Observer’s 2026 A.I. Power Index: Who Controls the Capital Flow in A.I
Power in artificial intelligence no longer moves through the channels everyone learned to watch.
Collector Carl Thoma Has No Holy Grails and No Regrets
“I’m drawn to where art is going. The experimental, digital, time-based work that’s redefining the medium’s boundaries,” he tells Observer. “We do not collect in accordance with the art market.”
Langosteria Brings Milanese Magic and Well-Placed Noise to London
Enrico Buonocore’s Langosteria arrives in London with seafood, style and a long-game plan to turn a serious room at Raffles at the OWO into something far more fun.
Weekly Features
See All
The Books the Most Powerful People in A.I. Are Reading
Nick Frosst, Clément Delangue, Andrew Feldman, Daphne Koller and other power players shaping the future of artificial intelligence think you should add these titles to your reading pile.
The Next A.I. Power Class Won’t Build the Models
The SuperSkills Intelligence Company’s Rahim Hirji argues that the next era of A.I. power will be defined less by the scarcity of trusted human judgment. In an age of intelligence, Hirji examines why trust, provenance and the ability to make critical decisions may become the most valuable asset.
As Superhuman Builds an Always-On A.I., CEO Shishir Mehrotra Draws a Human Line
Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra is building an A.I. assistant for everywhere you work, but says judgment must remain distinctly human.
In Enterprise A.I., Real Proof Is the Real Differentiator
Six Eastern’s Emilie Gerber argues that as enterprise A.I. matures, the companies that distinguish themselves will be those with the strongest evidence. Gerber unpacks why independently verified customer outcomes have become the new standard for enterprise trust.
Match Group CFO on How A.I. Is Changing Online Dating—and How He’s Managing the Cost
A.I. is reshaping online dating, from better matches to profile help. Match Group CFO Steven Bailey discusses what the Tinder and Hinge parent company is investing in and how it keeps tech costs in check.
Business
See All
At Christie’s Art+Tech Summit 2026, the State of A.I., New Wealth and the Art Market’s Next Chapter
The summit’s most revealing moment may have been Max Carter’s confirmation that Christie’s is already selling to Silicon Valley tech billionaires and that future I.P.O.s could produce another meaningful wave of demand.
The World Cup Is Proving the Business Value of A.I. Prediction Models
Stats Perform’s Louise Beltrame-Bawden explores how A.I.-powered prediction models have evolved from simple tournament forecasts into trusted infrastructure for modern sport. Beltrame-Bawden argues that the future of sports media depends on transforming data into trusted, real-time context that helps fans, broadcasters and sportsbooks understand why every moment matters.
From A.I. IPOs to Lasting Wealth: Preparing for the Next Liquidity Wave
As companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic reshape expectations for the IPO market, Citizens’ Mark Lehmann and Kris Reddaway examine what the next liquidity wave means for founders and employees. They argue that turning a windfall into enduring wealth requires careful planning well before shares become liquid.
The A.I. Transforming How Cars Are Designed, Engineered and Driven
The artificially intelligent systems being integrated into the vehicles of 2026 are evolving faster than they can be applied.
How A.I.’s Most Powerful Backers Are Preparing for Its Consequences
The same billionaires accelerating A.I. are pouring money into safety research, public-interest tools, health care and economic resilience. Jensen Huang, Dustin Moskovitz, Eric Schmidt and others are spending billions to manage A.I.’s dangers and extend its benefits.
Art
See All
Jay and Ricki Blakesberg On Becoming Stewards of the Grateful Dead’s Visual History
The New York iteration of “An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965-1995” opens five months after the death of Bob Weir, which sets a different and elegiac tone for the show.
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Asks What It Means to Sustain an Artistic Life
For its 65th anniversary, Canada’s largest and longest-running contemporary art fair built a program around the conviction that artists deserve infrastructures as enduring as their practices.
One Fine Show: “Björk, Echolalia” and “James Merry, Metamorphlings” at the National Gallery of Iceland
Experienced together, Merry’s first museum retrospective and Björk’s immersive sound installations build a universe around grief and transformation.
Trophy Collections and Luxury Spending Powered Christie’s and Sotheby’s Record Half-Year Results
Single-owner offerings drove much of this season’s growth, accounting for nearly a third of total auction sales value.
ArtMeta: When Digital Art Enters the Canon, Tech Millionaires Will Enter the Market
With From Code to Canon, ArtMeta used Art Basel’s Zero 10 to frame digital art not as a niche of screens and NFTs but as a seventy-year history of machines, code, systems, science and artistic invention.
Lifestyle
See All
The 10 Best Restaurants Opening in New York City in July
Plenty of pizza, barbecue and mezcal lands in New York City, just in time for the height of summer.
The 30 Best East Coast Beach Resorts, From the Keys to Kennebunkport
A guide to the grande dames, surf shacks and escapist isles worth the drive at every latitude.
The Most Noteworthy L.A. Restaurant Openings of July, From Pad Thai to Wagyu Cheesesteaks
The city’s time as a World Cup host has come to an end, but the local dining scene is keeping pace with an exciting round of July openings.
