Ten Technology Trends for 2025: The Year of Reckoning

Time flies when experiencing exponential change! With 2025 approaching, it's time for my annual technology trend predictions—a tradition I've maintained since 2012 and one I deeply enjoy. Writing these articles allows me to reflect on the past year's predictions and explore the future with renewed curiosity.

In 2024, I named the year “The Year of Science Reality,” as technologies once confined to science fiction became tangible. Looking back, most of my predictions aligned closely with the developments we witnessed, though some advanced faster than anticipated, while others remain on the horizon. Here’s a quick recap:

• Spot-on Predictions: Humanoids integrated with multimodal LLMs, exemplified by Figure 1’s conversational capabilities, and conversational IoT devices, like LG’s empathetic AI home hub, validated my expectations. Similarly, the rise of deepfakes underscored the growing “fake reality,” and Edge AI adoption accelerated, enabling real-time processing on devices.
• Emerging Trends: AI-quantum computing convergence shows promise but remains in its infancy, and some researchers now question whether we need quantum computing if we have advanced AI. Synthetic biology, though advancing, is yet to enter the mainstream.
• Challenges Realized: Generative AI security threats became a harsh reality, with sophisticated phishing attacks and malware increasing the need for robust defenses.
• Partial Progress: The enterprise metaverse gained traction but fell short of widespread adoption, and while autonomous weapons saw rapid development, they are not yet deployed on the battlefield, fortunately.

In summary, 2024 proved to be a pivotal year, reinforcing the exponential pace of technological growth. These reflections give me the confidence to dive into the future and share my ten technology predictions for 2025. Let’s explore what lies ahead! 

2025: The Year of Reckoning

As we step into 2025, the world stands at the crossroads of exponential technological change and geopolitical disruption. Innovation continues to accelerate, delivering transformative advancements across industries and society. Yet, this rapid progress brings both opportunities and profound challenges—what I call the good, the bad, and the very ugly of technology and humanity. 

The backdrop to this reckoning is a world shaped by the second Trump presidency, where nationalist policies, protectionist trade measures, and techno-geopolitical rivalries intensify global disruption. While some technologies promise to elevate humanity—ushering in new efficiencies, smarter healthcare, and greater connectivity—others erode trust, exacerbate inequality, and challenge societal norms at an unprecedented scale.

2025 will not just be a year of progress but one of reckoning, where society must confront the dual-edged nature of innovation. How we adapt, innovate, and regulate in this critical period will shape the trajectory of the coming decade.

Let’s dive into The Ten Technology Trends for 2025 and explore how they reflect this pivotal moment in history.

For 2025, I expect the following trends:

1. AI, AI, Wherever You Are
2. Trust and Truth Be Gone
3. A Tsunami of Information
4. Tokenize the Asset, RWAs All the Way
5. The Big Crunch
6. Augment Your Vision
7. Humanoids to the Workforce
8. From Reactive to Proactive Health
9. Trumpian Doctrine Changing Globalization
10. Innovate, Imitate or Regulate

This analysis delves into the top ten technological trends set to define 2025. It’s a journey through a landscape where exponential innovation accelerates both progress and disruption, marking this year as a turning point—a reckoning for technology and society alike. 

As we explore each trend, we’ll uncover how the dual-edged nature of advancements is shaping a world where exponential growth confronts geopolitical tensions, societal trust, and the ever-blurring lines between reality and virtuality.

1. AI, AI, Wherever You Are

In 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) will become ubiquitous, transforming interactions across devices and industries. Agentic AI drives autonomy in decision-making, automating tasks and decentralizing operations, but challenges in maintaining accountability remain. 

Companies such as McKinsey and JPMorgan leverage fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) built on open-source frameworks like Llama, with 350 million downloads highlighting AI's democratization of innovation and intensifying competition.

Edge AI enhances efficiency and privacy by processing data locally on IoT devices and smartphones, minimizing latency and conserving bandwidth. Complementing this is invisible AI, or ambient systems, seamlessly blending into the background to anticipate needs and create frictionless, intuitive interactions, integrating digital and physical life.

