Fall 2026

Journal of Business Forecasting Volume 45 | Issue 3 | Fall 2026

The lead article of this issue presents a real-world, value-adding application of AI in new product forecasting. By combining AI with human expertise, emerging responses to new products can be captured and analyzed for more successful product introductions. A counterpoint to AI hype is also provided, discussing how to distinguish proper use cases from expensive vanity projects, and a roadmap for successful implementation. Other highlights of this issue include case studies in the automotive and big tech industries.

Featured Articles:

• Man Meets Machine: How AI & Human Experience are Key to Successful Product Introductions

  By Rohit Das

• The AI Demand Planning Bubble: Are We Optimizing Hype Instead of Business Value?

  By Eric Wilson

• Ethics, Mindsets & Responsible S&OP

  By Larry Lapide

• Forecasting the Physical World: Multi-Signal Causal Demand Sensing in Automotive Batteries

  By Vishal Singh

• Redefining S&OP in Project-Based Industries: How CDMOs Are Forcing a New Model of Strategy, Planning & Execution

  By Imane Sabeh, CPF

• AI Agent for Forecasting New Products with Analogs: An Alternative to Big-Data Machine Learning

  By Yudai Yamaguchi

• Demand Planning in a Supply Constrained World—Lessons From Big Tech

  By Nikita Parikh

• Modest Growth and a Resilient US Economy— But Iran War Casts a Shadow

  By Nur M. Onvural