Activate's CEO breaks down the state of AI search and spatial computing in his annual slide deck — take a look (www.businessinsider.com)

Activate CEO Michael J. Wolf published his annual 2026 Technology and Media Outlook slide deck — to be presented at WSJ’s Tech Live — spotlighting two fast-moving areas: AI-powered search and spatial computing (smart glasses/VR). Drawing on decades in media and internet businesses, Wolf maps an emerging commercial architecture for AI search built on licensing deals and third-party partnerships, and flags a new class of “GEO” (geospatial/data) firms that could become essential suppliers or gatekeepers. He also lays out how AI will drive the next generation of spatial hardware and experiences, calling out major investors such as Apple and Meta alongside AI model players like OpenAI and Anthropic. Technically, Wolf emphasizes that AI search won’t be a single-model, end-to-end product but an ecosystem stitching core models with licensed proprietary data, vertical specialists, and distribution partners — a pattern that shapes monetization, control, and competition. For spatial computing, he highlights the convergence of sensor fusion, on-device inference, AR/VR software stacks, and content platforms as the path to viable smart glasses and immersive applications. The deck implies key industry implications: new supply-chain intermediaries (GEO firms), shifting revenue models around data licensing and APIs, intensified platform rivalry, and rising privacy and regulatory considerations as physical and digital layers merge.