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AI can do incredible things. So far, though, most of those things have been virtual. If you want a killer article for your bichon frise blog or an expertly crafted letter disputing a parking ticket you probably deserve, chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini can deliver that. All those things are locked into the nebulous world of information, though. Theyre helpful, but the products of todays large language models (LLMs) and neural networks arent actually doing much of anything. AIs silicon-bound status, however, is beginning to change. The tech is increasingly invading the real world. 2026 is the year that AI gets physical. And that shift has huge implications for the future of the technologyand for the impact when it fails. Call Me a Robot The change started with cars. The idea of a self-driving car goes back to the 1950s. But the technology always felt like it was decades away. Now its here. Robotaxi companies like Waymo and Zoox give more than 450,000 rides per week to paying customers. I ride in Waymo vehicles all the time, and I love calling a robot from an app and having it drive me across town. Self-driving cars finally arrived because of a whole slew of things, including cheap lidar scanners and better batteries. But the rise of deep learning and AI played the most pivotal role. The AI models that power Waymo vehicles are much better at driving than humans. And they can learn and improve on the flyhere in San Francisco where I live, Waymos have gotten more assertive as theyve learned the roads better. Self-driving AI is getting so good that its increasingly able to navigate roads without the need for the fancy (and expensive) sensors you see atop first-generation Waymos. Tesla uses simple cameras, and is getting closer to true self-driving. Fold My Laundry, Siri Self-driving cars are an incredible application of physical AI. But theyre hardly the only one. Driving is a great initial test case for the tech, because it has fairly clear rules and limits. Cars need to stay on the road, recognize red lights, and minimize cat fatalities. Other physical tasks are harder to automate with AI. But they have potentially even bigger upsides. Companies are increasingly pairing artificial intelligence with humanoid robots, teaching the robots artificial brains about the physical world so they can navigate it capably. The ultimate dream is to put these robots to work. They could perform a wide variety of jobs in factories or warehouses, for example. Generally speaking, current industrial robots need to be specifically built for a single task, but an AI powered one could learn multiple onesassembling a product and then placing it on a shelf, for example. But AI-powered robots could also fill gaping holes in the human labor market. Caretaking for the elderly is incredibly important as the world gets older on average. Yet finding enough people for caretaking roles is nearly impossible. Especially in countries like Japan, robots are beginning to fill the gaps. Dexterous, AI-powered robots may soon work well enough for tasks like doing dishes, folding laundry, or even cooking to be automated. These robot companions could help elderly people live on their own more independently. With advanced LLMs, they could even form relationships with their real-world charges, helping with loneliness or reminding a person with memory challenges to take their meds on schedule. The Parable of the Raunchy Bear Of course, all of this comes with risks. When an LLM hallucinates in a virtual space, its annoying but rarely damaging. If your ChatGPT-generated recipe for meatballs sucks, you probably wont die. And if the chatbot writing your blog post confuses a bichon for a poodle, your dog will be very angry with you, but otherwise the consequences are minor. Physical AI is different. Clearly, if Waymos technology goes awry, it could accidentally steer a 5,000-pound object into a building or a bystander. And youve read enough science fiction that I dont need to remind you about robot uprisings. Many of these risks are well understood, though, and thus well controlled. Power outages aside, Waymos rarely run into serious challenges on the road, and industrial robots rarely injure people. The bigger risks start to creep in when AI is applied haphazardly to the physical world without a lot of oversight or planning. As physical AI expands and LLMs get cheaper, this will happen more often. Take the case of an AI teddy bear with a built-in LLM. It was supposed to chat with kids, and perhaps read them bedtime stories. Instead, it started instructing them on BDSM and other raunchy topics, as well as how to pop pills and where to find knives. The bear was quickly pulled from the market. But the lesson is clear: Unlike traditional computer code, LLMs are nondeterministicyou cant predict their outputs from the inputs you feed them. In 2026 and beyond, this will mean cars that avoid accidents better than human drivers, robots that can easily learn work theyve never done before, and AI embedded in physical systems (like power and utility grids) that can instantly respond to damage or outages. But it will also mean lots of failuresand perhaps a few catastrophic ones. LLMs unpredictability is their power. But as AI gets physical, that unpredictability will also lead to a faster, less tractable, more chaotic world.
