Top 5 CIAM trends in 2026: Agentic AI, passkeys & more

In a rapidly evolving identity landscape, CIAM leaders face new challenges from agentic AI, passkey adoption, mobile UX demands, and data sovereignty concerns. The integration of agentic AI is outpacing security measures, necessitating robust identity frameworks to manage non-human actors and ensure accountability. Passkeys offer a promising solution to password fatigue, yet their implementation requires thoughtful UX design to cater to all user types. Mobile UX remains paramount, as users expect seamless experiences, prompting organizations to consider progressive web apps over native apps for better authentication consistency. An API-first, modular architecture allows for flexibility and incremental updates, crucial for adapting to emerging standards and meeting regulatory requirements. The increasing demand for machine-scale identity operations driven by AI agents underscores the need for infrastructure that can handle exponential growth while ensuring data stewardship and compliance across jurisdictions.