2026's Appocalypse: Why Your Favorite Consumer Apps Might Vanish Into ChatGPT

Will WebMD disappear into your chatbot? A venture capitalist predicts 2026 will decide the fate of every consumer app you know. Vanessa Larco, partner at Premise, forecasts a seismic shift where legacy apps like WebMD and TravelAdvisor will be absorbed into AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT or Meta AI.

Larco’s analysis highlights a critical divide: while AI will replace many consumer-facing tools, OpenAI models won’t eliminate human-mediated marketplaces like freelance platforms. This distinction matters for small businesses weighing standalone app development against integration with AI platforms.

"The question is, will legacy consumer products... just get absorbed into ChatGPT or Meta AI?" Larco asks in a recent interview with TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, freely accessible on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Her prediction hinges on user behavior—consumers increasingly treat AI Apps as disposable software, akin to Word documents, rather than long-term investments.

Voice interfaces, such as Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, could dominate 70%+ of tasks by 2026, further eroding the need for traditional apps. Meanwhile, Larco anticipates a "Huge year for M&A" as companies consolidate to survive the AI-driven disruption.