Introduction

This article shares a16z ideas on what builders will focus on in 2026, from AI factories to new apps that change how we work and live.

What's the problem it solves?

Builders face broken systems in industry, finance, science, and software. Old tools cannot handle AI, data, or real-world scale, so progress is slow and costly.

Quick Summary

The first big theme is rebuilding the real world with AI. Factories, energy, mining, logistics, and infrastructure are becoming software-first. AI will design machines, run factories, watch physical systems in real time, and collect massive amounts of data from everyday operations. This pushes the US to rebuild industrial strength instead of just improving old systems.

The second theme is new ways AI works inside companies. Labs will run experiments on their own. Enterprises will use teams of AI agents that plan and act together. New jobs will appear to manage and control these systems. Data, not compute, becomes the main limit, especially in old industries full of unused information.

The third theme is apps and consumer AI. ChatGPT becomes a major app platform. Voice agents move from simple calls to full workflows. Apps stop asking for prompts and start acting on intent. Consumer AI shifts from helping with tasks to helping people understand themselves and connect with others.

Key Takeaways

• AI moves from screens into factories, machines, and cities
• Industry, energy, and manufacturing are being rebuilt with software at the core
• Data from real-world work becomes more valuable than ever
• AI apps become proactive, not chat-based
• ChatGPT turns into a major distribution channel
• Voice and agent-based systems run full business workflows
• New AI-first companies appear that were impossible before

What to do

• Build products that start AI-native, not bolted onto old systems
• Look at industrial and boring sectors for big AI opportunities
• Design software around real-world data capture from day one
• Move beyond chat UIs toward proactive and invisible AI
• Plan for multi-agent systems, not single AI tools
• If building apps, treat ChatGPT as a core distribution channel

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