The unhinged world of tech in 2026...

SUMMARY

Fireship, host of Code Report, humorously forecasts 10 pivotal tech trends for 2026, spanning developer jobs, AI's ongoing bubble, robotics, wearables, AR/VR, chips, nuclear power, quantum computing, digital surveillance, and JavaScript advancements.

STATEMENTS

• The developer job market remains challenging post-2023 pullback, with AI tools not replacing human engineers but creating demand for code janitors to fix AI-generated errors.
• The AI bubble persists with irrational valuations, as LLMs have plateaued without true intelligence, yet hype sustains investment for several more years.
• Humanoid robots from companies like 1X, Figure, and Tesla Optimus are advancing toward factory and household deployment, though current tech requires significant teleoperation.
• Wearable AI devices face flops like Rabbit and Humane Pin, but collaborations like OpenAI with Jony Ive promise improvements, alongside innovations like Nike's battery-powered shoes.
• AR/VR remains a niche despite impressive tech, with Apple Vision Pro flopping but potential in cheaper versions, while Meta invests heavily in augmented reality.
• Chip designers like Nvidia and fabricators like TSMC dominate profits due to AI's demand for compute power, with Intel stabilized by government intervention.
• Nuclear power resurgence is driven by AI's energy needs, with small modular reactors from companies like Oklo offering self-contained solutions for data centers.
• Quantum computing achieves milestones like Google's Willow chip and quantum echoes algorithm, surpassing supercomputers in specific tasks and nearing practical applications.
• Digital IDs and central bank digital currencies advance despite public resistance, turning smartphones into surveillance portals for personal data.
• JavaScript ecosystem evolves with Node.js supporting TypeScript natively, Deno's built-in bundler, Bun's speed and database integrations, and front-end shifts like stable React compiler.

IDEAS

• AI coding tools generate low-quality "vibe-coded slop," spawning a new profession of code janitors to maintain software integrity amid automation.
• The AI bubble's peak is delayed by private company status, with massive IPOs from SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic signaling an impending hype crash.
• Humanoid robots promise rebellion-free servitude for chores, but their rollout hinges on AI advancements from Google and Nvidia enabling Frankenstein-like assemblies.
• Wearable AI could augment human capabilities, such as battery-powered shoes enabling superhuman jumps, blending cyborg dreams with practical flops.
• VR/AR's mainstream failure stems from high costs and limited appeal, yet lower-price iterations might salvage it as an entertainment niche.
• Government bailouts distort chip markets, propping up Intel as "too big to fail" while Nvidia reaps AI-driven linear algebra demands.
• Small modular nuclear reactors could decentralize power, replacing sprawling solar farms with neighborhood-scale energy for AI data centers.
• Quantum computing's verifiable supremacy over supercomputers hints at exponential speedups, potentially dwarfing AI's economic impact in a US-China race.
• Digital tyranny via IDs and CBDCs creates dystopian surveillance states, where smartphones expose every aspect of life from finances to browsing history.
• JavaScript runtimes like Bun integrate databases natively, tempting developers to abandon traditional stacks for faster, all-in-one project setups.
• LLMs' plateau reveals AI's current limits, yet early adoption in non-technical fields like management and design accelerates job displacement.
• H-1B visa fees of $100,000 hinder cheap overseas labor, potentially boosting US wages but straining tech hiring amid talent shortages.

INSIGHTS

• AI's hype cycle endures not through intelligence leaps but via sustained investment in adjacent hardware and applications, prolonging economic bubbles.
• Robotics and wearables shift labor paradigms from human drudgery to augmented assistance, but ethical risks of dependency loom large.
• Energy constraints from AI compute demands revive nuclear innovation, balancing environmental goals with reliable, scalable power for technological progress.
• Quantum advancements signal a paradigm shift beyond classical computing, where subatomic precision unlocks simulations impossible today, reshaping global competition.
• Surveillance technologies like digital IDs erode privacy norms, fostering centralized control that outpaces public consent and resistance.
• Software ecosystems evolve toward integrated, efficient tools, reducing developer friction but entrenching platform lock-ins in an AI-saturated world.

QUOTES

• "Your $3,500 smart fridge has a GPU and displays advertisements."
• "AI coding tools are still nowhere close to replacing human engineers."
• "The current AI technology is legit amazing. Remember, we're only a few years into this trend."
• "When quantum computing hits version 1.0, it'll make the AI bubble look like child's play."
• "They can take our lives and they can take our freedom but they can't take our JavaScript."

HABITS

• Early adoption of AI tools for coding to stay ahead in the job market, despite their imperfections.
• Continuous learning through platforms like Brilliant to build AI models from scratch and master technical skills.
• Monitoring hype cycles and IPO waves to time investments in emerging tech trends.
• Experimenting with new JavaScript runtimes like Bun for faster project development.
• Staying skeptical of overengineered gadgets, preferring practical tech like stable frameworks over flashy flops.

