#03: Truth literacy
With misinformation eroding democratic foundations, governments must treat "truth literacy" as a matter of national defense, investing in education and regulation to combat deepfakes.
The Future 100: Government Trends & Insights 2026
VML’s Future 100 vertical cut unpacks our top 10 trends to build an innovative public sector
In an era of rapid change, governments and public sector leaders face a complex array of challenges.
The erosion of trust caused by misinformation has made Truth literacy a matter of national defense. At the same time, values-driven civil unrest demands new levels of political intelligence, while demographic shifts and the rise of AI-native cohorts require long-term strategic planning. Navigating this landscape requires foresight and a clear understanding of the forces shaping our world.
To lead with confidence, public sector organizations need a guide. Our "Future 100: 2026" vertical cut on Government offers the top 10 trends and critical insights into the shifts impacting national security, public health, urban infrastructure, and the regulation of emerging technologies to help government officials embrace innovation, foster trust, and build a future that's equitable, secure and sustainable for all citizens.
Top trends in Government from our Future 100 report include:
#18: Deglobalizing LLMs
The push for “AI sovereignty” will see nations funding and developing their own Large Language Models to preserve cultural heritage, language, and data security against Western tech dominance.
#87: Climate-resilient healthcare
Public health systems must be hardened against climate shocks, requiring investment in resilient infrastructure (like microgrids for hospitals) and predictive disease modeling.
Download our 2026 Future 100 Government vertical cut
Governments face significant challenges including combating misinformation (Truth literacy), preparing infrastructure for climate shocks (Climate-adaptive healthcare), managing technological sovereignty (Deglobalizing LLMs), and engaging with new forms of citizen activism.
This report provides clear, strategic insights into the top 10 trends impacting government. It helps leaders anticipate change, develop proactive policies, and build resilient strategies for national security, public health and urban planning.
Truth literacy is critical for maintaining the integrity of democratic institutions. As deepfakes and disinformation proliferate, governments must lead on education and regulation to defend against threats to national security and public trust.
Watch our Future 100 video
Welcome to the 12th edition of “The Future 100” – VML’s unparalleled research report examining key global trends. This report features our latest projections, interviews with top industry experts, exclusive statistics and global consumer insights for 2026 from a proprietary 16-country survey.
About The Future 100 report:
After another year marked by economic upheaval, polarizing political currents and environmental setbacks, 2026 will be a year for building resilience, courageous creativity and redrawing the boundaries of what’s possible. From the personal to the planetary, from human engineering to geoengineering the climate itself, a new class of creators and collaborators is multiplying potential in ways we are just beginning to imagine.
Helping to shape these worlds are AI tools that democratize world building and new economic models for building empires. As both creativity and AI go global, voices from Buenos Aires to Busan are challenging Western dominance and creating tools that reflect their own cultures.
Amidst this “metamorphic” current, the desire for human connection remains unmistakable. In the year ahead, human impulse will shape brand strategies, influencing the top marketing trends in 2026, and draw people back to immersive, high-impact experiences that demonstrate the value of authenticity and unlock infinite possibilities.
Download our 2026 Future 100 report
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