6 Scary Predictions for AI in 2026
As OpenAI declared a “code red” this month to refocus its teams on competing with Google, I couldn’t help but think back to December three years ago when the companies’ roles were reversed. Google was the one blasting the sirens to catch up to OpenAI. What followed the next month, in January 2023, were the first sweeping layoffs in Google’s history.
Data Center Disinformation
Communities across the world are fighting the construction of data centers. In the US, many activists are organizing on social media using tools such as Facebook Groups. The Chinese and Russian governments continue to exploit social media to disseminate disinformation masquerading as real news and authentic opinion.
Robot Demos Everywhere
Every year, tech conferences from the Consumer Electronics Show to Amazon’s hardware event will likely be buzzing about AI-powered robots. Google and other big tech companies have spent years trying to train robots to handle household tasks through repeated practice.
The Bubble Deflates
2025 began with China’s DeepSeek showing the world that you don’t need a ton of cutting-edge GPUs to make a solid AI system. This prompted a fleeting stock market selloff over fears that chip sales would tank. The fears didn’t materialize.
Training Work Agents
For years, companies have installed “bossware” on workers’ computers to monitor for potentially inappropriate behavior. I am not looking forward to a possible reality of the coming year: Surveillance software aimed at recording employees’ work to train AI agents to automate some of the tasks.
Always On, Always Danger
AI gadgets like necklaces with always-on microphones that are capable of tracking a user’s every word turned out to be duds in 2025. But AI software that listens to video calls and other audio interactions on the computer were a surprise hit.
Conclusion
These predictions are based on current trends and the author’s speculation. The future is uncertain, and only time will tell if these predictions come to pass.
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