Predictions

0:00 We think the AI market in 2027 keeps the shape it has now: three big assistants at about $20 a month trading the top of the leaderboards, browser agents and AI music going from paid extras and lawsuits to free features and licenses, open-weight models closing part of the gap, and more products closed or renamed than in any year before.

These are Vi.ki's own predictions and opinions, not reported facts. Each one says what we base it on and when it can be checked. We will mark each one right or wrong when it resolves.

Which AI model will be the best in 2027?

We think a Google Gemini model is first on the LMArena text leaderboard on Jun 1, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Jun 2027.

Why we think so: on Nov 6, 2026, Gemini 4 Carbon and Gemini 4 Argon held the top two places on LMArena Text, with Claude Opus 5.5 third, and Gemini 4 Carbon also led the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (AI Leaderboards). Carbon was still in limited release then (Gemini), so its wider launch is still ahead. The margins are small, though: places 4 to 9 were within a few points of each other, and we expect both OpenAI and Anthropic to ship new models in the first half of 2027, which is why we say Possible.

What would prove us wrong: a model from any other maker first on LMArena Text on Jun 1, 2027.

Will the $20 AI subscription last?

We think ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Google AI Pro all still cost $20 or $19.99 a month in the US at the end of 2027.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: the three main assistants all sell their standard plan at about $20 as of Nov 6, 2026 (AI Subscription Prices). Instead of moving it, they add tiers around it: Google AI Plus at $4.99, ChatGPT Go at $8 and top plans from $100 to $500. In our view the $20 price is now the reference point for the whole market, and the first maker to move it would hand its two rivals an easy comparison.

What would prove us wrong: any of the three priced above $20 a month in the US before Jan 1, 2028.

Will open-weight AI models catch up?

We think the best open-weight model scores within 8 points of the overall leader on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index on Dec 1, 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: on Nov 6, 2026, the best open-weight model Vi.ki could confirm, Moonshot's Kimi K3.1 Pro, scored 46 against Gemini 4 Carbon's 60, a gap of 14 points (AI Leaderboards). Chinese labs (Moonshot, DeepSeek, Zhipu, Alibaba) keep releasing open models (Kimi, DeepSeek, GLM, Qwen), and in our view each release closes part of the gap. Halving it in a year is our estimate; closing it entirely is not, because the closed labs also keep moving.

What would prove us wrong: a gap of more than 8 points between the best open-weight model and the leader on Dec 1, 2027.

Which AI products will close or be renamed?

We think at least three products with a page on this viki close or are renamed during 2027.

Confidence: Likely. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: in 2026 alone, OpenAI closed Sora (Apr 26) and ChatGPT Atlas (Aug 9), Cognition renamed Windsurf to Devin Desktop (Jun 2), Mistral renamed Le Chat to Vibe (May 28) and Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook (Jul 16). Makers are folding separate apps into their main assistants, and in our view that continues while the market consolidates around a few companies.

What would prove us wrong: two or fewer of the products on this viki closed or renamed in 2027.

Will Gemini in Chrome's agent be free?

We think auto browse, the agent in Gemini in Chrome, reaches free Chrome users in a limited form by the end of 2027, not only Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: Gemini in Chrome reads your tabs on every desktop platform and Android, while auto browse is rolling out to Pro and Ultra subscribers, first in the US (Gemini in Chrome). OpenAI closed its own browser, Atlas, on Aug 9, 2026, and Perplexity's Comet is free with a paid agent (Best AI Browser, Comet). In our view Google, with the most used browser, can use a free agent to keep people from trying a rival.

What would prove us wrong: auto browse still limited to paid plans at the end of 2027.

Will Suno settle with Universal and Sony?

We think Suno settles with both Universal Music Group and Sony Music by the end of 2027, as it did with Warner.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: Warner settled with Suno and signed a partnership on Nov 25, 2025, and Suno has since signed with BMG and with Believe and TuneCore and replaced its models with one trained on licensed music (Suno). Udio had already partnered with Universal and settled with Warner (Udio). Each deal makes the next one easier, and in our view the two labels still suing would rather share in a licensed Suno than fight it for years.

What would prove us wrong: Universal or Sony still suing Suno at the end of 2027.

Will Udio bring back downloads?

We think Udio launches its licensed platform with song downloads back, at least on paid plans, by the end of 2027.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: Udio switched off downloads on Oct 29, 2025 while it builds a licensed service with Universal (Udio). Suno's deal with Warner kept downloads on paid plans (Suno), which shows labels will accept them under license. In our view a music generator whose songs cannot leave the app is hard to sell for long.

What would prove us wrong: no downloads on any Udio plan at the end of 2027.

Will Galaxy AI start charging?

We think Samsung introduces paid Galaxy AI features, as a subscription or a paid tier, by the end of 2027, while the basic features stay free.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Dec 2027.

Why we think so: Samsung says Galaxy AI's basic features are free but that future enhanced features may be paid (Galaxy AI). Every other big maker on this viki already sells a paid AI tier (AI Subscription Prices), and Alexa+ costs $19.99 a month without Prime (Alexa+). In our view Samsung has said it out loud precisely so a paid tier is no surprise.

What would prove us wrong: Galaxy AI still entirely free at the end of 2027.

Will Siri AI leave beta?

We think Apple drops the beta label from Siri AI with iOS 28, expected in Sep 2027, and not before.

Confidence: Possible. Check by: Sep 2027.

