Qualcomm CEO Predicts 2026 as the "Year of the AI Agent," with AI Glasses Becoming Mainstream Personal Devices

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon recently stated that the company's technologies are expanding beyond mobile into multiple domains, including PCs, wearables, automotive, and industrial applications. He predicted that 2026 will be the "Year of the Agent," when AI agents will experience significant scale-up and the public will gain a deeper understanding of their diversity and potential. Amon noted that the number of personal AI devices could grow from millions today to billions within the next five years, eventually reaching tens of billions. He believes AI-powered glasses will become the dominant device form factor, as they align with human usage habits and enable natural interaction. He also mentioned that between 2027 and 2028, certain workloads will shift from smartphones to new AI devices—but smartphones won’t be phased out. Additionally, Amon said 6G technology will drive major transformations by integrating AI to enable object recognition and the creation of digital twin worlds. He expects the future market to feature a diverse array of personal AI devices rather than being dominated by a single company.