IBM Watson is the "Mystery AI Giant" Predicted to Collapse by Kevin Rose

Kevin Rose recently dropped some major clues about a legendary AI player that might be facing a total collapse or shutdown by 2026. While the tech world is buzzing about the "Big Three", Kevin explicitly ruled out OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google's Gemini. Instead, the evidence points directly toward IBM's Watson division.

Despite being "one of the bigs" with a pioneering history in AI - remember that Jeopardy! win? - Watson has struggled to find its footing in the modern era of generative AI. Analysts note that while the division still maintains hundreds of employees and massive corporate contracts, its products are no longer seen as cutting-edge by consumers or developers. In fact, by 2026, it's observed that almost no one refers to IBM as a leader in the foundation-model-dominated field.

Other candidates like Stability AI or Amazon's Alexa team don't quite fit the profile; Stability's workforce is too small to be one of "the bigs," and Amazon is still heavily investing in Alexa's future. IBM, however, has been scaling back and divesting parts of its AI business for years.

The current state of IBM's AI unit is best described by a striking metaphor: It is like an empty but still-staffed department store - the lights are on and the clerks are waiting, but the shoppers have all moved on to newer, flashier outlets.