While AI powers breakthroughs and global collaboration, its omnipresence exacerbates societal challenges like job displacement and filter bubbles. This duality—liberation versus marginalization—demands ethical AI frameworks, transparency, and inclusivity. Leaders in 2025 must prioritize governance strategies to ensure AI aligns with humanity’s highest aspirations and mitigates its risks. 

2. Trust and Truth Be Gone

In 2025, trust and truth will be under attack like never before. Generative AI, deepfakes, and misinformation will blur the line between reality and fiction, making it hard to trust what we read, see or hear. Cybercrime is expected to cost $10 trillion globally, damaging institutions, media, and personal relationships. Hyper-realistic deepfakes, from fake videos of leaders to Pentagon-crafted online personas, will confuse and disrupt businesses, governments, and families.

To fight back, resilience is key. Families and organizations will need simple tools like code words to verify identities and must create cultures where employees feel confident questioning what seems suspicious. Teaching media literacy and using detection tools will also help identify fake content.

Social media platforms like X will add to the problem, spreading misinformation and deepening echo chambers that divide society. Without clear rules for how AI and synthetic media should be used, bad actors will continue to exploit these technologies, shaking trust even further. How can we rebuild trust in an era where even the most tangible truths are at risk of digital distortion?

3. A Tsunami of Information

In 2025, data and content will reach unprecedented volumes, driven by AI’s relentless creation of synthetic information and constant updates on new technologies. On a long-haul flight without internet, I often feel out of date by the time I land—a microcosm of the overwhelming pace of information today.

Generative AI now generates 57% of web-based text, and experts predict that 90% of online content may be synthetic by 2026. This tsunami of information threatens attention spans, trust, and decision-making at every level of society. 

The true challenge lies in filtering relevance and credibility. AI’s reliance on synthetic outputs risks a self-reinforcing model collapse, undermining the very tools designed to manage information. Individuals face data fatigue, with constant notifications causing burnout, while businesses grapple with decision fatigue. CFOs, in particular, struggle to manage the deluge, with 79% citing data management as their biggest challenge.

The spatial internet and metaverse add immersive and 3D content, increasing the complexity of evaluation. As this tsunami intensifies, tools for curation, personalization, and summarization are no longer optional. Platforms like Futurwise (full disclosure: I am the founder of Futurwise) use advanced AI to transform chaos into clarity, empowering individuals and organizations to thrive. Can we harness the tools to find clarity or risk being swept away in this overwhelming tide?

4. Tokenize the Asset, RWAs All the Way

In 2025, the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) will transform finance by integrating tangible, verifiable assets like (commercial) real estate, fine art, cars, and even carbon credits into the digital economy.

At last, blockchain technology is ready for a real-world application, enabling fractional ownership, unlocking liquidity and democratizing wealth building. Institutional giants like BlackRock, managing $10 trillion, are championing tokenization as the future of finance, with RWAs poised to unlock trillions in value.

Dynamic NFTs (dNFTs) will play a crucial role as they revolutionize asset representation, update in real time to reflect usage or conditions, and bridge static ownership with evolving realities. Regulatory clarity from regions like Singapore and the EU has set benchmarks for balancing innovation with investor protection. At the same time, platforms like Fermion and Securitize lead the adoption of compliance-friendly ecosystems.

However, tokenization is not without risks. Centralized platforms may erode decentralization; fraud could proliferate in underregulated markets, and over-financialization risks speculative bubbles similar to the 2008 financial crisis.

Early adopters leveraging secure platforms will gain a competitive advantage, while governments must create adaptive regulatory frameworks. As RWAs reshape global finance in 2025, their success hinges on responsible adoption and navigating risks to create a transparent, inclusive financial future.

