I don’t have a crystal ball, but if I got one this year, it would almost certainly be equipped with AI, like an increasing number of gadgets.
I do have access to ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Meta AI. These AI services also don’t have crystal balls, nor do they have the ability to predict the future, but they do have access to a great deal of data, which helps them essentially regurgitate things they’ve learned on the web, including websites that speculate. So, in the spirit of disclosure, I did consult these three AI agents, but in the spirit of sanity, I vetted everything they said, came up with my own ideas and wrote the text myself. Although, when it comes to the future, accuracy is hit and miss. As is always the case with columns like these, predictions are speculative, regardless of whether they come from AI, press reports or my imagination.
AI everywhere
There is one safe bet. We will see a lot of growth in AI-enabled products in 2025. It will be embedded into many types of products from smart speakers to electric vehicles. Some of these will make a great deal of sense. Others will seem a bit silly. We’re already seeing AI embedded into a few washing machines, cooking appliances and other gadgets. The Roomba j7 Robot Vacuum already identifies and avoids obstacles like pet waste and cords, according to the company. Daikin air conditioners with AI let “you create the perfect indoor climate in every room,” says its website. Hisense has announced it will offer an AI refrigerator that “leverages food inventory tracking to suggest personalized recipes based on available ingredients and their expiration dates.” Finally, a way to avoid that long expired cottage cheese in the back of the refrigerator.
By the end of the year, it will be in nearly everything. I wonder how long it will be before trash cans analyze waste and sort trash into recycling, compost and landfill.
My sense is that 2025 will be the year of devices and software applications that serve as agents that won’t just suggest what you should do but do them for you. This could be a good thing, or it could spell disaster depending on whether or not you agree with what they plan to do and if you have the ability to easily override what they’re doing. I already experienced a bit of this with the newest (13.2.2.) Tesla so-called “Full Self Driving” update. Just this week it made a totally unnecessary U-turn and slammed on its brakes in a parking lot for no apparent reason. I love that it’s able to drive me places automatically and that it gets it right nearly all the time. But when it comes to autonomous driving, “nearly” isn’t good enough, which is why, for now, Tesla says that its software must be “supervised” by an alert human driver.
Scams and errors
There will also be scams around AI and so-called AI products that are basically junk, and, as is currently the case, AI services will make mistakes. It’s incumbent on all of us to apply critical thinking to anything we learn via AI and before buying any AI-equipped products. If it’s an important question, I always ask them to site their sources and check those sources and known reputable sites before acting on any advice. I have received good medical advice from ChatGPT but never act on it without verification from a doctor or a well-respected medical website.
Although AI has enormous potential, it does come at a cost. In 2025, we’ll see more of a focus on the environmental impact of AI, especially its enormous use of energy, which needs to be solved for its to be sustainable, especially in the developing world.
Augmented reality
Last year, Meta announced its Orion smart glasses, its first “true augmented reality glasses.” Not only did it not ship last year, it’s not clear whether it will be ready by the end of 2025. But based on the success of its far less smart current generation Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, I expect this to be a big category in 2025 with other players jumping in. The Orion, which will have smart lenses as well as speakers, microphone and camera, is said to be a possible successor to the smartphone, but we’ll have to see if that materializes. One challenge is battery life. Even the far less energy consuming current generation Ray-Ban Meta Glasses stop working after about 3 or 4 hours.
Mobile network improvements
It seems like yesterday when our phone started supporting 5G mobile networks In 2025, there will be more research and development of the 6G network that will likely include significantly higher data rates, reduced latency and improved reliability, enabling seamless communication even in remote areas. Don’t expect this anytime soon. It could take five or more years before it’s widely available. But 2025 might see the release of 5.5G, which promises incremental improvements over current 5G networks.
Continued growth and evolution of EVs
The world will see a huge growth in the deployment of electric vehicles, especially in China, where excellent EVs are now available for as little as $10,000. We will also see growth in the US, though it could slow if the Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal tax credit for eligible taxpayers buying eligible vehicles. Despite reports of a slowdown in U.S. EV growth, EV market share, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, has grown to 8.9% of the light-duty vehicle market in the third quarter of 2024.
We can also expect advances in battery technology with longer range and the use of more environmentally friendly materials. Chinese battery maker CATL is said to be working on solid state EV batteries that will be more powerful, compact, safer and sustainable than today’s lithium-iron phosphate and Nickel Manganese Cobalt batteries. There are reports that CATL is working with Tesla on battery manufacturing in the United States.
Expect the unexpected
One thing you can expect is that some of the things I wrote about here won’t materialize in 2025. There will be lots of other innovations that I haven’t yet imagined. That’s what’s fun about covering tech. There are plenty of surprises — both good and bad.
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year, And, as trite and sadly unlikely it might be, “Peace on Earth.”
Disclosure: Larry Magid is CEO of ConnectSafely, a nonprofit online safety organization that receives financial support from some of the companies mentioned in this article.