Episode 37: Predictions for 2026: AI Mode and the Year of Calm
Tim and Robbie dive into what’s next for marketers navigating an AI-driven landscape. From Google’s AI mode becoming the default search experience to Apple’s privacy moat, they discuss the massive shifts shaping how brands show up, communicate, and connect. They explore how AI will influence everything from inbox timing to search visibility — and why consumers might simultaneously crave more peace, calm, and human connection in a noisy digital world.
“We’re not just marketing to people anymore, we’re marketing to AI first. The AI decides what gets served to them.”
Objectives
In this episode, you will be able to:
Understand how AI mode and generative search will transform user behavior, advertising, and visibility in 2026.
Learn why marketers will need to start “marketing to AI before marketing to people.”
Explore how contextual inboxes and smarter email delivery could change how messages reach audiences.
Recognize why personalization and niche content will matter more than broad campaigns.
Reflect on the coming “year of calm” — how consumers are craving slower, simpler experiences and what that means for brands.
Transcript
Robbie Fitzwater: Tim, 2026 is around the corner. What’s in your crystal ball for the new year?
Tim Lowry: Apocalypse.
Robbie Fitzwater: You’re predicting 2026. Who are you, crazy? I would not want to be a Magic 8 Ball for 2026.
Tim Lowry: I’m predicting a large West Wing on a white ho— edit that out.
Robbie Fitzwater: Don’t cancel us, okay?
Robbie Fitzwater: This is Tim and Robbie with the Content Community Commerce podcast. We talk about the convergence of content, community, and commerce — and today, we’re getting super bold.
Tim Lowry: Yeah, we’re doing predictions.
Robbie Fitzwater: Predictions, lightning-round style.
Tim Lowry: No crystal ball.
Robbie Fitzwater: We’re just having some fun with this. We’re not crystal balls, ladies and gentlemen. Information shared today is not investment advice.
Tim Lowry: My name today will be Mystic Meg, and I’m going to share some insights for next year.
Robbie Fitzwater: I’m not going to do a Miss Cleo voice — that would be really bad. I’m showing restraint.
Anyway, we’re in one of the craziest times in the world right now. Predicting 2026 feels wild. I feel like I just got used to 2025. We’ve seen so much change this year already. So Tim, what’s on your radar for 2026?
Tim Lowry: Every new year, there are big predictions. But this time, I feel like there are really clear signs that we’re about to see a seismic shift in how people use things.
In search — where I spend most of my time — we’ve heard all the AI talk for years, but I think we’re right on the edge of AI becoming the default browsing experience.
With Google, AI mode is essentially being forced on users. If you do a search and engage with the AI Overview, you’re immediately pushed into that experience. I think it’ll soon become the default, with traditional search as a secondary tab. That’s going to completely reshape user behavior, advertising, everything — sometime next year.
Robbie Fitzwater: So, we’re talking like—
Tim Lowry: March 31st, 2026. Kidding.
Robbie Fitzwater: March 1st at 3:30 p.m.? I like those odds.
Tim Lowry: Exactly.
Robbie Fitzwater: Search usually changes slowly, but we’ve seen acceleration like never before. The shift toward AI in search might be one of the fastest behavioral changes ever — maybe second only to Pokémon Go going viral.
Tim Lowry: Yeah, it’s huge. Google’s been hinting at this for a while, but now they’re ripping off the Band-Aid. Over the last few weeks, my team’s seen a much more aggressive push toward AI mode. It’s becoming the default — and once that happens, user behavior, ad strategy, and engagement all change dramatically.
Robbie Fitzwater: So, AI mode becomes more consistent. (By the way, my Pokémon Go comment was a joke.) But seriously, this is a massive shift. Once users are pushed into AI mode and try it, Pandora’s box is open — you can’t go back.
I’ve even noticed myself getting lazier in searches — typing full sentences or paragraphs instead of keywords. I’ll ramble into generative AI like, “Hey, find me this thing near this corner,” and it works.
Tim Lowry: Right — and as marketers, that ripple effect matters. It changes visibility, how we advertise, where we advertise, and how we get our brand mentioned or trusted. There’s limited space now, so we have to rethink every marketing channel inside and outside of Google.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, and with tighter integration across Google’s ecosystem — from Search to Shopping to Gmail — they have a big advantage over OpenAI. That coherence across platforms is powerful.
Tim Lowry: Totally. OpenAI is adding search to ChatGPT, but Google already has billions of users and can inject AI into everything they own. Even in Chrome, the latest update has a Gemini icon. Once you give permission, you can ask it to read pages, summarize content, or browse within a site.
So the race is on: who can create the best AI agent — OpenAI with Atlas, or Google Chrome with its massive user base?