5. The Big Crunch is Near

In 2025, “The Big Crunch” highlights the impending threat posed by quantum computing to traditional encryption systems. As quantum computers approach the ability to crack protocols like RSA and ECC, global security is at risk, from banking to government communication. By the end of 2025, a major player—government or Big Tech—may crack a critical encryption algorithm. However, secrecy will likely delay public disclosure due to its strategic advantages in cyber warfare and espionage.

Institutions like NIST are advancing quantum-safe standards, and early adoption is seen in banking and defense, supported by initiatives from startups like PQShield and major players like Google and NCCoE. However, transitioning to quantum-resistant cryptography (PQC) is complex, requiring significant investment, technical expertise, and time. SMEs, in particular, face barriers due to high costs and perceived low urgency. Globally, uneven readiness—among the U.S., EU, Australia and China—risks exacerbating geopolitical divides and inequalities. 

Quantum computing’s potential extends beyond threats, promising breakthroughs in AI optimization, climate modeling, and healthcare. Yet the strategic secrecy of quantum decryption and uneven adoption among global sectors compound the risks. As quantum computing approaches its “ChatGPT moment” in 2025, governments, businesses, and individuals must act decisively to avoid chaos in digital trust and economic systems. Will we secure our digital future, or will the Big Crunch dismantle it?

6. Augment Your Vision

In 2025, augmented reality (AR) is poised to redefine how we interact with the world by further merging digital and physical realities. Led by companies like Meta, Snap, and Vuzix, AR technology will continue to advance rapidly. In 2025, the industry will focus on improving mass-market AR glasses, with technical breakthroughs in hardware and operating systems paving the way for future adoption. 

Lightweight, comfortable designs paired with advanced AI, 5G connectivity, and vision correction capabilities will enable immersive experiences across industries like healthcare, education, and retail. With diverse pricing options and enterprise applications, these innovations promise to drive broader adoption, transforming daily life and professional workflows.

Beyond visuals, AR will further integrate spatial intelligence, enabling users to access contextual information about environments, systems, and relationships. However, privacy concerns, like real-time doxxing with AR glasses, highlight risks of data collection and surveillance. Over-reliance on AR may erode critical thinking, and monopolized platforms could limit user autonomy.

In 2025, businesses have the chance to harness AR for productivity and customer engagement, while governments must enact regulations to protect privacy and ensure equitable use. As AR integrates further into life, its success will depend on balancing innovation with ethical responsibility, shaping its role as a transformative or divisive force.

7. Humanoids to the Workforce

In 2025, humanoid robots will start moving from prototypes to essential workforce tools and disrupt industries like healthcare, logistics, and even hospitality. Already, robots are revolutionizing restaurants by cooking and serving food. Meanwhile, aged care facilities are experimenting with humanoid robots to address labor shortages and meet the demands of aging populations. In 2025, I expect multiple announcements of aged care facilities that will be predominantly operated by humanoids.

Faster, cheaper, and smarter, these robots will help organizations to address labor shortages and repetitive tasks. China and the USA will lead the way, exemplified by innovations like Deep Robotics’ Lynx robot or Figure. While human-like designs are most common, 2025 will bring more “exotic” humanoids with forms optimized for specific tasks, such as additional limbs or non-human locomotion.

AI advancements will enhance robot adaptability, enabling seamless collaboration with humans and training for complex environments. Collaborative robots (cobots) are becoming more prevalent, and declining production costs will likely make humanoids accessible for mass production, spearheaded by China.

8. From Reactive to Proactive Health

In 2025, healthcare will accelerate its shift from a reactive model, treating illnesses after they occur, to a proactive paradigm focused on predicting, preventing, and optimizing health outcomes. 

Wearable devices like smartwatches and the Oura Ring, which I have been using for years, can detect conditions like sleep apnea and already empower patients with real-time insights. IoT-enabled remote monitoring systems and AI precision in analyzing medical records and genetic profiles amplify these efforts, fostering proactive decisions and reducing crisis management reliance.

Innovations such as Neko body scans, Grok’s image analysis, and Mayo Clinic's individualized medicine demonstrate the potential for tailored healthcare and enable individuals to make informed decisions and prevent health crises before they arise.

