AI in 2026: Recently I had a long debate with a friend about Artificial Intelligence. He was emotionally calling AI the biggest enemy of humans but instead of supporting any side, I put forward my point based on facts. The truth is that AI is no longer a thing of the future. At the beginning of last year, it became clear that AI would be everywhere and that is exactly what happened.
Being a tech journalist, it is part of my job to look at trends, understand their impact and predict the future picture. My aim is not to sell you any product, social media influencers and YouTubers are doing that work very well. But it is important to understand that if 2025 is defined by AI, then the future may be even more decisive and shocking.
Not just one trend, many changes together
2026 will not be the year of any big tech revolution. It will be a mix of different ideas and experiments. Some will be successful, some will not, but those who survive will decide the direction of personal technology and social media. These changes will have a direct impact on both your pocket and your thinking.
AI videos on social media are unstoppable
A few days ago, while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a video in which two small children were having a funny conversation and were shown as if they were girlfriend-boyfriend. Such videos go viral rapidly in India. I watched many clips, but after a long time I understood that these were not real but videos made by AI.
Now my feed is filled with cartoonish cat dance videos, clips of fake animals and completely AI-generated content. Earlier I used to open Instagram to see videos of real lion cubs, now there are AI versions of them too, which are fun but confusing.
When the platform itself and tools like OpenAI allow creating any kind of video in minutes, it will become very difficult for the common user to differentiate between real and fake. In India, most of the time there is not even any warning on such videos. This is where the definition of ‘reality’ starts to become blurry.
The real question will not be whether you are able to recognize the truth or not, but how AI videos will change our relationships, trust and the way we see the world.
Smartphones and laptops will become more expensive
At the beginning of the year itself, there are indications that the prices of smartphones and laptops are going to increase and this increase will not be temporary. Even today, a common smartphone comes at a price equal to the monthly income of many people. Even if there is support of EMI, the total expenditure does not reduce.
The biggest reason for this is the lack of memory chips. Especially DRAM, which is needed by both AI data centers and smartphones. Demand has exceeded supply due to which the prices of chips have increased rapidly. Big companies are supplying to AI and data centers first because there is more money there.
The effect of this will be that new smartphones, especially in the budget and mid-range segment, will be more expensive or will come with less RAM. Prices of memory-heavy devices like gaming laptops may also increase.
Smart glasses are coming on your eyes
Now it’s time to move beyond the debate about apps, camera lenses and phone thickness. Tech companies now have their eyes straight on your face through smart glasses.
Mixed reality headsets may not have become common yet, but companies are completely serious about smart glasses. Small display, AI features, camera, audio-only design, all kinds of options are going to come at different prices.
Meta has shown through Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses that the market may be small, but it exists. In the coming time, smart glasses can become your phone’s companion like earbuds or smartwatch. However, it will take time to replace smartphones.
Today, smart glasses are in the same era as feature phones once were.
Robots will knock on houses
This may seem a bit futuristic, but this time Elon Musk’s words seem to make sense. Robots that look like humans may not be common yet, but work on them is happening rapidly.
Many startups in Silicon Valley and Europe are experimenting with home robots. The aim is to create such AI-powered robots, which can move around the house, understand the path and do work with the help of camera and vision system.
Big brands can showcase their home robot plans in tech events like CES to be held in early 2026. Apple is also reportedly working on an AI-based robotic device.
foldable phone may get a second chance
Folding phones are definitely interesting, but till now they have not been able to prove themselves completely. The problem is more of software than hardware. The proper use of the big screen still seems incomplete.
Expectations are now tied to Apple. If the company brings a foldable iPhone and combines the best features of iOS and iPadOS, then it can give a new direction to the category. Better multitasking, desktop-grade apps, and a proper UI are what can make foldables truly useful.
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The company making ChatGPT is making a new AI pen, knowing its features will blow your mind.
