The Business Engineer’s Top 3 AI Predictions for 2026
Premium Analysis
2026 will mark the definitive split between enterprise-first AI applications that deliver measurable value and consumer-facing spectacles that generate headlines but not sustainable businesses. Three intersecting forces will shape the map of AI in 2026:
Humanoid robotics retreating to enterprise applications (the curse of consumer humanoids)
AI wearables establishing hands-free computing as the dominant consumer interface
Competing protocols creating the transactional layer for agentic commerce
The companies that win will be those that understand a fundamental truth: AI’s consumer moment hasn’t arrived—its enterprise moment has.