In 2025, insurance models will increase their efforts to reward preventive behaviors with dynamic premiums, encouraging early interventions but raising concerns about accessibility. Proactive healthcare promises reduced strain on systems and better outcomes but faces challenges in equitable access due to cost and infrastructure gaps. 

As AI and wearable technologies become more integrated into healthcare in 2025, will these advancements bridge healthcare divides or deepen them?

9. Trumpian Doctrine Changing Tech

Trump’s presidency in 2025 will drive significant changes in technology through protectionist policies, fragmented globalization, and deregulation. Tesla and X will likely benefit from favorable policies, while tariffs will disrupt Apple’s China-reliant supply chains. 

Trump’s proposals, such as repealing Biden’s AI Executive Order and scrapping Section 230 protections, signal a turbulent era for Big Tech. At the same time, crypto markets will thrive on deregulation, buoyed by Bitcoin innovation and stockpiling. AI deregulation will accelerate U.S. leadership over China, fostering growth but amplifying ethical and safety risks. This climate will foster rapid growth in AI and blockchain but risks undermining trust, fairness, and safety.

Militarization of tech will intensify as SpaceX and Anduril spearhead defense-focused AI tools and, unfortunately, autonomous weapons. This shift normalizes Silicon Valley's militarization and amplifies tech's role in geopolitics.

As Big Tech navigates favoritism, geopolitics, and militarization, its ability to balance innovation and accountability will define 2025.

10. Innovate, Imitate, Regulate

In 2025, managing exponential technological change requires balancing innovation, imitation, and regulation. These strategies will determine how industries evolve, societies function, and global power shifts. The well-known phrase “The USA innovates, China imitates, and the EU regulates” encapsulates how nations navigate this landscape, influencing geopolitical dynamics.

Innovation drives advancements in AI, quantum computing and spatial intelligence but risks ethical dilemmas, resource misuse, and societal disruption when done without foresight. The USA, under-regulating and over-innovating under a Trump presidency, faces challenges in aligning first-mover advantage with ethical responsibility. Imitation accelerates progress but fuels persistent copyright disputes, particularly in AI, which threaten to stagnate innovation and undermine originality. 

Regulation remains a critical challenge as governments struggle to keep pace with rapid technology. Over-regulation in the EU stifles creativity and innovation, while under-regulation in the U.S. risks exploitation. China’s adaptive approach could solidify its position as a leader in technological advancement. Global cooperation is essential to address issues such as AI ethics, misinformation, and quantum supremacy.

To avoid chaos, stagnation, or suppression, businesses must innovate responsibly, governments must regulate adaptively, and individuals must demand accountability. Harmonizing these strategies will define whether 2025 is a year of progress or imbalance.

Conclusion: The Year of Reckoning

As we navigate 2025, the Year of Reckoning, the ten trends explored in this report reveal a landscape of immense disruption. AI's omnipresence, trust crises, and a tsunami of synthetic information redefine how we interact with technology. Blockchain and RWAs unlock new financial possibilities, while quantum computing is both a risk and a transformative opportunity.

Augmented reality and humanoid robots blur the lines between the digital and physical, while proactive healthcare reimagines well-being. Meanwhile, Trumpian policies fragment globalization, accelerate militarization and disrupt Big Tech. Across these shifts, societies struggle to balance innovation, imitation, and regulation amid accelerating technological change.

Looking ahead, the disruption of 2025 is just the beginning. As we transition to a fully digital society, the pace and scale of change will only increase. As the architects of tomorrow, we must ask ourselves: What digital future do we want to build? This question spans our personal and professional lives, our societies, and humanity as a whole. Technology itself is neutral—it is our application of its force that will determine whether we create a future that is equitable, sustainable, and innovative.

The decisions we make today will shape how exponential technologies impact us tomorrow. Let's commit to building a digital future that empowers rather than divides, inspiring a reckoning not of chaos but of possibility.