SAN DIEGO — Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has said that 2026 marks the "year of agents," as artificial intelligence systems capable of autonomous task execution emerge as a major shift in personal computing.
Amon made the remarks in recent interviews and a keynote address at COMPUTEX 2026 in Taipei, where he discussed the transition toward AI agents that can reason, plan and act across devices on behalf of users. The comments come as the chipmaker develops new hardware optimized for on-device AI processing.
"Apps are going to change," Amon said in a CNBC interview. "Those agents are going to be the new app."
Qualcomm, a leading supplier of mobile processors, is working on more than 40 different designs for new AI-powered devices, including wearables such as camera-equipped earbuds, pins and jewelry, according to Amon. These devices would serve as endpoints for AI agents that operate across smartphones, PCs and other hardware.
The CEO has described AI agents as moving beyond simple voice assistants to systems that understand user intentions and handle complex, multi-step tasks without constant human input. He indicated that smartphones will continue to play a role but will no longer serve as the sole center of digital experiences, with agents distributing intelligence across a broader ecosystem of devices and the cloud.
Amon has pointed to 2026 as a pivotal year for agentic AI, drawing parallels to earlier computing shifts such as the rise of the internet and smartphones. Qualcomm has also introduced Project Solara, a collaboration with Microsoft focused on agent-first computing, and unveiled the Dragonfly brand for data center AI inference products.
Industry observers note that the push toward AI agents aligns with broader efforts by technology companies to advance on-device processing to reduce latency and address privacy concerns compared to cloud-only solutions. However, challenges remain around power efficiency, data security and the maturity of agent capabilities.
Qualcomm has not disclosed specific timelines or financial projections tied to the new device designs. Details on commercial availability of the more than 40 referenced form factors remain unclear.
As of June 2026, Amon's vision reflects ongoing industry investments in AI hardware amid competition from other semiconductor makers. Qualcomm continues to supply processors for smartphones and other consumer electronics while expanding its AI offerings. The company did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
