Our AI writers make their big bets for the coming year—here are five hot trends to watch.

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MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review predicts five major AI trends for 2026: increased adoption of Chinese open-source LLMs like DeepSeek and Qwen by Silicon Valley startups, ongoing regulatory battles between US federal and state governments over AI governance, AI-powered chatbots transforming e-commerce with projected sales reaching $3-5 trillion by 2030, LLMs making significant scientific discoveries through systems like AlphaEvolve, and escalating legal battles over AI liability including defamation and harm caused by chatbot interactions. The predictions build on their 2025 forecasts, which largely came true including the rise of reasoning models and world models.

What’s next for AI in 2026

More Silicon Valley products will be built on Chinese LLMs