8 Predictions for 2026. What comes next in AI?
I usually don't make prediction on what is coming next. But 2025 was such a pivotal year for AI and myself that I feel compelled to look ahead. Here is what I see coming for 2026:
1. Generative UI takes off. Latency and performance for code-generation enabling applications to generate on-the-fly interfaces for specific user tasks and preference in real-time.
2. The Edge becomes the primary home for Personal Agents. Personal agents migrate to edge-first, driven by capable Small Language Models (SLMs) running locally on specialized devices.
3. The Smart Home finally fulfills its promise. Home assistants will understand context and intention rather than just direct commands and will naturally integrate into Personal Assistants like Gemini App or ChatGPT.
4. Agent Harnesses become the new moat for AI Labs. Existing Benchmarks are reaching saturation to showcase improvements. Labs turn to “Harnesses", complex environments, to show their models (agents) can reliably execute multi-day workstreams.
5. Vibe Coding matures into Engineering. The role of engineers continues to evolve. Engineers will spend 99% of their time reviewing, evaluating, conceptualizing and thinking. The core competency is the ability to bridge the gap between implementation details, code quality, velocity, and alignment with business goals. Knowing how to code will be unique selling point.
6. Social Media becomes personal again. User engagement on social platforms slows down due to "AI Slop" creating a “premium market” for human created content.
7. Content is AI until proven Human The default for any post on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn will be "this is AI.” 2026 introduces the "Human-Signed" metadata standard. Unless a post/image carries a cryptographic signature (C2PA for cameras), algorithms will start to downrank it as "synthetic noise.”
8. Biometric Proof of Personhood becomes the new social login. To combat infinite agent spam, social platforms bifurcate into a "Verified Human Web" requiring biometric verification.
A Personal Note on 2026
I am incredibly excited about the year ahead. Despite the rapid changes, I am not worried about my role as an engineer, nor do I believe learning to code was a bad idea. In fact, deep technical understanding is becoming more critical to effectively guide these systems.
However, the bar has raised. To separate yourself from the crowd in 2026, you need to do more than just use the tools, you need to understand them. My advice is simple: Build and learn. Look closely at what others are building, deconstruct their work to understand the "why" and "how," and then build your own versions. Deep technical intuition is what will distinguish you from others.
Agents will continue to be the main headline. We are going to see the successful design patterns established by coding agents move into "general purpose" agents. We will see a shift toward proactive and ambient use cases—where agents don't just wait for a prompt, but interact in our daily lives to anticipate needs.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know on Twitter or LinkedIn.