Why we think so: Siri AI arrived in beta with iOS 27 on Sep 14, 2026, and added languages on Oct 26, 2026 (Apple Intelligence). Apple Intelligence itself launched in an x.1 update, iOS 18.1, and in our view Apple saves its biggest software changes for its September releases. We think Apple keeps the beta label through the year while it adds languages and the EU, then removes it with the next major version.

What would prove us wrong: Siri AI out of beta in an iOS 27 update, or still in beta after iOS 28 is released.

What creators predict

Nilay Patel: Apple will pay Google to make Siri good

43:22 On The Vergecast of Dec 14, 2025, The Verge's Nilay Patel said Apple seemed to be giving up on building Siri itself and would "pay Google to make Siri good". That came true: Apple Intelligence now runs on Apple Foundation Models "built with Google's Gemini", and Siri AI arrived in beta with iOS 27 on Sep 14, 2026 (Apple Intelligence).

Check by: Sep 2026.

Result (Sep 14, 2026): Right. Apple Intelligence runs on Apple Foundation Models "built with Google's Gemini", and Siri AI arrived in beta with iOS 27 on Sep 14, 2026 (Apple Intelligence). We think he read Apple's position early and exactly: buying the model and keeping the product was the faster road, and Apple took it.

Joanna Stern: the new Siri will be so good people love it

42:44 In the same episode, Joanna Stern made her "spicy" prediction for 2026: the updated Siri would be "amazing", as good as any other large language model, so good that people talk to it all the time and even fall in love with it. We think she is half right: Siri AI is far more capable, but it is still a beta and not yet on iPhones in the EU (Apple Intelligence), and we expect most people to keep using it for tasks, not conversation.

Check by: Dec 2026.

Wes Roth: benchmarks will test agents, not quizzes

3:43 In his Jan 24, 2026 predictions video, Wes Roth predicted that benchmarks would become "a lot more AI agent focused", measuring what models can do, such as trading or running a vending machine, rather than how they answer a quiz. That came true within the year: the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, version 5, now weighs knowledge work and automation tests such as AutomationBench, and Terminal-Bench measures agents in a terminal (AI Leaderboards).

Check by: Dec 2026.

Wes Roth: "human-made" labels within two years

4:35 In the same video, Wes Roth predicted that within two years content verified as made without AI would carry a "human-made" label, like organic food, with places that curate human-made music only. We think he is right, because in our view the flood of AI content makes a premium label for the opposite a small step, and AI music's licensing fights (Suno) give musicians a reason to want one.

Check by: Jan 2028.

AI Automation Labs: Suno will cut a deal with the labels

4:47 In its Nov 3, 2025 video, after Udio's deal with Universal, AI Automation Labs gave a 50% chance that Suno would also cut a deal with the record labels, losing some features and adding filters. That came true three weeks later: Warner settled with Suno on Nov 25, 2025, and downloads moved to paid plans (Suno).

Check by: Dec 2025.

Result (Nov 25, 2025): Right. Warner settled with Suno on Nov 25, 2025, and downloads moved to paid plans (Suno). The channel gave it only even odds, and we think the Udio deal three weeks before was the signal it rightly leaned on.

Our take

We think most people need only one paid AI subscription, and which one depends on the work: ChatGPT for the widest set of features, Claude for coding and long writing, Gemini for people who live in Google's apps (Best AI Chatbot). In our view paying for two of the three at $20 each is rarely worth it; the free plans are good enough to keep the other two for second opinions (Free AI Tools).

We think the leaderboards are overrated as a buying guide. The top ten on LMArena Text were within about 30 points on Nov 6, 2026 (AI Leaderboards), which in our view is closer than most people could tell apart in daily use. Limits, price and the tools around a model matter more.

We think open-weight models are underrated by people who pay for subscriptions: a model that runs on your own computer costs nothing per message and keeps your data at home (Run AI Locally). And we think anyone who builds work on a single AI product should keep their data exportable, because 2026 showed how quickly products close.

Frequently asked questions

Which AI will be the best in 2027?

We think Google's Gemini models are most likely to lead the general leaderboards in mid-2027, Claude to lead coding, and ChatGPT to remain the most complete app, though in our view the gap between them stays small.

Will AI subscriptions get more expensive?

We think the standard $20 plans stay at $20 through 2027, while makers add cheaper tiers below them and bigger ones above.

Will free AI models catch up with paid ones?

We think the best open-weight models close about half the gap to the leaders by the end of 2027, but not all of it.

Will AI music generators be legal?

We think they become licensed: Suno settles with Universal and Sony by the end of 2027, as it did with Warner, and Udio brings back downloads on its licensed platform.

Which AI products might shut down?

We think at least three products on this viki close or are renamed in 2027, as Sora, ChatGPT Atlas, Windsurf, Le Chat and NotebookLM were in 2026. Separate apps folding into the big assistants are, in our view, the most at risk.

Sources

• The end of OpenAI, and other 2026 predictions | The Vergecast, The Verge, Dec 14, 2025 (video)
• AI in 2026 is going to be wild, Wes Roth, Jan 24, 2026 (video)
• The END of AI Music? Udio Falls and Suno AI Might Be Next!, AI Automation Labs, Nov 3, 2025 (video)
• Arena leaderboards explained: chat, code, vision & more, Arena, Feb 10, 2026 (video)
• LMArena Text leaderboard, read Nov 6, 2026
• Artificial Analysis model leaderboard, read Nov 6, 2026