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E-Commerce
Roughly one out of three Americans has a side hustleand that number is expected to increase in 2026, something thats driving a shift in the modern working world. Many of those with a side business are just looking for a little extra income, but roughly one in five are hoping to make their side hustle into a full-time business. Those who are entrepreneurially minded will want to chose a side business that has the potential to scale. Here are some fields that are showing a lot of promise for 2026. Consulting and online courses No matter what field youve worked in, your wisdom could be lucrative via a consulting business. Firm up your résumé, highlighting achievements such as successful campaigns or large-scale product launches, to help as you pitch potential clients. Have some former co-workers you worked well with? Consider recruiting them and launching an agency. Companies want seasoned counsel without the overhead, and senior talent wants more control over how they work, Brooke Kruger, founder and CEO of top communications search firm KC Partners, told Inc. in December. You can also turn your expertise into online educational content. The e-learning market reached $314 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $615 billion by 2029. Skilled-trade business AI is threatening millions of white-collar jobs in the coming yearsand some of those displaced people wont be able to quickly find work. But AI cant fix a sink. Nor can it build a deck or install an air-conditioning unit. Rates for this specialized work run as high as $300 per hour.Skilled-trade businesses are a hot field right now for entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA). ETA involves buying an established business (usually from baby boomers looking to retire), which gives the new owners existing revenue, customers, and infrastructure. New owners then streamline, scale, and modernize the business, boosting profits. Dropshipping E-commerce had one of the largest revenue growth rates of any industry in recent years, according to a study by McKinsey, jumping from $15 billion in 2005 to more than $1 trillion in 2023. Dropshipping is a side business that can act as an on-ramp into that field. You set up an online store, and find a third-party supplier to manufacture and ship the product to the customer, freeing you from having to worry about things like storage, fulfillment, or up-front production costs. Your focus will be on creative and marketing. In the past year, tariffs and the end of the de minimis exemption have made business more challenging for drop shippers who work with manufacturers and warehouses overseas, but there are many U.S.-based drop shippers. Mobile car washing The service industry has shown resilience amid the economic volatility of the past yearand a growing number of people are looking to have the car wash come to them. A forecast by Future Market Insights predicts the global market for mobile car wash service businesses will grow to just under $283 billion by 2035. Thats more than double the $126 billion the businesses are expected to bring in this year. Its a low-barrier, high-demand opportunity with flexible hours and low overhead. The density of competition in your local market will help you decide the appropriate rate to charge customers, but national averages range from $40 for a basic wash to more than $350 for a full detail. Localize businesses The past several years have illustrated the fragility of global supply chains. Tariffs have disrupted some shipments and made many products much more expensive. That could be an opportunity for the right entrepreneur. If youre dialed into local suppliers in your area, consider starting a side business as a facilitator. Its a matchmaker-like role. You help connect suppliers with retailers and other businesses, localizing their inventory and lowering the risk they face from shipping or manufacturing hiccups, collecting a commission on each deal. Youll need strong communication, listening, and networking skills. Youll also have to have or quickly learn marketing skills to promote the benefits of your services. Chris Morris This article originally appeared on Fast Companys sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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E-Commerce
