2026 Outlooks are overlooking 7 fiduciary blind spots...
The 2026 Predictions and Outlooks are all out now, most with lofty visions of hoped for tech spend and bullish investments. Many do allude to the worrying developments of 2025 and storms on the future horizon. But decision makers and their teams need a crisp clear guide to the blind spots that could sink the best laid plans and strategies in 2026.
Contents
- Blind Spot #1 — Low-Trust, High-Grievance Is Fueling Volatile Behaviors
Markets, politics, and customer loyalty are being reshaped by distrust so deep that extreme and irrational actions are becoming economically material. - Blind Spot #2 — AI Misapplied Is a Value Eraser
Without intent capture, ownership, and accountability, expensive AI systems will quietly destroy customer trust and shareholder value. - Blind Spot #3 — Overconfidence and the Shortened Attention Span
Teams that “vibe” instead of think will be structurally unable to solve the hard, long-horizon problems that define competitive advantage. - Blind Spot #4 — Concentration of Capital (Not Just in Stocks)
When too much money, growth, and valuation depend on too few players, even small shocks can trigger outsized systemic damage. - Blind Spot #5 — Uninsurability Turns Insurance into a Regulator
If your business, AI, or cyber model cannot be insured at scale, it is not commercially viable no matter how exciting the technology looks. - Blind Spot #6 — The U.S. Government’s Shrinking Ability to Subsidize and Invest
Rising household debt and wealth concentration mean the federal government is losing its capacity to stabilize the economy or fund the next wave of innovation. - Blind Spot #7 — Solar Is the Overlooked Ace in the AI Arms Race
Control of cheap, abundant energy—not just chips and models—will determine who wins the next decade of AI and industrial power.
Think of this as your S3T Overlook Report - the blind spots you do not want to overlook - areas where you and your team may lack clarity you need to effectively navigate the opportunities - and the risks.
Blind Spot #1. Low-trust high-grievance is fueling volatile behaviors
The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual survey that gauges global levels and dimensions of trust. Keep in mind this survey spans 28 countries not just the US.
The latest report shows:
- 61% of respondents hold a moderate or higher sense of grievance against businesses, governments, the media and non-government organizations
- 40% say they approve of hostile acts (disinformation, violence, vandalism) in order to force change.
- This trend has coincided with increased spend on securing the loyalty of customers - 15.7% growth in 2025 to $27B - and is expected to set new records in the years ahead.
Governments, businesses and the media all face an unprecedented social environment of high-grievance low-trust.
Key Takeaways for 2026: