4 Andreessen Horowitz partners share their 2026 AI predictions (www.businessinsider.com)

In a recent podcast episode, partners from the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz shared their predictions for the AI landscape in 2026, highlighting the intense competition among consumer large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. They noted that while ChatGPT currently leads with around 800 to 900 million weekly active users, advancements in image and video capabilities, particularly by Gemini, could change the tide. Justine Moore emphasized that these modalities are crucial as they can drive engagement and virality, which are essential for new products in the AI space. Moreover, the rise of multimodal AI, which processes text, images, and audio simultaneously, is poised to revolutionize user interaction and creative designs. The partners also discussed the importance of application development in the AI ecosystem, particularly with ChatGPT's internal app store set to define its success in 2026. Anish Acharya pointed out that the ability for developers to create apps using ChatGPT's software development kit could enhance its utility across consumer and enterprise sectors. However, for startups to thrive amidst these giants, they must carve out innovative niches rather than rely solely on traditional text-based models, as suggested by Bryan Kim. Overall, while the "winner takes all" dynamics are evident, rapid advancements in AI technologies suggest that the competitive landscape may shift unexpectedly.