According to the IEEE’s 2026 Technology Predictions, released on January 29, AI agents are set to become standard in business environments . These are not simple chatbots but sophisticated programs capable of understanding context, setting goals, and executing complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention. This shift was echoed by consulting firm CapTech, which noted in its trends report that AI is breaking the hype cycle and becoming a “core business capability” . This has given rise to what CapTech calls the “prototype economy,” where AI allows teams to move from idea to prototype to product at unprecedented speeds. This was validated by the rapid growth of startups like Higgsfield, a personalized AI video platform that reached a $1.3 billion valuation just months after launch by automating video production for marketers.

The corollary to this trend is the urgent need for infrastructure. Meta Platforms launched Meta Compute in January, a formal initiative to build “tens of gigawatts” of AI infrastructure over the next decade, self-funding its buildout to maintain a competitive edge . This stands in contrast to OpenAI’s strategy of raising vast sums of external capital for the same purpose.