[Reading Science] 2026: Disappearing Technologies and Emerging Technologies

The Year the Technological Landscape Is Reshaped
Reading the Direction of Change

On the surface, the technological ecosystem of 2026 may seem to be progressing without major events, but beneath this calm exterior, an entirely new order is rapidly taking hold. Over the past few years, the changes triggered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) have deeply permeated industries, research sites, urban management, and security sectors. As a result, the lifecycle of technology has become dramatically shorter. The era of waiting for technology to mature has ended, and technologies that fail to adapt are quietly pushed aside.

This shift is not due to the sudden emergence or disappearance of specific technologies. Rather, it is because the very ‘environment’ in which technology operates has changed, as power infrastructure, computing resources, data structures, regulatory frameworks, and global supply chains are all being reorganized simultaneously. When the foundation changes, even the same technology can meet a different fate. The transformation proceeds quietly, but after a certain point, it becomes difficult to reverse. This is why there is a growing consensus that, as of 2026, the axis of technology is shifting.

The technological ecosystem of 2026 is rapidly establishing an entirely new order unlike before. The changes triggered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) have deeply permeated industries, research fields, urban management, and security sectors. As a result, the era of waiting for technology to mature is over, and technologies that fail to adapt are quietly pushed aside. An airplane is taking off at sunrise. The Asia Business Daily DB

Emerging Technologies: AI, Data Centers, Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Communications, Climate Tech-Technologies That Are Transforming the Foundations

The technologies rising to prominence in 2026 are concentrated in areas that not only focus on ‘the technology itself’ but also fundamentally change ‘the foundation on which technology operates,’ such as computing resources, power infrastructure, data centers, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications, climate response technologies, and digital twin-based urban management systems, all centered around artificial intelligence. These technologies do not grow in isolation; instead, they converge and move to the core of industrial and national systems.

The starting point of this trend is AI. However, AI in 2026 is no longer just a ‘tool that communicates well.’ AI is evolving to make decisions through computation and translate those decisions into real-world actions. In laboratories and corporate settings, AI is leading experiment design, candidate exploration, and data interpretation, thereby redefining the role of human researchers.

This transformation has become most visible in the field of science and technology research. In drug development, battery, catalyst, and new material research, AI is now exploring candidate substances and designing experiments, while automated experimental systems verify these results, and AI calculates the next steps, establishing a new workflow.

The focus of research has shifted from individual experiments to how quickly and frequently calculations can be repeated, compressing research timelines from years to months, or even weeks in some cases.

This computation-centric structure is also reshaping the landscape of the semiconductor industry. While the graphics processing unit (GPU)-centered structure remains important, by 2026, neural processing units (NPUs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that efficiently handle specific computations, as well as the data centers and power supply capabilities that support them, have emerged as the core of competition. The ability to secure computing resources reliably has become a key variable for technological competitiveness.

From Computation to Action: The Moment Technology Becomes a ‘System’

Seong Nakho, Head of Hyperscale AI Technology at Naver Cloud, explains this transformation by saying, “AI is the Brain, but the Brain is worthless without the Body.” In this context, the Body refers to the organization’s IT infrastructure itself, such as email, approval, and work management systems in office environments. This means AI is moving beyond simply summarizing information to sending emails, sharing documents, and completing actual work processes.

As AI becomes more advanced, the way instructions are given is also changing. Instead of specifying every detail as in the past, now, by providing the goal and context, AI can independently devise plans. In this process, securing computing resources is becoming more than just a matter of performance; it is now a condition that determines how organizations and industries operate.

This trend is also evident in the communications and space sectors. Low-Earth orbit satellite communications are entering the stage of actual service, and beyond simply expanding networks, they are directly connecting to disaster response, weather observation, and the aviation and marine industries. The ability to integrate satellites, ground infrastructure, and data processing into a single system determines competitiveness.

Climate technology is also shifting toward industrial applications. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology is evolving from a tool for regulatory compliance to one that creates industrial value, and the approach of treating carbon as a resource rather than a cost is spreading. In this process, computing power, data analysis, and process automation are becoming essential conditions for technological expansion.

Changes in urban and power infrastructure encapsulate these trends. AI is permeating all aspects of urban management, including transportation, energy management, and disaster response, while power grids and data centers are being redefined as core infrastructure. Professor Choi Woonho of Sogang University points out that the meaning of the metaverse and digital twins is also changing within this context. He explains that the metaverse is evolving from a simple virtual space into a tool that, when combined with digital twins, actually operates urban management and industrial sites.

Disappearing Technologies: Cookie-Based Advertising, Traditional Forecasting, Internal Combustion Engines-Technologies Losing Their Central Role

The technologies that are disappearing in 2026 are not ‘useless technologies.’ Instead, they are technologies that can no longer play a central role in an environment reorganized around AI and computing infrastructure-such as cookie-based advertising, traditional numerical forecasting, simple mechanical recycling, and industries centered on internal combustion engines. This change is closer to a retreat from the center of industry and policy rather than outright extinction.

The cookie-based advertising ecosystem is losing its sustainability due to stricter privacy regulations, technical inefficiencies, and the rise of AI-based contextual advertising. Rather than the complete disappearance of advertising technology, this trend represents a shift away from the center of growth.

Traditional numerical weather forecasting models are also at a turning point. AI weather models are increasingly outperforming existing methods in terms of prediction speed and accuracy, and the leadership in forecasting is gradually shifting to AI. However, in areas where public interest and accountability are significant, the reallocation of roles often precedes the replacement of technology.

In the field of plastic recycling, conventional mechanical recycling methods are revealing their limitations in the face of composite materials and nanoplastics. The maintenance and parts industry, which has been centered on internal combustion engine vehicles, is also entering a slow but irreversible phase of contraction.

An Era of Change Triggered by AI. The Pros and Cons of Technology Are Divided. What Do Naver and Parangbul, Leading the AI Era in Korea, Signify? A New Year of Fierce Technological Competition Is Dawning. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

It’s Not That Technology Is Lagging-The Environment Has Changed

Seong emphasizes, “While hallucinations in text domains can be significantly reduced, as we move toward omnimodal AI that handles images and audio alongside text, new types of errors emerge,” highlighting the growing importance of responsibility structures. He adds, “While it is technically possible to reduce errors, AI cannot bear ultimate responsibility.” This means that even when technology is sufficiently advanced, there are areas where it is difficult to play a central role in the new environment.

The approach to battery research is also evolving in the same context. Repetitive, slow, single-process-centered research is being overtaken by AI and robot-based automated research ecosystems. It is not due to a lack of technology, but because the research environment and competitive structure have changed.

The technological shifts of 2026 are not a rupture, but a continuation. However, what matters is that the axis is shifting along this continuum. It is not about which technology is newer, but which technology has adapted to the new infrastructure and order-that is what determines its fate. Emerging technologies move into this new order, while disappearing technologies quietly recede. Even at this very moment, the technological landscape is changing quietly, but unmistakably.