Brian Hopkins,

Brian Hopkins

VP, Emerging Technology & Principal Analyst

Brian’s research helps clients navigate technology innovation in AI and quantum computing. His work on AI value management provides insights into how companies can move from uncertainty to achieving real, measurable value over time. Brian’s research on AI computing offers a long-term perspective on how emerging AI capabilities (e.g., generative AI, agentic models, AI agents) will impact enterprises over the next 20 years. Brian is also pioneering Forrester’s research on artificial general intelligence (AGI) and its implications for AI safety as well as advising clients on the current state and future of quantum computing.

As VP of Emerging Technology, Brian leads Forrester’s flagship reports on emerging technologies, providing data-driven insights and frameworks to help enterprises prepare for the technology of tomorrow.

Research Coverage

Planned Research

What research can you expect from Forrester in the next 12 months? Updated biweekly, our publishing plan will keep you current with market and technology trends. Use the link below to download a list of our upcoming research.

Download Planned Research
April 21st, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM Webinar

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies In 2026

Staying on top of emerging technologies is crucial for tech executives to adapt and drive growth. While AI often captures the spotlight, there are a multitude of other emerging technologies that are gaining momentum and proving instrumental in helping enterprises rapidly respond to change and foster growth.Curious to know what these new emerging technologies are? Wondering why our analysts say that they’re crucial to succeeding in today’s dynamic landscape?Join us for one of the most highly anticipated webinars of the year, where we’ll unveil the top 10 emerging technologies for 2026. Be among the first to see the big reveal and gain analyst perspective on how to put these technologies to work for your enterprise. Key takeaways: Learn about the top 10 emerging technologies for 2026. Explore use cases and benefits of each technology. Understand how leveraging emerging technologies can help tech leaders respond to change. Discover which technologies didn’t make the list (and why).Target audience level: intermediate
May 5th, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM Webinar

Top Emerging Technologies For 2026: Physical AI And Robotics

Accelerate innovation with deeper insights about why physical AI and robotics are important, when they will likely pay off, and how organizations are deploying them today. Physical AI embeds intelligence into machines that can perceive, reason, and act in the real world, enabling automation beyond digital workflows. In this webinar, we share expert insights, practical examples, and key steps you and your team can take. Join us to learn how physical AI adoption is scaling and what limits near term impact. Key takeaways: Gain an understanding of how physical AI is deployed across industries.Identify tasks and environments best suited for robotic automation.Learn steps to move from pilots to scalable deployments.Target audience level: all levels
May 19th, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM Webinar

Top Emerging Technologies For 2026: Agentic Software Development

Accelerate innovation with deeper insights about why agentic software development is important, when it will likely pay off, and how organizations are applying it today. Agentic software development uses AI agents to generate, refine, and orchestrate activities across the software development lifecycle, shifting teams from manual creation to agent orchestration. In this webinar, we share the latest expert insights, practical guidance, and key steps you and your team can take. Join us to learn how agent led software development lifecycles (SDLCs) will mature and how firms can prepare for scaled productivity gains.Key takeaways: Gain an understanding of how organizations use agentic tools across the SDLC.Identify development use cases where agent driven automation delivers value.Learn critical steps to implement agentic development responsibly and effectively.Target audience level: all levels
June 2nd, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM Webinar

Top Emerging Technologies For 2026: AI Security And Trust

Accelerate innovation with deeper insights about why AI security and trust are essential, when these technologies will pay off, and how organizations are using them today. AI security and trust technologies protect AI systems against emerging risks while ensuring transparency, governance, and compliance across the AI lifecycle. In this webinar, we share the latest expert insights, operational guidance, and key steps you and your team can take. Join us to learn how firms can deploy AI safely, reduce risk, and enable faster adoption at scale. Key takeaways: Gain an understanding of how peers secure and govern enterprise AI systems.Identify AI use cases that demand stronger trust, security, and oversight.Learn the critical steps to implementing scalable AI guardrails.Target audience level: all levels
June 23rd, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM Webinar

Top Emerging Technologies For 2026: AI Supercomputing

Accelerate innovation with deeper insights about why AI supercomputing matters, when it will likely deliver value, and how organizations are beginning to leverage it. AI supercomputing brings together advanced compute, networking, and data center capabilities to support frontier scale AI training and inference. In this webinar, we share the latest expert insights, practical considerations, and key steps you and your team can take. Join us to learn how AI supercomputing will evolve and how leaders can assess readiness for this strategic platform.Key takeaways: Gain an understanding of how AI supercomputing enables advanced model development.Identify use cases that justify large scale compute investment.Learn the steps required to prepare infrastructure, talent, and operations.Target audience level: all levels