The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2026

Near the start of each year, I look at what’s new in consumer technology to give a heads-up on which innovations could actually affect your day-to-day life amid the many fads you can ignore. It’s undeniable that generative artificial intelligence (AI), the technology driving chatbots, is rapidly changing how many people use their devices and browse the web. The AI boom is also driving tech companies to experiment with selling new gadgets that may succeed the smartphone. And the largely positive consumer sentiment toward self-driving cars has helped Google’s Waymo robot taxis gain traction in major cities, setting up those services to significantly expand this year, including to freeways. Here are the trends to watch in 2026. 

1. We’ll finally be talking to our computers.
2. The search continues for a successor to the smartphone.
3. A.I. is changing how we browse the web.
4. Self-driving taxis are becoming widespread.