4 Andreessen Horowitz partners share their 2026 AI predictions

In a recent discussion on the future of artificial intelligence, four partners from Andreessen Horowitz shared their insights on what the year 2026 could hold for the industry. Their conversation, featured on the venture capital firm’s podcast, highlighted the competition among leading consumer language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Cursor, Perplexity, and Grok. Investment partner Justine Moore emphasized that Gemini 3's integration of video and image capabilities could give it a competitive edge over ChatGPT. She pointed out that there is a consistent demand for advanced image and video functionalities, which often fuel viral trends. If Gemini can maintain its momentum, it may overcome the challenge presented by ChatGPT's established name recognition. Moore also discussed the significance of multimodality in AI, referring to the ability of models to simultaneously process text, images, and audio. She posed intriguing questions about the future possibilities of these technologies, such as what might occur when a video input can generate related images or when video editing can be accomplished through text prompts. This evolution could significantly impact creative fields that often blend text and imagery. Olivia Moore, another partner, pointed out that the success of ChatGPT’s internal app store could define its trajectory in the upcoming year. With partners like Spotify and Zillow at its launch, the software development kit available for developers may be critical for both consumer and enterprise applications. Bryan Kim advised startups to avoid traditional text-in, text-out models, as they face stiff competition from established systems. He noted the importance of innovative approaches to attract users. Olivia Moore further remarked on the potential trend towards a 'winner takes all' scenario in the LLM assistant market. ChatGPT currently boasts a lead with approximately 800 to 900 million weekly active users, while Gemini has achieved around 35% of that number on the web and 40% on mobile devices. Other models lag behind with only 8 to 10% of the user base. Moreover, ChatGPT Enterprise is witnessing significant growth, with weekly messages increasing eightfold in 2025, suggesting that corporate reliance on ChatGPT could translate into broader consumer usage. However, Moore cautioned that the landscape is rapidly changing, with Gemini gaining desktop users at an accelerated pace compared to ChatGPT. Meanwhile, other models, like Claude, are carving out niches by catering to specialized audiences, signaling a dynamic and evolving market ahead.