Delays make parts harder to source, and scarcity drives prices even higher. “Simply put,” Harris said, “it’s a mess.”
Aurora has done its best to minimize the impact all of this has on its customers by absorbing some of these costs. However, despite the desire to avoid passing on these new expenses to its clients, it cannot continue to absorb everything.
“I think everybody is realizing we have no choice,” Harris admitted. “You’ve got to [add] a separate line item that says ‘tariff,’ [and] you’ve got to accept the fact that this is the way it’s going to be.”
“Organizations are understandably cautious about letting AI make autonomous adjustments in live collaboration spaces, especially in industries with strict privacy or compliance requirements.”
Jason Roberts, FORTÉ
At TRITECH, regular communications between project teams and clients help everyone continue to move forward. Pickering explained that the firm includes language in its proposals that alerts clients of the potential need to reassess pricing when and if tariffs change.
For Chamberlin, an attitude of acceptance helps companies better focus on their core purpose. After all, he said, tariffs are just tax. He acknowledged that over-communication with both clients and employees helps to reduce the level of panic that can manifest in the face of uncertainty, as was the case during the pandemic. “Our job as our clients’ partner is to help guide them, and be the voice of calm, and really look at things long term,” he added.
Roberts has observed a transition from what he calls “short-term reaction” into “strategic recalibration.” He argued that in recalibrating, integrators will need to be agile to serve their clients well. In conversations with customers, FORTÉ is highlighting the benefits of scalable solutions that can be adapted when required, while at the same time providing the features that clients need.
“Organizations will increasingly favor partners who can guarantee availability, interoperability, and long-term service continuity, not just deliver hardware,” Roberts said. “Internally, our teams have focused on design flexibility, building solutions that can pivot between platforms, components, or brands without compromising performance or user experience."
For Roberts, being agile and flexible means that system designs shouldn’t be reliant on one manufacturer or even one supply region. “The integrators who succeed in 2026 will be the ones who can flex, offering equivalent solutions, consistent performance, and continuity of service even when sourcing challenges arise,” he added.