Giants from Silicon Valley Like Amazon, Meta and OpenAI, they are racing to develop “operating systems” for AI-powered devices – and 2026 is likely the year these efforts will take off. The devices are largely built around a future where AI agents can take actions on a user's behalf, without having 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 tech companies.
Instead of wading through apps full of ads and upsells, AI devices promise that a user can ask for an outcome and get it. An AI assistant will – in theory – book your trip, order your lunch or replenish your paper towels. He must be able to find out which service has what you need and which can offer this quickly and cheaply.
Aside from the non-trivial problem that AI agents can be quite unreliable these days, AI-powered operating systems also threaten to separate businesses from their users. That could be a nightmare for app developers.
Companies like Uber and DoorDash have traditionally relied on keeping consumers in their apps, where they can serve ads, sell other services and build loyalty to keep users coming back.
AI agents can reduce many of these companies to their core services, and reduce the need for users to visit the apps in the first place. So even if a user pays the same price for a DoorDash delivery through AI glasses, the company could still miss opportunities to sell them additional services later.
Anjney Midha, an investor and board member at Sesame — the AI device startup co-founded by former Oculus leaders including Brendan Iribe — says that if companies don't have “deep control over the delivery of their product,” it will be very difficult for them to operate in a world where they have to reach users through an AI agent.
Historically, a key part of building a successful operating system was creating a thriving developer platform. Companies need to give developers a good reason to build apps for their platforms. But the relationship was not without tension. While Apple has traditionally given developers a way to reach many users, it also cuts up to 30 percent on all in-app purchases.
Some tech companies are reluctant to let AI agents from smaller startups stand between them and their users.
Rabbit, the startup behind the buzzy R1 device that debuted at CES 2024 (and received negative reviews), was already hitting this wall. CEO Jesse Lyu told WIRED that major app developers like Uber weren't exactly eager to work with the company early on, refusing to grant the startup API access that would have made the R1 hail directly. As a result, Rabbit has come up with workarounds to let its R1 devices use apps like Uber without formal access.
“You have to understand why they're not super happy: They're selling damn ads. That's where a lot of them make money,” he said, speaking of the larger tech industry. “They felt we were too small and it wasn't worth it for them to work with us.”
Perplexity also encountered this problem with early versions of its shopping agent. In November, Amazon sued Perplexity over an agent offering that could purchase items on behalf of users. Amazon, which invests in its own retail agents, demanded that Perplexity stop delisting its site, making it nearly impossible for the startup's agent to buy products on Amazon.
But other marketplaces and app developers seem willing to work with larger platforms. Companies like DoorDash, Instacart, and Expedia have signed on to build early forms of AI apps within ChatGPT, while Ticketmaster, Uber, and OpenTable debuted as early agentic features for Alexa+. The partnerships show that many tech companies are cautiously optimistic about the potential for new app experiences mediated by AI tools.