Robbie Fitzwater: So now college students will be able to cheat just by telling their AI agent to “do this for me.”
Tim Lowry: Exactly — “Do the thing. Make it happen. Talk to the person.”
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, but that’s a distinct change — so much will be automated. Trust will become a big factor in how well it’s received and used.
As marketers, that means we’re not just marketing to people anymore. We’re marketing to AI first. The AI decides what information gets served to people.
Tim Lowry: Sad but true. I’m marketing to an AI agent now.
Robbie Fitzwater: Hopefully I can feed it some extra nuts and bolts so it likes me.
Tim Lowry: Ha!
Robbie Fitzwater: But seriously — it’s a totally different dynamic for marketers.
Tim Lowry: And we’re going to be in a weird limbo. Your mom who uses Facebook might never touch this, but younger audiences will adopt it instantly. So marketers will have to split their focus — traditional methods for older audiences, AI-optimized methods for younger ones.
Robbie Fitzwater: True. And Tim, if my mom could just yell at an AI agent and have it obey, she’d be in heaven. That’s her happy place.
Tim Lowry: Do you need to lie down on the couch and talk about it?
Robbie Fitzwater: Ha! Probably.
Tim Lowry: How was your childhood?
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, thanks, Doc. Anyway — the adoption rate is wild. I showed a friend’s mom how to use ChatGPT once, and she picked it up in minutes. It’s so intuitive.
The easier and smoother that experience becomes, the faster adoption will spread. That’s why Google’s integration is so important — it’s built into everything.
I also think marketing context is going to accelerate faster than ever. Google’s already hinted at contextual inboxes — emails delivered at the best time, not necessarily when they’re sent. Similar to phone notification delays, Google might hold messages until it predicts the moment of highest relevance.
Tim Lowry: That’s wild — they could prioritize one email over another or decide when to show each.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. They’ve done similar things with Promotions and Updates tabs. It’s convenient for users but harder for marketers. Inbox competition will rise, and relevance will become everything.
Tim Lowry: Right — like a social algorithm change. Reaching people organically will be harder, and only highly personalized content will break through.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yep. Email will become more competitive, and AI-driven delivery will reward relevance. Those one-answer search queries are bleeding into every digital interaction. The level of context required will be higher than ever.
Tim Lowry: And Google’s already pulling email content into organic and shopping spaces. Tighter integration is inevitable.
Robbie Fitzwater: “Have your AI email my AI.”
Tim Lowry: Seriously — that’s coming. And at the same time, Apple’s going full throttle on privacy. That’s their moat.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yeah, they hate AI, but they’ll probably buy Disney too.
Tim Lowry: Is that your 2026 prediction?
Robbie Fitzwater: I’ve been saying it for years. If it doesn’t happen in 2026, it’ll happen in 2027. Mark it down.
Tim Lowry: Bold and juicy.
Robbie Fitzwater: Thank you.
Tim Lowry: But you’re right — contextual timing and personalization will be everything. Niche, hyper-specific content will outperform broad strokes.
Segmentation isn’t just for email anymore; it’s for content itself. LLMs will identify micro-audiences and match them with content that fits their niche needs.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. And that’ll tie into behavior — if Bob opens a lot of emails on cycling gear, Google will know that and prioritize results from brands he already trusts. That ecosystem overlap will make marketing more cohesive but also more competitive.
Tim Lowry: It’s going to be wild — a steep learning curve, but fun.
Robbie Fitzwater: Totally. And on a macro level, I think we’ll also see people craving simplicity.
Life feels chaotic right now — business, politics, everything. During the pandemic, people turned to slow, cozy lifestyles like “cottagecore.” I think we’ll see that again: a move toward calm, slower living, and outlets that help people escape the noise.
Brands that can be that outlet will win. People want community, calm, and focus.
Tim Lowry: I like that. After all the chaos, a little calm would be good.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. Maybe 2026 is the year of decaf coffee and bike rides outside.
Tim Lowry: Riding bikes while drinking decaf — so your heart doesn’t explode.
Robbie Fitzwater: Exactly. Caffeine’s out, calm’s in.
Tim Lowry: All right, those are our predictions. We’ll find out soon enough.
Robbie Fitzwater: Yep. When 2026 rolls around — or even 2027 — you can all tell us if we were wrong. Tim might be wrong, but with his Irish accent, he still sounds smart.
Tim Lowry: Have your AI agent tell us we were wrong.
Robbie Fitzwater: And then we’ll be right again.
Tim Lowry: Exactly.
Robbie Fitzwater: All right — that’s it for today. Tim and Robbie with the Content Community Commerce podcast. See you soon!
Tim Lowry: Did you like it? Leave us a review.
Robbie Fitzwater: Five stars. Or at least three and a half.
