- Activate CEO Michael J. Wolf's annual slide deck includes sections examining AI search and spatial computing.
- Regarding AI search, Wolf details a system of licensing deals and third parties, including the rise of GEO firms.
- Wolf also dives into how AI will empower the next generation of smart glasses and VR, a space where Apple and Meta invested.
Michael J. Wolf has spent years predicting where the tech and media industries are headed. In his latest annual slide deck, he examines two industries at the bleeding edge of tech: AI search and spatial computing.
The media veteran served as president and COO of MTV Networks in the 2000s and later served on the board at Yahoo. He's led Activate Consulting, an agency he founded that specializes in internet businesses, for the last 15 years.
In Wolf's 2026 Technology and Media Outlook Report, which he will present at WSJ's Tech Live conference on Wednesday, the CEO outlines the rise of AI-powered search and spatial technology, including smart glasses, and how the segments can mature. His predictions touch on major players in AI, such as OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as companies with substantial investments in spatial hardware, including Apple and Meta.
Scroll on for an early look at where Wolf's breakdowns of both industries — and where he sees each heading.
"Does the web really have a new front door?" Wolf asks in his section on AI search.
AI platforms saw a 1.5x boost in monthly users between 2024 and 2025, Activate found.
128 million people use generative AI monthly, according to the firm's research.
Explaining concepts was the leading use case Activate found for generative AI.
26% of adults use both AI and traditional search platforms, Activate found.
The firm predicts that 38 million more Americans will look to AI first for search queries by 2029.
Wolf writes that AI added a new step to people's search habits: "processing and planning."
Google visits jumped 17% since the launch of AI Overviews, per Activate.
Google referral traffic, though, has dropped an estimated 10 percentage points.
Third parties like Tollbit and ProRata.ai have sprung up between publishers and AI companies.
Wolf breaks down the difference between SEO and "GEO," the new kid on the block.
The GEO market is growing, with third parties like Geostar and Botify promising to help optimize performance in the AI era.
41% of non-AI users are worried about privacy, per an Activate study.
AI platforms seek to monetize by advertising, subscriptions, and ecommerce.
Wolf also takes a deep dive into spatial technology, the tech driving AR headsets and smart glasses.
Apple, Meta, and Google are among those investing in spatial computing, betting it could be the next big platform.
Spatial computing includes AR, VR, MR, and AI glasses.
Use cases for AI glasses include navigation and shopping.
Wolf predicts that spatial computing will be used across advertising, gaming, and vehicles.
Meanwhile, the number of spatial computing apps has grown.
Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset allows users to watch concerts and tour homes. Its main rival is Meta's Quest VR headsets.
Tech companies like Meta, Samsung, and Snap have taken different approaches to the tech.
New smart glasses debuts have skyrocketed in the last five years.
What will the next generation of AI glasses look like? Wolf has some ideas…
He predicts that a platform shift from smartphones to spatial devices will occur.
Meta is using spatial computing to establish platform independence from Apple and Google.
Technology super users are 4.3x more likely to use AI glasses each month, per Activate.
Wolf examines how spatial computing could one day supplant smartphones.
Wolf predicts that a ubiquitous spatial device will need to be see-through, ambient, and connected.
He believes spatial devices will have weather and topographical data.
Training AI on data from the "real world" was critical to overcoming the "cold start problem."
Spatial technology will be used in healthcare, industrial, and defense industries, per Wolf.
The CEO outlines the spatial computing tech stack.
Companies like Verizon and AT&T will benefit from better spatial tech, Wolf predicts.
