The huge step-up in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology thanks to software companies such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI was something that many of us did not necessarily expect as this year draws to a close. ChatGPT is now a house-hold name and the other generative AI chatbots are not far behind. If directed and evolved in the best way possible, AI tech should allow humans and the world to prosper, which is why 2026 could be one of the most important years in the history of mankind.
The team here at Techscape have decided to take an early look at three tech trends which we expect to see in 2026. It goes without saying that the future is certainly hard to predict, but we are excited for the potential that 2026 has to offer.
Continued Progression of Artificial Intelligence
Something that we can write with 100% certainty is that AI is here to stay and in 2026 it will continue to evolve. We expect the evolution of AI to progress to such an extent that it will be almost impossible to not have it in your lives either directly or indirectly in one way or another. We have high hopes that AI will evolve to such an extent that it will make human lives much easier. We would love AI to do some of the jobs that we do not want to do. We are teaching computers to understand us so fast that it is hard to believe.
Next year, you should expect a new world of creation using AI. It will be as simple as typing into the AI programme what you want, and then the AI creating it in real time. Currently, the way AI can do this is via website code. AI can write articles for you in seconds, it can create images and websites for you in seconds too. The accuracy of AI writing is debated but its intelligence is only improving everyday.
What we do not want to see happen is for the marketers to take control of AI for nefarious purposes. Marketers for example will want to send people advertisements that they know you will be interested in. Marketers are trying hard to figure out exactly who everyone is. The respected scientific philosopher Karl Popper said that what people should do is look for information which contradicts your current viewpoint as it is the only way you can ensure that you are learning at the same time that you are maintaining your stability. This is another reason why you should try to engage in dialogue with people that you do not agree with, because they are the ones who will tell you things that you do not know. Currently, AI marketing algorithms,whether they come at you in the form of advertisements or video recommendations, will direct you to the things that you would say you want to see and that you are interested in. However, the downside to this is that no one is offering you corrective feedback anymore. Your knowledge and interests will remain static which will cause a downward spiral.
Whilst we are all for the sophisticated improvement of AI, we are all too well aware that it is not a given that AI will be the saviour, so to speak.
Live Gameplay
Live gameplay is the bread and butter of online casinos and we fully expect the technology behind such games to continue to improve in 2026. The tech behind these games revolves around live video streaming where players can sit behind their laptop at home but feel like they are playing at a real casino with a live dealer in front of them. It is possible to interact with the dealer too and other players will also be playing at the exact same table from behind their own computers. Only the best live casinos have implemented such technology but we fully expect more and more to use this technology as it becomes more affordable and common.
We have heard rumours that such technology will also make its way into other casino games such as online slots, although we are not entirely sure how they will do this. Without a doubt, the technology surrounding online gambling will continue to get better because of the huge resources that gambling operators and game creators have available to them.
GTA 6
Okay, this one is not exactly a tech trend but GTA 6 will be one of the biggest and most influential popular culture game releases of the 21st century. The rumoured development cost of GTA VI is almost £1.5 billion, which makes it easily the most expensive video game production of all time. GTA V holds the record for the best opening week sales in video game history earning £1.2 billion in just five days according to the BBC and we fully expect GTA VI to smash this record when it is finally released.
The production studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series are Rockstar and they are the pinnacle of game development studios. If you have been following all of the news surrounding GTA VI then you will know that expectations are supremely high with what can and cannot be done. The most recent news is that players will be able to create their own form of OnlyFans content in the game in order to make money! Of course, Rockstar will parody this in a way which mocks OF and their creators, but it is an interesting addition. Furthermore, the game will also have its own form of Uber, Cashapp and WhatsApp.
GTA 6 will certainly become a cultural phenomenon, but once it has been released, don’t expect to see a GTA 7 for at least another 20 years. GTA 6 will of course have its own online mode which will be supplied with additional content years upon years after the initial release of the game.
Changing Tech in 2026
The tech landscape is always changing and nothing points this out more than through the evolution of AI over the past year. Our major hope is that technology continues to adapt for the better. We have to say that tech such as TikTok and Instagram and the ever-changing Google algorithms continue to be a net-negative for all of us, we just hope that AI helps with that. In 2022, we wrote how we truly hope that technology will improve our lives in the future, and we still retain this hope as we head into 2026.