2026 Predictions

Описание: Summary



The hosts kick off by diving into their 2026 predictions, rating each on both a likelihood scale (1–10) and a Taco Bell-inspired "spice-o-meter" ranging from mayo to Diablo.



Dillon's first prediction is that autonomous coding agents will enable single-prompt-to-deploy workflows, potentially eliminating the need for engineers on product teams. Scott pushes back, arguing that companies still need engineers who think through problems, and that the "enshittification" of lazy AI usage will backfire. The group rates it a "fire" take with moderate likelihood (5–7 out of 10). The discussion touches on MCPs, agent orchestration tools like Gastown (where AI agents manage other agents in a wild hierarchy of mayors, soldiers, and competing towns), and the rapid pace of AI tooling turnover.



Scott's first prediction is that using AI during engineering interviews will become the norm in 2026. He argues it's absurd that companies force engineers to use AI daily but ban it during interviews. Dillon confirms his company already allows it but notes their interview questions aren't designed for AI-assisted solving. Matt gives it a 9/10 likelihood but rates the spiciness as a lukewarm "verde" — it just feels inevitable.



Matt's first prediction is that companies will start scaling back their AI budgets, consolidating overlapping subscriptions (Claude, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT) rather than paying for everything. Dillon disagrees strongly, citing his company's continued heavy investment and the launch of an "AI Coalition of Massachusetts." Scott sees it as a double-edged sword — big tech will keep spending while smaller companies pull back.



Dillon's second prediction takes a personal turn: one of the three hosts will get a new job, and one will get laid off in 2026 (possibly the same person). Scott reveals he had the same prediction written down. Matt rates it 8/10 likely and gives it a "Diablo" spice rating, while Scott gives it only a 3/10 despite calling it a fire take.



Scott's second prediction goes big: the AI bubble will burst entirely in 2026. Matt thinks it's only 2/10 likely, suggesting the government would intervene before a full collapse given how foundational AI has become to the economy. Dillon gives it a Diablo spice rating but agrees it's unlikely.



Matt's second prediction is that a majority of social media content (over 50%) will be AI-generated or AI-enhanced. Scott and Dillon essentially agree it's already happening. This sparks a tangential discussion about the rise of niche, authentic social platforms like Retro (a weekly photo-sharing app) and Strava, as the hosts lament the state of mainstream social media.



In the speed round, Scott predicts Python will become the top-paid programming language due to machine learning demand (Matt counters that TypeScript might actually replace Python for ML work). Scott also predicts at least one episode this year won't mention AI, and Matt predicts they'll stop referencing their former employer so frequently.

Standup:



During standup, Scott shares that he canceled his Claude Max subscription because he couldn't justify the cost for personal use, though he still uses it heavily at work. He describes a hybrid approach to AI-assisted coding — using Claude for boring tasks like test generation while personally learning the codebase. Dillon has been exploring Claude skills and MCP servers at work, including Context7 for documentation and the Figma integration, though he got called out for pushing AI-generated code without reviewing it. Matt admits his side project is now "a big pile of slop" after thousands of lines of unreviewed AI-generated code, and is reconsidering how to apply better rigor to AI-assisted development. He's also been honeymoon planning, though some destinations may be on the no-travel list.