5 predictions for AI in 2026 – what’s next for ChatGPT, Gemini, and you

A year where AI becomes even more present in your life

01 Jan 2026, 09:00 · TechRadar

Features By Eric Hal Schwartz published 1 January 2026

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This year saw AI complete the change from show-off demos and novelty experiments to an ever-present aspect of technology and society, with both positive and negative opinions abounding.

But as 2025 answered the question of whether AI tools are flexible enough to adapt to the ways people might want to use them, 2026 will see if companies can convince people to open up their lives to the assistance and influence of AI. As OpenAI, Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and more keep pushing new ways to incorporate AI into everyday routines, we might see more announcements about people embracing or rejecting AI, even if there are fewer about true breakthroughs with the models.

Here are five of our predictions for how you might find AI changing your life in 2026.

1. ChatGPT grows into your household’s silent organizer

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This year, we’ve seen ChatGPT shift, with some impressive tricks, from a glorified autocomplete to a far more nuanced imitator of humanity. The memory, multimodal understanding, and connections to third-party services and companies mean 2026 will allow OpenAI’s flagship AI platform to do much more than answer occasional questions. OpenAI has been hinting that the next step will see ChatGPT take the role Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant long jockeyed for, the digital butler.

Or at least, that seems to be how OpenAI is angling the more proactive aspects of ChatGPT as it uses "agents" and APIs to handle more than just isolated text prompts. You'll see it become your scheduler, nudging you about appointments you're about to be late for and suggesting weekend plans based on the weather, your comments about avoiding going out when it's too hot, and your spouse’s calendar. For those who give it permission, it will email, book, order, reschedule, and remind you about upcoming events, without even being asked.

The more frictionless the experience becomes, the more invisible the AI gets. You’ll speak out loud in your living room, and it will respond through your TV or smart speaker. You’ll text it about what some ice damage to your fence and send a photo, and it’ll file an insurance claim on your behalf. Or at least, you'll have the option. As with any other digital assistant, there will be plenty of people wary of using ChatGPT that often or sharing that much information with it. But, OpenAI will be keen to make ChatGPT the household hub tuned to individual preferences, the invisible butler tactfully planning for the things you haven't even thought of yet.

2. Google search fully transforms into AI-first

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Google Search has been pushing AI into more and more of its results over the last year, but the classic approach of keywords is still the default for most people. 2026 will likely see the balance tip, at least if Google has its way. Gemini's quiet takeover will push AI Mode and its spinoffs into the central pillar of Google. You'll still have plenty of links available, but as an adjunct to the conversation with the AI.

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