When New York-based Autumn Myers, 31, was interviewing for her current digital marketing job, she pushed back the interview date so it didnt fall during Mercury retrograde. Those jobs have always ended up in more grief for me, she tells Fast Company. Myers also looks up her colleagues zodiac signs to guide her interactions with them. For example: People born under fire signs often thrive in leadership roles, but they can struggle with impulsiveness. Earth signs tend to be more dependable, but they can be risk-averse. Its very Scorpio of me to be that calculated, she admits. But its needed sometimes. Myers isnt alone. According to a 2024 Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, some 70% say they either somewhat or strongly believe in astrology, with 69% of millennials turning to it for comfort and confidence during challenging moments. Its also a massive global business. According to industry reports, the astrology industry will top $22 billion by 2031. Whether its Diors zodiac-themed line, astrology influencers posting videos to huge audiences on TikTok, or audio streamers like Spotify curating playlists based on your zodiac sign, the millennia-old belief system has continued to become more and more mainstream over the past few years, especially among millennials and Gen Zers. The Co-Star app, which uses AI to combine NASA data with the predictions of professional astrologers, has over 30 million global users. There are work-focused astrology tools, too, like Bizmos, a project management tool with the ability to forecast the optimal month, week, or day for completing certain tasks and achieving goals. And more than 6 million videos can be found under TikToks astrology hashtag. It’s kind of hard to ignore astrology when everyone’s talking about it, Myers says. In times of economic uncertainty, political turmoil, and a tumultuous job marketlayoffs hit record highs last yearits no surprise that people are seeking comfort and advice from farther afield. And since were talking about things that involve light-years . . . perhaps the farthest afield. Personalized goal-setting According to a 2025 survey of 2,000 Gen Zers by writing platform EduBirdie, 27% of Gen Z men and 16% of Gen Z women say they let the universe choose their career path. But folks have been consulting the heavens long before todays zoomers at work. The practice of astrology originated in ancient Mesopotamia in the second millennium B.C. A widely accepted subject taught at universities during the Middle Ages, astrology was closely intertwined with sciences like astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. That all stopped around the 1700s during the Scientific Revolution, and despite a resurgence during the New Age movement in the 1970s, many dismiss astrology as magical thinking or frivolous woo-woo. At its core, astrology holds that celestial events in the cosmos reflect what happens on Earth. Some believe that the actual transits of planets and positioning of stars directly influence our lives; others simply use astrology as an invitation to spot archetypal patterns in their lives, and then apply those lessons in productive ways. For example, in need of inspiration? See where Aquarius shows up in your birth chartthe sign most associated with innovation. Thats the area of life where you can naturally think outside the box, astrology holds. Brand strategist Giselle La Pompe-Moore, 36, checks what astrological season we’re in every month to guide her work and how she interacts with customers. During Sagittarius season (November 22 to December 21), shell focus on broader strategies and larger frameworks to do with her business, since Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet tied to expansion and progress. Or shell consult her birth chart for hints about her personality and life themes. At the time of her birth, multiple planets were in Capricorns region of the sky; since Capricorns archetype is about structure and discipline, she takes this as a guide on the optimal way she should approach her long-term goals. I think business advice often sticks to the business as this entity. It kind of forgets that the business is run by a person, La Pompe-Moore says. Astrology really speaks to that. A way to work that feels “more natural” Many proponents will say that astrology is most useful as a spiritual framework, not a crystal ball that predicts the future. They say that astrology helps us to navigate emotional challenges and relationships, and to find greater balance in our lives. Jessica Maniatis, 44, consults the stars in her work as a coach to founders of small to scaling businesses. She creates reports that include clients birth charts, and also brings in other self-discovery tools, like the Enneagram, which attempts to outline peoples core fears and defense mechanisms. The first half of the report is a breakdown of their charts, and the second halfand this is a 100-plus-page reportis really how they all overlay, Maniatis explains. From there, she offers clients insights into the best ways to approach issues, from decision-making to self-regulation. What I’ve seen with my clients is that none of this information is necessarily newthey’re seeing themselves reflected back to them, she says. It almost gives them permission to approach life and work in a way that feels much more natural to them. For the corporate lawyer who posts anonymously on TikTok under the handle @astrologybro, astrology didnt tell him to go into law. But it can help you understand your individuality and your strengths and weaknesses, he says, which can give you a richer domain of reflection. He explains that astrologys use lies in prompting oneself to ask certain questionsin his case: What would I like to do, and how does being a lawyer contribute or not contribute to that? Rachel Ruth Tate, a full-time