SINGAPORE, February 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AWE Asia 2026 concluded this week at the Singapore Expo, bringing together the global extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) community for three days of conferences, developer sessions, track discussions and hands-on demonstrations. Throughout the program, a clear theme emerged: as AI moves beyond screens and into real-world environments, XR is increasingly seen as critical infrastructure, providing the spatial understanding, context, and human-centered interaction that next-generation AI systems will rely on.
The conference opened with remarks from AWE co-founder Ori Inbar, who framed the moment with a message echoed throughout the event: there is no AI without XR. As AI applications expand into physical spaces and embodied devices, spatial computing and immersive interfaces become essential to how intelligent systems perceive, interpret, and respond to the world.
Keynotes focused on a practical, human-centered future
On the main stage, speakers explored how this change is already taking shape. Atley Loughridge, design engineer at Snap Inc., explained how Snap’s AR stack is moving from experimentation to production on a global scale. Building on her work at Lens Studio and Spectacles, she highlighted developer tools and cross-platform deployment spanning mobile, web and wearable devices, positioning wearable AR as a practical computing layer entering everyday use.
Alvin W. Graylin examined programmable reality and ambient intelligence through a human-centered lens, emphasizing trust, action, and responsibility, as AI-driven XR systems increasingly influence perception and decision-making. Mark Billinghurst presented “Empathic
Builders, Platforms and Applied Use Cases
A developer panel moderated by Steven Xu (Snap Inc.) highlighted teams creating spatial experiences with Lens Studio across Snapchat, web platforms, AR Mirrors, and Spectacles, focusing on production-ready workflows and scaling beyond prototypes. Matt Sanders of Meta’s Wearables Accessibility and Impact team explored “Wearable AI for Everyone,” highlighting how AI glasses can support greater independence and more authentic connection. Beng Hui Ong, Senior Solutions Architect APAC at Agora, presented a case study on “Physical AI” in toys and companion devices, illustrating how space technologies and AI can combine to create useful and supportive experiences. Dr James Ong, founder and chief executive of the Artificial Intelligence International Institute, argued that “AI for humanity” should be treated as a shared global responsibility, calling for stronger governance and collective action to keep AI aligned with long-term human well-being.
Additional sessions focused on cloud-based generative 3D pipelines, enterprise XR deployment, immersive intelligence in healthcare and aviation training, contextual AI in industrial workflows, and new approaches to immersive storytelling and education.
Exhibition floor demonstrations, startup pitches and awards
The exhibition space and AWE Playground translated the conference themes into live demonstrations covering wearable augmented reality, spatial analytics, optics, enterprise infrastructure and glasses-free 3D displays. As a Platinum Sponsor, Snap played an important role with hands-on Spectacles demonstrations, giving attendees a tangible view of computing beyond the screens.
Applied innovation was further highlighted during the first AWE Asia Startup Pitch, followed by the Auggie Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions across the ecosystem, including Startup to Watch (Braillic), Best in Show Experience (Refract) and Best in Show (Snap).
AWE Asia thanks its sponsors Snap, Meta, ArborXR, Raypai Photonic Crystal and Agora, and expresses its gratitude to all speakers, partners, exhibitors and participants who contributed to the program.
PR Newswire is the official media partner of the AWE Asia 2026 conference.
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SOURCE AWE Asia
