The AI Zeitgeist 2026

My final remarks of the year | Edition #260

“Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich, 1818 (oil on canvas, modified)

From ethical and legal perspectives, 2025 was decisive, and it became clear that, after three years of intense hype, the AI honeymoon is officially over.

From forecasts of an AI bubble and what its burst could mean for global economies to AI-related suicides (and the various lawsuits filed by the families of the victims), and growing scrutiny of AI practices, the vibe has changed.

In 2026 and in the years to come, we will likely see more legal action (including bans, investigations, lawsuits, and regulations), as well as popular and professional reactions against AI-led trends.

In the EU, 2025 was marked by a major narrative shift. Pressured by the Trump administration, the EU responded to its poor competitiveness (highlighted by the Draghi report) by proposing significant amendments to the GDPR and the EU AI Act.

The proposed changes (the Digital Omnibus), however, are being broadly challenged in the EU, as many have made clear that they want stronger (not weaker) laws in the age of AI. Hopefully, the various changes that weaken the protection of fundamental rights will not be approved in 2026.

Even in the United States, where the official federal policy on AI is “win the AI race first, regulate later,” states are reacting and claiming their sovereignty to oversee and regulate AI.

To avoid the risk of increased legal scrutiny and potential fines, many AI companies will likely tighten AI safety measures and restrict the use of their AI systems by minors, as CharacterAI and OpenAI have recently done.

Self-regulation, however, will never be enough, as a company’s interest will always be to maximize profit, even if its priorities go against individual well-being or fundamental rights.

As I often say in this newsletter, the future of AI does not exist yet; we are shaping it right now.

If we want future policies to benefit human well-being and protect fundamental rights, we must keep saying it loud and clear and work to influence the various layers that create, build, and implement policies and rules on AI.

Before the year ends, it is important to acknowledge the most important techno-social trend shaping AI, which will likely define the AI zeitgeist in 2026: