December 30, 2025 — 11.22am December 30, 2025 — 11.22am Save Bloomberg So, I maintain that I was on the money with my prediction that Elon’s controversies, distractions and workload were unsustainable. But he didn’t quit Tesla. What about my other predictions? Virtual reality having another year of unfulfilled promise, seems largely accurate. By Apple’s usual standards, sales of its $5999 Vision Pro VR headsets have clearly fallen short of expectations, with the company reportedly selling hundreds of thousands fewer than it had anticipated. Tick. I predicted crypto would soar and bitcoin would surpass $US200,000 - wrong there - and my prediction of an ‘AI winter’ beginning was also off, with AI stocks like Nvidia and others staying hot. Flying cars have also not taken off. They remain decidedly grounded. Some of my other stray predictions seem spot on. It’s early days, but Australia’s teen social media ban has indeed been largely successful so far, with other countries taking notice, and Trump’s tariffs have hit electronics prices. There was no major AI deepfake reported in Australia’s federal election, however. Here are seven predictions for 2026. I’ll probably get half of them wrong. But the fun is in the guessing. Australia gets its first major homegrown AI scandal Loading The ingredients are all there. Government agencies are rushing to deploy AI for “efficiency.” Corporations are automating decisions about loans, insurance, hiring, and welfare. And Australia’s track record on algorithmic accountability - Robodebt, anyone? - suggests the guardrails aren’t up to the task. The scandal could take several forms: a Services Australia AI that wrongly denies benefits to thousands of vulnerable people; a major employer’s hiring algorithm found to systematically discriminate; a health insurer using AI to deny claims based on race or income ... AI will inevitably stuff up somewhere, the only question is which sector gets caught first. Meta’s ‘smart glasses’ are a hit, haters be damned Remember how everyone mocked Google Glass? Meta’s smart glasses are proving that the tech industry’s first instinct - wear a computer on your face - wasn’t wrong, just premature. The difference is in form factor and social acceptability. These actually look like normal sunglasses. You don’t look like a tech bro uberdork wearing them to the pub. And with AI features built in, they’re genuinely useful: real-time translation, object identification (ask them: ‘What am I looking at?’), hands-free messaging, and navigation that doesn’t require you to stare at your phone while walking into traffic. Meta Platforms is seeking to turn its burgeoning smart glasses into a must-have product. Credit: