Authors: Arvish Tandon
Abstract: As we enter 2026, the digital landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift from traditional "Cloud-First" strategies to "AI-Native" autonomous architectures. This review article investigates the future directions of AI-driven cloud ecosystems, focusing on their transformative impact on the smart finance, healthcare, and IoT sectors. We evaluate the technical evolution of the cloud stack, emphasizing the rise of agentic workflows, neoclouds optimized for GPU-intensive workloads, and the convergence of the edge-cloud continuum. In finance, we analyze the transition to autonomous compliance and hyper-personalized risk management; in healthcare, we explore the role of patient digital twins and ambient clinical intelligence; and in IoT, we examine the emergence of passive, predictive environments enabled by 5G/6G connectivity. Furthermore, the article addresses critical imperatives of security and trust, including zero-trust frameworks, geopatriation for data sovereignty, and explainable AI (XAI) for regulatory governance. We also highlight the "Green Cloud" initiative, where energy-adaptive AI models and hardware-software co-design are used to minimize environmental impact. By synthesizing current research gaps and strategic challenges, this study provides a comprehensive roadmap for building resilient, autonomous infrastructures that serve as the intelligent backbone of the global digital economy.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18231441
