AWE Asia 2026 brought the global XR and AI community together at Singapore Expo for three days of keynotes, live demonstrations, and applied discussions. The conference centered on a defining industry shift: as AI moves beyond screens and into real-world environments, extended reality is becoming essential infrastructure. AWE co-founder Ori Inbar opened the event with a message that set the tone across the entire program: there is no AI without XR.

A highlight of this year's conference was the debut of the AWE Asia Startup Pitch, where emerging companies presented problem-driven approaches to XR spanning enterprise platforms, healthcare navigation, smart glasses, and immersive retail. The event concluded with the Auggie Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding contributions across the XR ecosystem. Braillic was named Startup to Watch, Refract won Best in Show Experience, and Snap took home Best in Show.

AWE Asia 2026 featured an impressive lineup of speakers from across the XR and AI landscape. Atley Loughridge from Snap shared how wearable AR is moving from experimentation into everyday use. Alvin W. Graylin examined programmable reality through a human-centered lens, emphasizing trust, agency, and responsibility. Mark Billinghurst introduced the concept of Empathic XR, describing systems capable of sensing intent and emotion through physiological sensing and AI. Dr. James Ong broadened the conversation by framing AI as a shared global responsibility, advocating for AI for Humanity as a proposed UN Sustainable Development Goal.

AWE Asia 2026 reflected an industry moving from possibility to practice. The conference was held in Singapore under the Passion Made Possible brand, and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau™. We extend our sincere thanks to sponsors Snap, Meta, ArborXR, Raypai Photonic Crystal, and Agora, and look forward to continuing this journey with the global XR and AI community.

AWE Asia 2026

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