New AI Risks, the Rise of GEO & Other Things to Watch Out for in 2026
Dear readers,
As the year draws toward its end, I thought I’d share another update on the Singularity Loading Bar and what’s in store for 2026. Read on to find out about an underrated risk of increasingly smarter AI models, the joys of developing a pixel-art space game with Gemini 3, and the growing importance of Generative Engine Optimization – along with other things to watch out for in the new year.
“Current AI safety work does not pay much attention to the human psyche as the ‘weakest link’.”
Thinking About AI Hacking Humans
This year, we have seen AI outperform humans in many new areas. At the same time, sycophantic tendencies and other dark-pattern design tricks aimed at increasing users’ emotional dependence on “their” LLMs have sparked discussion. In fact, modern AI can already persuade people very effectively by exploiting human emotions and cognitive biases. And it’s only reasonable to assume that future models will be much better at social engineering than humans. Hence, an advanced AI could do a lot of harm without cracking passwords, hacking into systems, or breaking technical rules – simply by turning us gullible bipeds into its minions. Yet current AI safety work mainly tries to control technical aspects and does not pay much attention to the human psyche as the “weakest link”.
I have been thinking extensively about this issue, which, in my view, constitutes a major research gap that needs to be closed quickly (before AI cults start knocking us out of bed on Sunday mornings 😉). I have also been thinking about possible solutions. This work has been developed into a scientific paper that is currently under review. I hope to present a peer-reviewed version soon. In parallel, I am preparing a less technical deep dive that should be ready in early 2026.
Developing a Pixel Space Game with Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio
A few years ago, I had a “vision” for an Oregon-Trail-inspired rogue-like pixel-art MMORPG about the Fermi Paradox. The idea was to let players explore millions of stars and tens of millions of planets inside a single, already existing (but yet undiscovered) galaxy. Think of what many players expected from No Man’s Sky, just without fancy graphics (but with gas giants!).
Back then, I wrote down all my ideas and even created a detailed script, including wireframes and gameplay mechanics. That is where it stopped. With constant time constraints, I assumed I wouldn’t find time to seriously start coding until retirement.
Then Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio came along. After some initial experiments, I thought: let’s give something with a bigger code base a shot. I fed my script, gameplay mechanics, and notes into Gemini and let it build the basic UI. I made sure the code was cleanly structured across multiple files so I could easily make manual changes. From there, I kept tinkering, improving screens, adding features, and generating simple sounds and visuals for the game.
A few weekends later, I am hundreds of prompts and manual code iterations in, and roughly 70% done with a playable demo. The demo will not yet include the one-map-universe and will lack some late-game features involving player interaction, but it should work as a solid proof of concept and, hopefully, be fun to play.
Here is a sneak peek from the first act of the game:
I am not sure when I can finish the demo, as this is a weekend project and I will have limited time over the next few weeks. Still, I hope to roll out a first beta to friends and family in January, and a public demo sometime in Q1 2026.
Now Offering Expert Advice on Generative Engine Optimization
More and more businesses are noticing that it actually matters what ChatGPT or the Google AI Overview say about them. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) aims to ensure those generated outputs present your company accurately and showcase your products when relevant. So basically, what SEO is for search engines, GEO is for LLMs. The central difference: link profiles matter less, what people say about your brand and products matters even more.
Just like good SEO, successful GEO can boost your organic sales, improve your brand visibility, and give you an edge over competitors. After having seen a skyrocketing demand for GEO services from my clients this year, and launching several successful projects with them, I decided to officially start offering my services as a GEO consultant.
Want to know more? Visit this page: GEO Consulting
“Looking at the progress on the Singularity Loading Bar in 2025, I think it is safe to say that 2026 will be full of further giant leaps toward AGI.”
What More to Expect in 2026?
Looking at the progress on the Singularity Loading Bar in 2025 – generated images and deepfakes becoming more and more convincing, vibe coding becoming a big thing (and vibe-coded apps a new major security concern), and AI overall becoming increasingly uncanny – I think it is safe to say that 2026 will be full of further giant leaps toward AGI.
At the same time, it may also be a challenging year for AI companies. The stock market has clearly entered bubbly territory, and circular investments that move money back and forth between NVIDIA, Oracle, OpenAI, and other big players may be a sign that raising fresh external funding for AI development is becoming harder. Oh, and have you checked RAM prices recently? So better not get carried away by the progress we have been seeing lately, and stay cautious and skeptical, whether it comes to buying tech stocks, rolling out a vibe-coded app, or ChatGPT assuring you about yet another “excellent idea” 😉
In terms of upcoming conferences, I would like to draw attention to SkepKon 2026, taking place from May 14 to 16 (again in Regensburg, Germany), and the IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2026 in Granada, Spain, from May 8 to 10. Both conferences will be open for registration soon and offer early-bird deals.
Now I wish you a happy solstice, a good start into 2026, and leave you with a quote from a book by Philip K. Dick that I recently discovered:
From: Philip K. Dick – Our Friends from Frolix 8 (1970)
Best wishes,
J.C. Zeller