FACTS

• Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts 15% growth in software development jobs through 2034.
• H-1B visa applications now require a $100,000 fee, impacting overseas hiring in US tech.
• Google's Willow chip and quantum echoes algorithm enable verifiable quantum supremacy over supercomputers.
• European Central Bank's digital euro pilot advances to mid-2027, with full issuance by 2029.
• Node.js now natively supports TypeScript files, enhancing backend development efficiency.
• 1X's Neo robot accepts orders for household tasks like laundry and dishwashing.

REFERENCES

• Brilliant.org's "How AI Works" course for building language models and experimenting with feature vectors.
• Companies: 1X (Neo robot), Figure Robots, Tesla Optimus, OpenAI (wearables with Jony Ive), Nike (battery-powered shoes), Apple (Vision Pro), Meta (AR investments), Nvidia, ARM, TSMC, Intel, Oklo (modular reactors), Google (Willow chip, quantum echoes), SpaceX, Anthropic.
• Tools/Frameworks: Node.js (TypeScript support), Deno (built-in bundler), Bun (runtime with Postgres/Redis), React (stable compiler), Svelte, Vue, Angular, Ripple.
• Other: GPT-5 (disappointing release), H-1B program changes, UK digital IDs, Eurozone digital euro.

HOW TO APPLY

• Assess your role against AI displacement risks by evaluating tasks like spreadsheets or design for automation, then upskill in oversight or integration.
• Invest in chip and energy sectors early, tracking companies like Nvidia and Oklo for AI-driven demand surges before mainstream adoption.
• Prototype humanoid or wearable projects using Google/Nvidia APIs to Frankenstein basic robots, securing funding in the current hype window.
• Experiment with quantum simulations via accessible tools from Google's advancements, focusing on niche applications like optimization before full maturity.
• Secure personal data privacy by minimizing smartphone reliance on government-endorsed apps, advocating against digital ID mandates through policy engagement.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Embrace 2026's tech trends like AI robotics and quantum leaps to thrive amid job shifts and surveillance risks.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Diversify skills beyond coding into AI maintenance roles to counter automation threats.
• Explore Bun or Deno for new projects to leverage JavaScript's evolving speed advantages.
• Advocate for privacy protections against digital IDs to preserve personal freedoms.
• Invest in nuclear innovators like Oklo for sustainable AI energy solutions.
• Enroll in Brilliant courses to hands-on learn AI mechanics and stay competitive.

MEMO

In the flickering glow of a smart fridge peddling ads for $3,500, the year 2026 unfolds as a carnival of tech excess. Fireship, the wry host of Code Report, paints a vivid portrait of this near-future, where developers navigate a job market scarred by AI's rise. Once-booming openings on platforms like Indeed have dwindled since the 2023 pullback, yet the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts steady 15% growth through 2034. Human engineers remain irreplaceable, their role evolving into "code janitors" sifting through AI's messy outputs—a testament to technology's double-edged sword.

The AI bubble, bloated with nonsensical valuations, shows no signs of bursting imminently. Large language models have hit a plateau, as evidenced by the underwhelming GPT-5 launch, lacking the self-improving spark of true intelligence. Still, private giants like OpenAI and Anthropic fuel the frenzy, eyeing blockbuster IPOs alongside SpaceX that could flood markets and signal the endgame. Victims mount: mid-level managers, graphic designers, even Stack Overflow sages fall to automation's march. Yet for programmers, the prompt casino offers tools to amplify, not erase, creativity.

Robotics strides into households and factories, with 1X's Neo bot folding laundry sans revolt, and Tesla's Optimus eyeing assembly lines. Wearables tease cyborg fantasies—OpenAI's Jony Ive collaboration promises redemption after flops like the Humane Pin, while Nike's powered sneakers evoke slam-dunk revolutions. AR/VR lingers in niche splendor; Apple's Vision Pro stumbles on price, but Meta's augmented bets and cheaper iterations whisper persistence. Beneath it all, chip titans like Nvidia feast on AI's hunger for linear algebra, their moats unbreached even as Intel clings to government lifelines.

Powering this frenzy, nuclear revival counters AI's voracious energy appetite. Small modular reactors from Oklo could dot neighborhoods, outpacing intermittent renewables and fueling Zuckerberg's Ohio data centers. Quantum computing, long a lab curiosity, crests with Google's Willow chip achieving supremacy—running algorithms supercomputers can't touch. As US and Chinese labs race, practical apps loom, poised to eclipse AI's boom.

Yet shadows gather: digital IDs and central bank currencies forge surveillance panoply, smartphones as oracles of bank balances and browser sins. The UK's push and Europe's digital euro pilot by 2027 herald a Black Mirror haste. Amid it, JavaScript endures—Node.js embraces TypeScript, Bun bundles databases seamlessly—offering developers islands of stability. Fireship urges vigilance: in this overengineered beta, fortune favors the adaptable.