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Silicon Valley giants Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI are racing to develop “operating systems” for AI-powered devices — and 2026 is likely to be the year those efforts start to take off. The devices are largely designed around a future where AI agents can take actions on a user’s behalf, without requiring them to visit an app or website.
In theory, this sounds like an idyllic relationship between humans and technology. But it could rewrite the business model for a host of consumer technology companies.
Instead of clicking on apps filled with ads and sales, AI devices promise that the user will be able to request and get the result. In theory, the AI assistant will book your flight, order lunch, or restock your paper towels. You should be able to know which service has what you need and which can provide it quickly and cheaply.
No matter what non-trivial problem AI agents can face today Somewhat unreliableAI-powered operating systems also threaten to separate companies from their users. This can be a nightmare for app developers.
Companies like Uber and DoorDash have historically relied on keeping consumers on their apps, where they can show ads, increase sales of other services, and build loyalty to keep users coming back.
AI agents would strip many of these companies of their core services, reducing the need for users to visit the apps at all. So, even if a user pays the same price for a DoorDash delivery made through a pair of AI glasses, the company could still miss opportunities to sell them additional services in the future.
Angni Medha, an investor and board member at Sesame — the AI hardware startup co-founded by former Oculus leaders including Brendan Iribe — says that if companies don’t have “deep control over the supply of their products,” it will be very difficult for them to operate in a world where they have to reach users through an AI agent.
Historically, creating a thriving developer platform has been an essential part of building a successful operating system. Companies need to give developers a good reason to create apps for their platforms. But the relationship was not without tension. Although Apple has historically given developers a way to reach a lot of users, it also takes up to 30 percent off all in-app purchases.
Some tech companies are reluctant to let AI agents from small startups stand between them and their users.
Rabbit, the startup behind the R1 that debuted at CES 2024 (and received a… Negative reviews), hit that wall already. CEO Jesse Liu told WIRED that major app developers like Uber weren’t exactly keen on collaborating with the company early on, and refused to grant access to the startup’s API that would have allowed R1 to ride directly. As a result, Rabbit has built workarounds to allow its R1 devices to tap into apps like Uber without official access.
“You have to understand why they’re not thrilled: They’re selling silly ads,” he said of the larger tech industry. “That’s where a lot of them make money.” “They decided we were too small, and it wasn’t worth it to work with us.”
Perplexity also had this problem with early versions of its shopping agent. in november, Amazon has filed a lawsuit against Perplexi Via the agent you showed who can purchase items on behalf of users. Amazon, which is investing in its own shopping agents, has demanded that Perplexity stop taking down its site, making it nearly impossible for the startup’s agent to buy products on Amazon.
But other markets and app developers appear willing to work with larger platforms. Companies like DoorDash, Instacart, and Expedia have signed on to build early forms of AI applications within ChatGPT, while Ticketmaster, Uber, and OpenTable have debuted as early agent features for Alexa+. The partnerships show that many technology companies are cautiously optimistic about the potential for piloting new applications mediated by AI tools.