While AI technology will achieve widespread adoption and major breakthroughs, the financial infrastructure supporting it will falter. Peripheral companies that jumped on the AI trend without a core business will face a significant market correction, creating a paradoxical "best and worst" year for the industry.
The proliferation of inconspicuous recording devices like Meta Ray-Bans, supercharged by AI transcription, will lead to major public scandals and discomfort. This backlash, reminiscent of the "Glassholes" phenomenon with Google Glass, will create significant social and regulatory hurdles for the future of AI hardware.
The common goal of increasing AI model efficiency could have a paradoxical outcome. If AI performance becomes radically cheaper ("too cheap to meter"), it could devalue the massive investments in compute and data center infrastructure, creating a financial crisis for the very companies that enabled the boom.
The social taboo around forming deep relationships with AI bots will fade, similar to how online dating moved from awkward to mainstream. People will begin openly discussing their AI companions as friends or partners, creating a significant cultural shift and a new market for AI-related "gifting."
Contrary to narratives focused on its AI lag, Apple is predicted to have its best year ever in 2026. This success will stem from the continued strength of its core iPhone product and a premium foldable phone, as dedicated AI hardware devices from competitors will not yet be mature enough to pose a real threat.
The future of AI in e-commerce isn't just better search results like Amazon's Rufus. The shift will be towards proactive, conversational agents that handle the entire purchasing process for routine items, mirroring the "one-click" convenience of the original Amazon Dash button but with greater intelligence.