2026 is set to be a significant year for science with advancements in AI, clinical trials for gene therapies, a major cancer detection trial in the UK, increased lunar exploration including NASA's Artemis II and China's Chang’e-7, and space missions targeting Mars, the Moon, and exoplanets, alongside new ocean drilling initiatives in China.
General Motors plans to introduce an 'eyes-off' autonomous driving system on the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028, allowing fully driverless highway and urban driving using a combination of LiDAR, radar, and cameras, marking a significant step towards fully autonomous vehicles. The system builds on GM's existing Super Cruise technology and incorporates advanced AI and a new centralized computing platform, with plans for future AI features and vehicle updates.
Meta Connect 2025 showcased new products including the second-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses, Oakley Vanguard glasses for athletes, and a generative AI platform called Horizon Studio, with a focus on AI integration and immersive virtual experiences. The event highlighted Meta's advancements in wearable tech, AI, and the metaverse, with product launches and demos, though some expected devices like the Asus ROG Tarius VR headset were not revealed.
Meta Connect 2025 showcased new products including the second-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses, Oakley Vanguard glasses, and a generative AI playground called Horizon Studio, along with previews of AI-powered features like Live AI and Meta TV, highlighting Meta's focus on augmented reality, AI, and immersive virtual experiences.
Meta Connect 2025 showcased new products including the second-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses, Oakley Vanguard for athletes, and Horizon Studio for AI-driven world creation, along with previews of upcoming AI features and accessories like the Meta Neural Band and Meta TV, highlighting Meta's focus on augmented reality, AI, and immersive experiences.
Apple's WWDC 2025 is expected to showcase a major visual redesign across its operating systems, a unified naming scheme, enhanced iPadOS productivity features, AI-driven updates including Siri improvements and a virtual health coach, and new device concepts like the iPhone Air, with hardware updates unlikely. The event will also feature playful presentations from Craig Federighi and release timelines for beta and final software versions.
WWDC 2025 is expected to be a smaller event with no major new hardware or AI announcements, focusing instead on redesigned software platforms inspired by visionOS, with Apple planning to skip iOS 19 and move to iOS 26, and a broader push into AI in 2026.
OpenAI is training its next flagship model, GPT-5, which is expected to bring significant upgrades including better accuracy, increased multimodality, and a preview of autonomous capabilities. These advancements could potentially bring AI closer to artificial general intelligence (AGI), allowing it to perform complex tasks with minimal instruction.
OpenAI's release of the new GPT-4o model, which includes features like voice input and multimodal capabilities, has led to a significant spike in mobile revenue as users flock to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus to access these features. The model's availability on mobile but not for free has driven daily app revenue to nearly double, highlighting strong consumer interest and willingness to pay for the latest AI advancements.
Google I/O 2024 is set for May 14th, featuring the potential launch of the Pixel 8a, updates on Android 15, and a focus on Google's AI advancements, with CEO Sundar Pichai expected to deliver the keynote address. The event will be live-streamed and open for free online registration, with hardware announcements and discussions on AI and Android developments anticipated.
Filmmaker Tyler Perry has put his $800 million studio expansion plans in Atlanta on hold due to the advancements in AI technology, particularly OpenAI's new tool, Sora, which can create visually complex shots of subjects and their backgrounds. Perry recognizes the potential cost-saving benefits of the technology but is concerned about the impact on jobs in the industry. He admits to using AI in two upcoming films but remains cautious about its widespread use, emphasizing the need for vigilance and potential legislative measures to address the broader impact of AI advancements across various industries.
In 2024, A.I. is expected to make significant advancements, with chatbots and image generators merging to create "multimodal" systems capable of handling various types of media. These systems will exhibit more human-like reasoning, enabling them to tackle complex tasks in fields like math and science. A.I. agents will also emerge, allowing chatbots to perform tasks on behalf of users, potentially extending into the world of robotics. Additionally, A.I. will enhance robots' capabilities to handle more complex and previously unseen tasks, marking a rapid improvement in the technology's power and reach.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could have a significant advantage over the iPhone 15 Pro Max, not just in terms of specs, but also with AI advancements. Samsung has announced that the Galaxy S24 series will feature a new era of "Galaxy AI," powered by on-device AI and cloud-based AI collaborations. This could include partnerships with OpenAI or Google. The AI capabilities of the Galaxy S24 Ultra may include real-time translation during calls, email writing assistance, document summarization, AI-generated images, and even converting low-resolution photos into high-res ones. While some rumors suggest that Samsung may put certain AI features behind a paywall, it is unlikely given that similar AI features are already available on other AI-focused phones like the Google Pixel 8 series. Apple, on the other hand, is investing heavily in generative AI, but it currently lags behind both Google and potentially Samsung in the AI phone race.
Fundstrat's Tom Lee predicts that the S&P 500 will surpass its record high in the second half of 2023, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the Federal Reserve's successful efforts in curbing inflation. Despite a challenging 2022, Lee remains optimistic and set a year-end price target of 4,750 for the S&P 500.