Brands, AI, and Generations: Designing Coexistence? Future Brands 2026: New Brand Narratives across Generations and Agentic AI

The question of whether to adopt AI is already obsolete. The question emerging now is more uncomfortable: how do we design coexistence with an interlocutor that is no longer just the consumer? Alongside them, increasingly, stands an algorithmic agent. It evaluates, filters, and decides on its own—and it does so differently depending on who it’s facing, generation by generation. This session focuses on three core directives: what "coexistence" truly means when the relationship is no longer bilateral; which trust asymmetries emerge across different generations regarding algorithmic delegation; and which concrete levers brands can activate to build narratives and positioning that withstand this new reality. The brands that survive algorithmic mediation are not necessarily the most visible; they are the most recognizable. The GENS Generations Observatory brings two original research assets to WMF 2026. Future Brands (3rd Edition) is a longitudinal study of over 6,000 respondents between 2024 and 2026, spanning Boomers to Gen Z. Agentic Moments of Truth is a new study by The Fool involving 2,000 respondents, designed to understand when and why AI agents enter consumption decisions, and what brand elements successfully break through that mediation.