For years, tech leaders and industry analysts have touted a future where artificial intelligence (AI) takes over. Flying cars. Robot butlers. Schools without classrooms.

But, Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) technology chief, Dr Werner Vogels says we’ve got it backwards. In the coming year, he predicts we'll enter a new era where AI fits into the human loop, not the other way around.

Here are his top tech predictions for 2026, and what they really mean for everyday people.

Robots Will Keep Us Company

In a blog post on Tuesday, Vogels said AI-driven companion robots will play a growing role in addressing global loneliness, particularly among elderly people.

He pointed to clinical studies showing that robots such as Paro and Pepper reduce agitation, depression and loneliness in dementia patients, while Amazon’s own Astro has shown “non-transactional relationships” forming in households.

“People treat robots more like animals than devices,” he noted, arguing that mobility, expressive interfaces, and proactive behaviour make them feel present in ways traditional devices cannot.

Next Era Demands Renaissance Developers

Vogels argued that generative AI will not replace developers but expand the profession, comparing the phenomenon to past shifts brought by ...