The A.I. Founder Starter Pack: How to Make a Uniform Look Like a Strategy
The men building the future have a uniform, and it costs a fortune to look like it costs nothing. Here is the 2026 kit.
San Francisco’s Best New Hotels Prove the City Still Knows How to Host
The City by the Bay took its hits during the pandemic, but its latest wave of glamorous boutiques, historic revivals and polished new stays makes a strong case for checking back in.
Interviews
See All
Ron Arad’s Unconstrained Objects and the Mind Behind Them
Bucking the stereotype that says modern design must prioritize form over function, his works achieve an incredible level of artistic innovation without compromising comfort.
Céline Shen and the Art of Living With A.I.
Her practice imagines artificially intelligent machines and systems not as threats or antagonists but as humanity’s companions in shared ecologies.
Sean Green Built the Gallery World’s First CRM. Now He’s Building Its First A.I. Agents.
He describes ARTERNAL’s approach as “human in the loop,” with people still responsible for oversight, final sign-off and all tasks requiring judgment.
Sébastien Borget Is Expanding Digital Art’s Reach Without Softening Its Ambition
With a background in gaming, virtual worlds and Web3, he approaches art from the infrastructure side of digital culture.
Can Magnus Resch’s A.I. App Crack the Art Market’s Transparency Problem?
“No human advisor can continuously monitor the entire art market. A.I. can… It gives people access to information and discovery tools that were previously available only to insiders.”
Power Lists
See All
Observer’s 2026 A.I. Power Index: Who Controls the Capital Flow in A.I
Power in artificial intelligence no longer moves through the channels everyone learned to watch.
Observer New Media Power List: Call for Submissions
Nominations are open for Observer’s 2026 New Media Power List
The 50 Most Powerful PR Firms of 2026
This year’s honorees are emblematic of a notable shift in public relations from responsive publicity to proactive leadership in the moments that matter most.
Wall-to-Wall Cultural Capital: Inside Observer’s Art Power Index Party
Under the dim lights of the Lower East Side’s Maison Nur, art world luminaries gathered to celebrate Observer’s Art Power Index—and each other. From the impassioned speeches to the sharp tailoring and Damien Hirst over the bar, the evening embodied our legacy of chronicling power with style.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Latest
All Latest
The New A.I. Power Class Will Be Built on Context, Not Compute
Marker Collective’s Andrew Wyatt examines why most enterprise A.I. initiatives still struggle to create measurable business value. Wyatt argues that as models become commoditized, competitive advantage will come from capturing, curating and operationalizing institutional context.
The Flood of A.I.-Generated Images Will Make Human-Made Art More Precious, Not Less
“As A.I.-generated content becomes more common, there will come a moment when we see the opposite reaction: people moving back toward authentic handmade creation.”
The Biggest Risk to A.I. in Space Is Sitting on the Ground
Acre Security’s Kumar Sokka explores the next frontier of A.I. infrastructure as orbital data centers move from science fiction toward commercial reality. He contends that the resilience of orbital computing will depend on securing the ground systems that make it usable.
‘The Odyssey”s Early Data Confirms Christopher Nolan’s Star Power
Christopher Nolan’s unmatched star power is turning The Odyssey into a major theatrical event, with audience demand already surging.
Where to Find L.A.’s Most Distinctive Omakase Experiences
From Tsukiji-trained chefs and kaiseki menus to wine-paired nigiri and boba-topped bites, these L.A. sushi counters prove omakase has range.
Faig Ahmed Weaves Azerbaijan’s Past Into Its Future in Venice
For the country’s national pavilion, the artist reimagines the carpet as a living technology, bridging centuries-old craft, mysticism, neuroscience and quantum physics.
In DATALAND, Refik Anadol Has Built a Museum That Learns From Its Audience
While you watch the artwork, the artwork watches you.
UNESCO’s A.I. Report Considers How Technology Can Serve Culture
The organization’s investigation into A.I. and culture frames artificially intelligent technologies as both an opportunity and a threat.
Where to Eat in Silicon Valley, According to the Local Chefs Who Cook There
Local chefs from some of Silicon Valley’s most notable restaurants reveal their favorite South Bay spots, from Vietnamese noodles to fine dining and family-friendly pizza.
At the Grand Palais, Laure Prouvost Translates Quantum Physics Into Something You Can Feel
“Nous, frissons d’étoiles” turns quantum physics into a poetic, bodily experience that asks visitors to engage with entanglement, uncertainty and the continuity between humans, nature and matter.
When the Future Came to City Hall: The Forgotten Blueprint for A.I. Governance
MIT Museum’s Michael John Gorman revists the landmark 1976 Cambridge recombinant DNA debate to argue that today’s A.I. governance challenges are less unprecedented than they seem. Gorman contends that democratic deliberation is the missing ingredient in governing transformative technologies.
Artificial Intelligence Is Rewriting the Rules of Art Valuation
Art advisors and insurers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to assess prices, manage risk and bring greater precision to valuations.
