Humanoid Robots, Digital Immigrants & the AI Bubble: Our 5 Predictions for What’s Next in 2026

In this episode of The AI Transition, we step away from the weekly headlines and look ahead to 2026. What are the most likely AI shocks coming next, and how prepared are we for their human impact?

We avoid the speculative hype or techno-optimism but focus instead on how AI may reshape work, identity, power, and economic stability faster than people and organisations can adapt.

We count down of our five biggest AI predictions, from #5 to #1 — exploring each one through a transition lens, focusing not on the technology itself, but on what it does to people.

·         #5 – Humanoid Robots Go Mainstream

·         #4 – Proto-AGI Becomes “Good Enough”

·         #3 – The First Large-Scale AI-Attributable Disaster

·         #2 – Digital Immigrants Arrive

·         #1 – The AI Stock Market Bubble Pops

Throughout the episode, we explore why these shifts feel so destabilising, why resistance is growing, and why the real challenge ahead isn’t technological — it’s human.

If you’re a leader, coach, or professional trying to make sense of what AI means beyond the hype, this episode is for you.