A16Z partners predict 2026's major tech trends: AI will transform unstructured data management, automate cybersecurity work, and require agent-native infrastructure capable of handling massive parallel workloads. Creative tools will become multimodal, allowing seamless editing across video, images, and audio. Enterprise systems of record will lose primacy to AI execution layers. Vertical AI applications will evolve from information retrieval to multiplayer collaboration. Healthcare will shift focus to "healthy MAUs" seeking preventive monitoring. World models will enable new storytelling formats and generative virtual economies. Personalization will reach unprecedented levels across education, health, and media. The first AI-native university will emerge, fundamentally redesigning learning around intelligent systems.
Sort: