4 New Year’s Resolutions for the AI Industry in 2026

The time has come once again to set goals for the year ahead, and tech leaders likely have plenty they’ll want to accomplish after an action-packed 2025. In particular, artificial intelligence took a giant leap forward under President Trump’s pro-AI policies, with Google and OpenAI seizing the opportunity to propel themselves to the forefront of the AI race.

However, AI’s downsides have also stirred anxiety among many Americans, as rumblings of an anti-AI resistance begin to grow louder. Here are four key resolutions the tech sector should follow through on to address fears around AI and continue building on last year’s momentum to take tech innovation in the United States to the next level. 

1. Carefully Manage Natural Resources 

AI models rely on large volumes of real-time data to perform well, making data centers a necessity. To meet these energy demands, tech companies have poured billions into rapidly increasing America’s data center count. But these rushed efforts have failed to consider AI’s poor track record on energy consumption, leaving local communities with strained resources, high energy bills and deepening environmental concerns.  

As a result, politicians at both the state and federal levels have started to push back against this initiative. In 2025, more than half of U.S. states considered bills that focused on the impacts of data centers. A trio of Democratic Senators even sent letters to data center providers asking how their projects affect consumers’ electricity costs and the capacity of local energy grids. 

If tech leaders want to avoid government scrutiny and additional red tape, they’d do well to consider powering their data centers with energy sources like nuclear, hydrogen and solar, which can drive down costs for data center providers and consumers alike, all while reducing AI’s carbon footprint. Of course, cutting data center costs will only do so much for the AI sector in light of bigger spending issues.

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2. Practice Better Spending Habits  

AI companies went on a massive spending spree in 2025, with OpenAI at the center of many of the infrastructure deals driving the industry’s expansion. This pattern has led to accusations of circular financing, where a few companies simply exchange funds and resources in deals that inflate the sector’s value without broader business or consumer interest. If one company falters, the entire industry could collapse —  in short, an AI bubble could pop very soon.  

It also doesn’t help that OpenAI recently converted to a for-profit entity that’s still seeking to become profitable — and perhaps even to go public. If the AI startup fails to honor its various business deals, it could drag down all its partners along with it. That would be devastating for the U.S. economy, considering that investments in AI infrastructure made up more than 90 percent of the country’s GDP growth through the first half of 2025 alone. 

The problem goes beyond OpenAI, though, with the whole industry struggling to justify why investors should continue to funnel billions of dollars into a technology that doesn’t always serve a meaningful purpose and can even undermine productivity in the workplace, one of the key areas it was meant to improve. If tech leaders can’t bring the costs of AI down soon, then they need a good reason to keep up their spending habits. Thankfully, they may have found a way out of this dilemma: Build new devices that unlock the full potential of AI.

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3. Undergo a Physical Transformation 

While AI requires a steady flow of real-time data to function, current devices like laptops and smartphones aren’t the best at providing this resource. This is what’s known as the AI “body” problem, and it’s the reason why companies are pivoting to novel forms that would better facilitate real-time interactions between AI and its surroundings. 

OpenAI, for instance, is currently working on a mystery device that will feature a brand-new AI-first design, while also revamping its robotics initiatives. And companies like Google and Meta are doubling down on smart glasses, allowing wearers to interact with AI assistants hands-free. These investments in physical hardware could finally deliver the real-time data AI needs to evolve into what’s known as artificial general intelligence (AGI) — AI that mimics the way humans think and learn. Although it’s still theoretical, AGI promises to enhance already advanced use cases of AI, including autonomous robots, self-driving cars and coding assistants. 

An achievement of this magnitude would likely draw fresh rounds of funding from investors and quiet concerns over the possible limitations of today’s large language models. At the same time, U.S. tech companies need to ensure the political climate remains favorable toward their AI endeavors, and that may require adding more allies to Congress.

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4. Invest in a Broader Network      

Big Tech has enjoyed unwavering support from President Trump, who has promoted corporate-led AI education in U.S. schools, established business deals with major AI players, spearheaded a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative and signed an executive order seeking to limit state regulations on AI in favor of a single “minimally burdensome” federal framework. However, the sector will need more than just the president’s goodwill to maintain its political influence, especially with the 2026 midterms coming up.  

To bring more allies into power, Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI spearheaded the super PAC Leading the Future, and Meta launched two other super PACs. These political action committees permit unlimited fundraising from individuals, corporations and unions as long as contributions don’t go directly to any candidate’s campaign. As a result, tech companies have a way to support tech-friendly candidates and oppose pro-regulation candidates, potentially electing more local and federal politicians who will forgo stricter rules in favor of AI innovation.

There’s no guarantee this plan will succeed, though, given that regulation proponents have launched their own super PACs to counter the influence of U.S. Big Tech in the midterm elections. And even if pro-AI super PACs lead to more pro-AI candidates in state governments and Congress, tech companies will likely have to contend with widespread backlash against a technology that threatens to upend society as we know it.

More on Big Tech’s Political InfluenceMeta Is Spending Millions to Bend America’s AI Policy to Its Will

What Challenges Does the Tech Industry Face in 2026?

The tech industry must confront increased skepticism on both sides of the political aisle, with similar shares of Republicans and Democrats feeling more concerned than excited about AI’s proliferation in daily life, according to a 2025 Pew Research survey. This trend reflects fears over AI-driven job losses and privacy and safety risks, as well as growing resentment among workers toward the technology.

Politicians could respond by beefing up data privacy rules and AI workplace regulations, with Senator Bernie Sanders even calling for a moratorium on data centers in the U.S. to slow the breakneck pace of AI development. Trump’s executive order attempts to shield AI from many of these consequences, but it could very well be struck down in court and already faces the prospect of being stripped of federal funding. 

To build on the progress made in 2025, tech companies must then win over the general public and convince people that AI can improve their lives — not just those of the few who develop and deploy the technology. Sticking to the above resolutions can help the industry re-establish AI as a benevolent invention that politicians and consumers alike can get behind. Otherwise, America’s tech leaders may be in for a challenging 2026.

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