The First Tech Moves of 2026:

Agents Buy Things, Siri Picks a Side, and AI Goes Regulated by Default.

Two weeks into 2026, the signal is already loud: the “AI era” is no longer about models being impressive. It’s about where AI is embedded, who controls distribution, and which systems are allowed to operate inside regulated environments.

This edition focuses on confirmed, recent developments that matter to builders, operators, marketers, and leadership teams who need to understand what’s changing and why it will affect product strategy, growth, and automation in 2026.

1) Siri’s next brain: Apple and Google strike a Gemini deal

Apple and Google announced a multi-year partnership to integrate Google’s Gemini models into a revamped Siri, expected later in 2026. That’s not just a product update, it’s a strategic statement about who gets to be the default intelligence layer across Apple’s device ecosystem. For businesses, it reinforces a larger trend: AI distribution will be won through default placements, not just technical superiority.

Google's CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple's CEO Tim Cook

Why it matters: if assistant ecosystems become the front door for search, shopping, and support, brands will increasingly compete for visibility inside AI responses, not just on web pages.

2) The “agentic commerce” wave gets real fast

This week’s clearest pattern: companies are pushing AI from “recommendations” into transactions.

Google is rolling out what it describes as agentic commerce in Search and Gemini, aiming to let users complete purchases without bouncing across retailer sites. In parallel, Microsoft and PayPal launched Copilot Checkout, enabling purchasing inside the Copilot experience. This is the beginning of a serious shift in eCommerce UX: fewer tabs, fewer steps, more automation.

Why it matters: for marketing and growth, attribution and funnel design will change. For product teams, it’s a reminder that the interface is becoming the agent, and the agent will increasingly own the journey.

3) WhatsApp becomes a battleground for AI assistants

Meta’s move to restrict rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp triggered regulatory reactions. Italy’s antitrust authority pushed back, and Meta adjusted its approach for Italy. Meanwhile, Brazil ordered Meta to suspend the policy that bans third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp. This story is bigger than messaging: it’s about platform control over AI distribution.

Why it matters: if messaging platforms become the primary interface for AI assistants (support, sales, personal automation), then control over who can “run” inside them becomes a market power issue.

4) OpenAI goes deeper into healthcare workflows

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience designed for health and wellness use cases. Days later, OpenAI also acquired Torch, a health tech startup focused on streamlining medical information workflows. Together, these moves underline a consistent play: AI companies are monetizing by embedding into high-frequency, high-stakes workflows, not just general chat.

Why it matters: healthcare is a template for what will happen in other regulated industries (finance, insurance, legal): dedicated experiences, privacy constraints, and workflow-native products.

5) AI infrastructure news isn’t just “new chips”, it’s how chips move through geopolitics

Nvidia publicly clarified it does not require upfront payment for H200 chips, in response to reports tied to sales conditions involving Chinese customers and regulatory uncertainty. The key takeaway is not the payment term itself. It’s that AI compute supply chains are tightly coupled to policy and export risk, and those constraints shape availability, pricing, and enterprise planning.

Why it matters: as AI workloads expand, companies will have to treat compute like strategy: budgeting, capacity planning, and risk management, not just “cloud spend.”

6) Microsoft buys Osmos to push autonomous data engineering in Fabric

Microsoft announced the acquisition of Osmos to accelerate “autonomous data engineering” in Microsoft Fabric. This is a very 2026 move: less emphasis on AI as a layer you “add”, more emphasis on AI as something that automates the plumbing of data operations.

Why it matters: the winners will be companies that turn messy data operations into clean, automated

pipelines. AI adoption fails most often at the data layer, not the model layer.

7) Quantum makes an early-2026 power move

D-Wave announced an agreement to acquire Quantum Circuits in a deal valued around $550M, expanding beyond annealing into gate-model quantum systems. Quantum is still early for most businesses, but moves like this show the industry is positioning for commercially viable quantum roadmaps within this decade.

Why it matters: even if quantum isn’t on your 2026 roadmap, the investment trend signals continued acceleration in compute innovation, and that affects the long-term economics of AI and security.

8) Developer tools are shifting from “chat-based coding” to structured, persistent context

Google introduced Conductor, a preview extension for Gemini CLI designed to keep project context and reduce the “stateless chat” problem in coding workflows. This is a subtle but important evolution: AI coding tools are moving toward structured context, repeatable workflows, and less prompt chaos.

Why it matters: AI dev productivity is becoming an engineering discipline, not a novelty. Expect “spec-first” and “context-managed” workflows to become standard across serious teams.

What these two weeks say about 2026

The first half of January isn’t about fireworks. It’s about direction. And the direction is clear:

• AI is embedding into default interfaces (assistants, messaging, commerce)

• Agents are moving from “help me” to “do it for me”

• Regulation is shaping platform behavior in real time

• The data layer is becoming the primary automation target

• Compute strategy is inseparable from geopolitics

  
  

This is exactly the kind of year where “using AI” won’t be enough. The advantage will come from systems design: integrating agents, data, and automation into workflows that actually run.

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References (all sources)

1. Reuters — Apple and Google AI deal to integrate Gemini into Siri

2. The Register — Google rolls out agentic commerce in Search and Gemini

3. Windows Central — Microsoft + PayPal launch Copilot Checkout

4. Reuters — Meta to exclude Italy from rival chatbot ban on WhatsApp

5. TechCrunch — Brazil orders Meta to suspend policy banning third-party AI chatbots from WhatsApp

6. OpenAI — Introducing ChatGPT Health

7. Axios — OpenAI acquires health tech company Torch

8. Reuters — Nvidia clarifies H200 payment terms / no upfront payment requirement

9. Microsoft Blog — Microsoft acquires Osmos for autonomous data engineering in Fabric

10. Business Wire — D-Wave agreement to acquire Quantum Circuits

11. InfoQ — Google introduces Conductor for Gemini CLI