consulting astrologer, also finds astrology a neutral, shorthand language for patterns or behavior that may otherwise be trickier to identify and articulate on your own. For example, if youre a hotheaded, blunt communicator, an astrologer might invite you to see where Mars (the planet of drive and anger) shows up in your chart. From there, you can spend time introspecting how that fiery energy shows up in your behavior and lifein good ways and bad. Those who get it, get it: Me saying that you have a moon in Capricorn is easier than me telling you you’ll often work yourself into a corner because you’re a workaholic, Tate tells Fast Company. Utilizing a “flexible language” for decisions For nonbelievers, astrology is written off as a pseudoscience or sometimes an outright moneymaking scam. But instead of debating whether or not its real, its perhaps more useful to consider what its widespread appeal says about modern life, says Shiri Noy, associate professor of sociology at Denison University in Ohio. Noy was a coauthor on a study about astrologys contemporary uses, which was published last year in Social Currents, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Sociological Society. Astrologys popularity reflects a broader moment of social, economic, and political uncertainty, Noy tells Fast Company. Nowadays, traditional sources of authorityreligion, institutions, expertisefeel less stable or less trusted, she says. Research has shown that people are more likely to be drawn to divinatory practices in times of uncertaintysomething theres no short order of in 2026. For many users, astrology isnt about believing the stars control their fate, Noy says. Instead, it operates as a flexible language for thinking about identity, relationships, timing, and choicessimilar to personality tests or therapeutic frameworks. Astrological charts are typically open to interpretation, and are highly individualized. As any astrologer will tell you, no two Geminis or Leos are the same. People are obsessed with being one sign or another, because it’s easy to attach an identity to that, says Scarlett Woodford, 37, founder of a PR agency for brands who wish to be guided by divine or cosmic timing. For example, Leos are often stereotyped as relishing in the spotlightbut depending on what else is in your chart, you might not instantly relate to being the center of attention and find that your Leo energy shows up in less obvious ways. It’s definitely worth seeing the bigger picture, Woodford says. Finding the perfect job I think millennials as a generation [are] more open to seeking alternative ways of understanding their place in the universe, says Chris Brennan, professional astrologer and host of The Astrology Podcast, which has more than 250,000 subscribers on YouTube. He says theyre also more likely to take advantage of any available tools that might help them to navigate the world during these increasingly uncertain times. In a time of shifting workplace normswhere remote work and portfolio careers are increasingly common, and the traditional career ladder shakier than everworkers have never had more agency over how they choose to work. For some, especially younger folks like Gen Zers and millennials, consulting the stars is part of that path. Content creator Amelie Polk says, To find your optimal career, you’ll want to look into your whole chart: mainly the Midheaven, North Node, Saturn sign, and second house. That might sound like a foreign language to laypeople. But astrology fans say using the bevy of online astrology tools and apps out there to dive into your birth chart, and spot patterns or invite self-questioning, might trigger certain intuitive aha moments. For instance, depending on which planets were in which location at the time of your birth, that could help determine whether youd benefit from a nurturing, slower-paced work environment or a faster, more competitive one. This career is gonna be good for you. This career won’t work for you, Polk says. This will burn you out. This won’t. Dont just take an astrologer’s word for it: Famous businesspeople and politicians have been rumored to credit astrology with some of their success. As J.P. Morgan famously didor didntsay: Millionaires dont use astrology. Billionaires do. Or as one former aide told The New York Times, look to President Ronald Reagan reportedly timing the announcement of his reelection campaign after consulting astrological signs. For Myers, shes also used astrology to guide her decision-making at work. After paying closer attention to her birth chart, she made the decision to step down from her role as director at her company to be a senior strategist. I realized I dont want to be climbing the corporate ladder, she says. Understanding astrological patterns has, in many ways, regulated Myers nervous system at work, too: New York is an intense city, and advertising can be an intense field, she says. But, she adds, astrology provides perspective. Astrology has actually made me feel more likeits not that deep.
Category:
E-Commerce
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