What our 2026 AI survey reveals about digitalization in tech sector facilities management

Technology-sector facilities may be showing the rest of the market what comes next: AI that moves beyond experimentation and into day-to-day operational performance. The digital transformation in facilities management, for example, points to a new era of scaling AI to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and increase equipment uptime.

Because many tech companies provide digital services that customers depend on to be continuously available, downtime can have immediate and far-reaching consequences beyond the workplace. It can mean the difference between a competitive advantage and a reputational liability. These stakes elevate reliability, uptime and resilience from operational concerns to critical business imperatives.

To better understand how technology organizations are using AI and digitalization to support facilities and workplace operations, we analyzed responses from technology-sector business leaders and facility managers (FMs) who participated in the 2026 AI & Digitalization in Facilities Management survey.

Here are three key takeaways from the 2026 AI & Digitalization in Technology Facilities Management Report.

1: AI adoption is nearly universal in tech

While organizations in most other industries are still exploring how AI can support facilities operations, technology organizations have moved beyond that stage.

Our survey found that AI adoption among tech respondents is significantly higher than those in other industries.

• 98% of tech FM respondents say they are currently using AI to improve facility operations, compared with 57% of FM respondents from other industries included in the survey
• 85% of tech business leaders say their organization is currently using AI to improve the operation, utilization and maintenance of workplaces – compared with 63% of leaders from other industries

Technology organizations are also continuing to expand their use of AI.

• 88% of tech FM respondents say they plan to implement additional AI solutions within the next year
• 86% of tech leaders say their organization plans to deploy new AI capabilities over the next year to support workplace and facilities operations

The takeaway: AI is no longer viewed as an emerging technology within the tech sector. Instead, it has become a core operational capability that supports workplace performance, facilities management and business continuity.

2: Technology organizations continue to invest in operational intelligence

AI is only as effective as the data that supports it. Not surprisingly, technology organizations are investing heavily in the sensors, analytics platforms and connected systems that are needed to generate reliable real-time operational intelligence.

Among respondents already using workplace management or smart building technologies:

• 87% of tech FM respondents report using sensor, data and analytics tools, compared with 54% of non-tech FM respondents
• 84% of tech business leaders report using workplace sensors and analytics tools, compared with 64% of leaders from other industries

At the same time, many technology organizations still believe they need better visibility into workplace performance.

Gaining reliable operational insights ranks among the top workplace management challenges identified by tech leaders, helping explain why this data remains a major area of investment.

• 65% of tech FM respondents planning a workplace technology deployment say they will implement a sensor and analytics solution
• Among tech business leaders planning to implement a workplace management or smart building solution in the next year, 69% are deploying workplace sensors and analytics – the top planned use case

The takeaway: Respondents recognize the importance of workplace performance data in the success of future AI, automation and optimization initiatives. Better data – not more – is key to producing better business outcomes.

3: Automation and predictive maintenance are strategic priorities

In the technology sector, facilities downtime can affect service availability, customer trust and business continuity. Many respondents indicate that maintenance-related activities continue to consume significant time and resources. Meanwhile, tech sector leaders want greater visibility into equipment performance and operational risks.

As a result, automation and predictive maintenance are emerging as major investment priorities.

• More than half (51%) of tech FM respondents currently using AI say they use it to enable predictive maintenance
• Enhanced building automation and predictive maintenance are the top two new capabilities tech FM respondents say would make their operations more resilient and efficient
• 31% of tech business leaders identify enhanced building automation as the single capability most likely to improve operational resilience

Future investment plans reflect these priorities.

• 80% of tech FM respondents planning new operational technology deployments say they will implement AI-driven predictive maintenance
• 69% of tech business leaders cite AI-driven predictive maintenance among the technologies they plan to deploy over the next year

The takeaway: Technology organizations are seeing the most value in using AI and automation to anticipate and prevent operational issues before they impact performance.

What this means for technology facilities management

The findings reveal a sector that has largely moved beyond basic digitalization and is increasingly focused on operational optimization. AI adoption is nearly universal, investment in operational intelligence continues to grow and automation for predictive maintenance that improves uptime is on the horizon.

As technology organizations continue to expand their use of AI, the focus is shifting from technology adoption to business outcomes. For technology organizations to keep a competitive edge, they must leverage these new and evolving tools to strengthen resilience, automate manual operations and stay ahead of equipment performance.

FAQs

How widely is AI being used in technology sector facilities management?

According to the 2026 AI & Digitalization in Facilities Management survey, AI adoption among technology organizations is nearly universal. Nearly all technology-sector facility managers surveyed report currently using AI to improve facility operations. Most business leaders say their organizations are already using AI to support workplace operations, utilization and maintenance.

How are technology organizations using AI in facilities management?

Technology organizations are using AI across a range of workplace and facilities functions that include energy optimization, predictive maintenance, operational analytics and building automation. Survey responses suggest many organizations increasingly view AI as a core operational tool rather than an emerging technology.

Why are technology organizations investing in workplace analytics?

Many technology organizations are investing in workplace sensors, analytics platforms and connected systems to improve visibility into workplace and facility performance. These technologies help organizations collect operational data in real time, identify trends, optimize resource utilization and support more informed decision-making.

Why is predictive maintenance important in the technology sector?

Technology organizations often operate facilities where downtime can have significant operational and financial consequences. Predictive maintenance uses AI, sensors and analytics to identify potential equipment issues before failures occur. This can help organizations improve uptime, reduce disruptions and optimize maintenance resources. 

What is preventing technology organizations from expanding their use of AI?

The biggest barriers identified by technology-sector respondents are data quality and system integration challenges. As organizations deploy more workplace technologies, many are finding that connecting data across multiple systems and creating a unified operational view is becoming more important.