The AI predictions no one's talking about (but you need to hear)

Hey there,

Everyone's talking about AI getting faster, better, more powerful in 2026. And sure, that's happening.

Hot take - I think it’s already good enough for 99,99999 of things most of us are doing yet 99,99999 of people still using it wrong.

So I am less interested in predicting the WHAT of AI, but I am looking at it from the perspecive of the WHY of AI…

What I'm seeing - from working with solopreneurs, from building my own AI-powered business, from paying attention to what's actually shifting culturally - is that 2026 isn't only about AI capabilities.

It's about how we choose to use them.

So I recorded a YouTube video with my 8 predictions for AI in 2026, not from a tech perspective, but from the lens of someone building a one-person business. These aren't about which model benchmarks highest.

They're about the choices and decisions you'll be making as a business owner.

Some of these predictions might challenge what you're currently planning for your business.

Let me walk you through them.

1. Personal Software Becomes Your Competitive Edge

Forget paying for apps that almost fit your workflow. In 2026, you'll build the tools that match your brain.

With vibe coding (explaining what you want to an AI tool without traditional coding), you can create apps, dashboards, and workflows that adapt to you - not the other way around.

Most software is built for scale. For teams. For corporations.

You have a unique rhythm, a specific way of thinking, maybe ADHD that makes standard productivity tools frustrating.

And when you solve your own problem, build something and share the journey, you often discover dozens of people wanting the exact same thing, which can naturally lead to an income stream.

What I'm doing: I'm building my own idea capture and note-taking system. Already canceled two subscriptions because I can create exactly what I need.

Start with one tiny friction point in your life. Build an app for that. Share it.

2. Trust Becomes Your Biggest Competitive Advantage

Social media is already 80% AI-generated content. Image generators are so good you can't tell real from fake anymore.

And when everything looks polished and perfect and potentially artificial, the hunger for verified human connection intensifies.

The trap I'm seeing: People rushing to create AI avatars and clones of themselves, thinking "I'll scale my presence!" But if you're a personal brand, replacing yourself erodes the very thing people came for - you.

The nuance: This doesn't mean never using AI for content. It means being intentional about what you keep human. Keep the things that build trust.

People don't follow you just for information. They follow you for the combination of value + your specific perspective + your personality.

3. Discernment Becomes a Core Skill

The question isn't "Can I automate this?"

It's "Should I?"

AI will make everything possible. But not everything should be automated.

The filter I use:

• Do I enjoy this? (If yes, don't automate)

• Does this build trust? (If yes, keep it human)

• Is this part of my unique value? (If yes, don't delegate)

• Does this amplify or dilute my value? (Context-dependent)

Everything that drains your energy? Automate it. Admin, repetitive ops, things you resist doing? Great candidates.

Building relationships? Writing personal outreach? The creative process that brings you joy? Keep. Those. Human.

4. "Expert" Authority Crumbles

The model of positioning yourself as the expert who has arrived, who packages knowledge into courses, who speaks from authority of knowing “the right way“ of doing things is slowly becoming the new cringe.

Why? Because AI commoditized information and knowledge. You need answers? Ask ChatGPT. Need to learn something? There's your expert.

What rises instead: People following journeys. Someone starting somewhere, sharing what they're learning, how they think, how they navigate uncertainty, what didn't work, what solutions they're creating.

The edge isn't in what you know anymore!

It's in how you see things and your ability to take people on your journey.

What this means practically:

• Less "here's my system" energy

• More "Here's what I'm testing, here's what failed this month, here's what I learned"

• Value shifts toward encouragement, accountability, presence and sharing value in a digestible human way

• Human touchpoints matter more in programs

I'm not saying courses or coaching go away. I'm saying the way you deliver value will evolve.

5. AI Literacy Becomes the Great Divider

Not who has access to AI (pretty much everyone does).

But who knows how to think with it.

AI literacy isn't a course you take once. It's a muscle you build continuously. Like eating healthy or working out - it's a practice, annoying and frustrating at times, but there is literally no shortcuts!

What literacy actually means:

• Asking better questions

• Seeing opportunities

• Knowing when AI is wrong

• Using it as a thinking partner

• Understanding its limitations

Most people are still just using it to check grammar and write emails.

If you're creating products with AI, vibe coding, using it strategically, exploring possibilities? You're so far ahead you can't even see the pack behind you.

And if you're not building this muscle now?

By the time you're forced to (and you will be), others will be in completely different shape.

6. One-Person Media Companies Become the Model

The old way: Build a product/service → Market it → Sell it

The new way: Build an audience → Build trust → Monetize in multiple ways

Why this shift matters: Distribution is more valuable than any single product. Your content becomes:

• A trust engine

• Free market data about what people need

• A signal of demand

• An essential business asset

Most of the people think of using AI in this context wrong. They think in terms of creating volumes of mediocre AI content (cause making it really good is a skill, see #5)

Instead, create one original piece of content, then AI helps you repurpose it across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, wherever.

Original valuable content + AI repurposing = expanded reach without overwhelm.

7. Google Dominates

November changed everything for Google - check out my previous newsletter where I went into more details.

Things were clicking together faster than OpenAI could release code red.

Why Google wins in 2026: They have the ecosystem. Docs, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Search and now they have model that can power all of it seamlessly.

OpenAI? No ecosystem. Claude? No ecosystem. Microsoft? Terrible AI execution despite having the ecosystem.

What I'm doing: Not dropping other tools, but I'm paying much closer attention to Google's AI releases and will be exploring which use cases I can move from ChatGPT, Claude or Perpelxity,

Mark my word, 2026 will be Google's year in AI.

8. Communities Become Essential Business Models

When AI blurs what's human and what's real, people crave verified, safe spaces for genuine connection.

Online communities. Memberships. Real-life gatherings.

Why this works: You can create belonging around anything. Any interest, passion, weird hobby. Your corner of the internet where like-minded people gather.

Platforms like Skool are exploding for good reason - they create the whole ecosystem: courses, community feed, events, belonging and make Internet a lovely place to be in in contrast to the algorithm steered social media experiences.

This is why I created the AI Solopreneur Club. When I left corporate, I didn't know a lot of people on similar solopreneur journeys in my network. I needed that space to share my skills and passion for AI and connect with others over it. Now we have 50+ members learning together AI together and supporting each other on our solopreneur journeys.

It's not just a business model. It's the business model I'm most excited about.

The red thread

Notice the pattern in all these predictions?

Don't automate your humanity out of your business.

Exercise critical thinking over blind tool adoption.

Prioritize presence and authenticity over perfection and polish.

Choose curiosity over conformity.

If you're planning your 2026 strategy, these predictions might shift your thinking on:

• What to automate (and what to fiercely keep human)

• Where to invest your energy (hint: content and community)

• Which skills to prioritize (discernment and AI literacy)

• How to position yourself (journey over expertise)

The tools will keep getting better. That's guaranteed.

And the real question is: How will you choose to use them?

Your Solopreneur Bestie,
Elena