Amazon chief technology officer Werner Vogels has released his annual technology predictions for 2026 and beyond, offering insights into how emerging technologies will reshape industries and daily life.
From AI companions combating loneliness to the urgent need for quantum-safe security, Vogels’ latest forecast addresses both the technical evolution and human impact of tomorrow’s innovations.
Five key predictions from Vogels are:
- Companionship is redefined for those who need it most – AI-powered robots will work collaboratively with human caregivers to address social isolation affecting one in six people worldwide.
- The dawn of the renaissance developer – Generative AI won’t make developers obsolete but will transform them into modern polymaths who combine AI’s code generation capabilities with uniquely human creativity, curiosity, and systems thinking.
- Quantum-safe becomes the only safe – Organizations must immediately deploy post-quantum cryptography as adversaries harvest data now to decrypt later with quantum computers.
- Defense technology changes the world – Military innovations in autonomous systems will be adapted to address critical problems from disaster response to healthcare access in remote regions.
- Personalised learning meets infinite curiosity – AI-powered tutoring is fundamentally changing education by freeing teachers from administrative tasks to focus on creative and individualized instruction.