Twelve tech trends to watch in 2025: The dawn of the convergence era

A new era is upon us. The most promising technological advancements — such as neural networks, generative artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, supercomputers, robotics, and the digitalization of the physical world — have thus far remained relatively isolated, each following its own distinct roadmap. However, the time has come for these breakthroughs to merge in broad ecosystems. “In the next five years, we are going to see the convergence of all technologies,” warns Stephen Ibaraki, founder of AI For Good. AI is no longer the star actor but rather a member of an ensemble cast in this new movie.

Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at computing giant Nvidia, believes one of the main goals of this convergence will be the development of humanoid robots, which he sees as “the next great leap for humanity.” This leap is made possible by AI powered by large language models, which provide the missing “brain” for machines.

Roberto Romero, creative technologist at Accenture Song, who has worked with companies like Oculus, Sony, and HTC, envisions the metaverse as the key manifestation of this technological convergence — ”the future internet,” as he defines it. This digital realm will blend the virtual and physical worlds, fostering real-time, dynamic relationships interconnected across all devices. It will have genuine economic and social capabilities, with users inhabiting digital identities.

These are the developments that will usher in the new era in 2025.

Cybersecurity

The street is no longer the primary arena for crime. Over 25% of criminal activity now takes place online, spanning from kidnappings and extortion to sexual violence. Cybersecurity experts agree that the incidence of cybercrime will only continue to grow in the coming year.

Nataly Kremer, chief product officer at Check Point Software, predicts an “exponential increase in the sophistication of cyberattacks,” requiring the adoption of advanced technologies to counteract them. According to Check Point Research, cyberattacks surged by 75% globally during the third quarter of 2024, driven by artificial intelligence.

“Threats will not be limited to ransomware. The rise of the Internet of Things [IoT], with 32 billion devices expected by 2025, according to Morefield, will expand the attack surface,” warns Kremer.

Kremer views AI as a “double-edged sword.” While it will improve both attacks and defenses, it enables cybercriminals to craft more precise and effective threats with fewer resources for large-scale operations, she says. On the other hand, for those managing security operations centers (SOC), AI helps “prioritize risks, reduce false positives, and detect anomalous patterns more swiftly.”

Connectivity

“The future is shaping up to be an exciting one, as communications service providers are preparing for a transformation of the mobile industry,” says Fredrik Jejdling, Vice President and Head of Networks, in the Ericsson Mobility Report. “The innovation journey has already begun,” he adds, referring to the widespread adoption of 5G networks, which, globally (excluding China), currently reaches only 30%. “But the increasing use of generative AI in mobile devices, which enables the creation of hyper-personalized content at scale, may impact the volumes and characteristics of mobile data traffic in the future,” he explains.

Looking beyond 5G, the next generation of connectivity, 6G, is on the horizon — a gateway to the metaverse. “6G capabilities will enable the vision of moving freely in the cyber-physical world, building a critical bridge between the world of senses, actions, and experiences, and the programmable digital representation of the physical world,” says Jejdling.

New reality

The cyber-physical world encompasses augmented reality, virtual reality, and digital twins. With these advances, it will be possible to project digital objects onto physical ones to create a mixed reality. This development will pave the way for holographic displays, where a person is digitally represented within a physical environment, with numerous sensors embedded in the surroundings to update and ensure the digital representation in real-time.

Ibaraki highlights Meta’s latest glasses, which may seem like just another device, but represent a significant leap forward. By freeing the developments of new digital realities from isolating, wired glasses and integrating them into a more accessible, everyday accessory, they mark a qualitative shift in how we interact with these emerging technologies.

Artificial intelligence and assistants

AI is set to be integrated into all devices, extending far beyond just smartphones and computers. It aims to become a versatile agent, a constant assistant, capable of conversing like a human, analyzing documents — whether text, images, or videos — across various domains, providing complex responses and solutions, and even executing tasks on behalf of the user. As Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, puts it: “A super-competent colleague that knows absolutely everything about my whole life, every email, every conversation I’ve ever had, but doesn’t feel like an extension.” However, the anticipated rise in the use of AI assistants did not unfold as expected this year, but companies remain confident that it will experience significant growth in the coming year.

Data and the Internet of Things

Mobile network data traffic grew 21% in 2024, with a monthly average of 157 exabytes (157 billion gigabytes). The surge was fueled primarily by increased viewing of video content, which accounted for 74% of traffic. The tech industry is struggling to maintain traffic capacity and is looking for ways to do so in a more sustainable way. Meanwhile, connected devices, which fall under the common name of the Internet of Things, already account for 7% of traffic and will continue to grow.

Drones

Drones are no longer limited to small, battery-powered quadcopters with little range. They now play an essential role in surveillance, search and rescue missions, warfare and in the delivery of emergency material. Technological advances, new sensors, and more accessible prices are set to usher in a new boom in drones, even if delivery drones are yet to be widely adopted, with pilot projects still ongoing.

But Jay Stanley, an analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), warns that this boom comes with risks. “If there’s an accumulation of different uses of this technology, we’re going to end up in a world where from the moment you step out of your front door, you’re going to feel as though you’re under the constant eye of law enforcement from the sky,” he told MIT Technology Review. “It may have some real benefits, but it is also in dire need of strong checks and balances.”

Chips

At the heart of these advancements are semiconductor materials, which house the countless integrated circuits that power them. The rise of artificial intelligence has dramatically increased the demand for chips and the push for greater capabilities. Governments, tech giants, and start-ups are fiercely competing for dominance in this industry. Leading manufacturers like TSMC and Intel are constructing massive facilities, funded in part by over $26 billion in direct financial aid from the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Japan plans to invest $13 billion, India $15 billion, and Europe over $47 billion in an effort to achieve sovereignty in a market largely dominated by China.

The objective of new chip developments is to enhance performance while maintaining energy efficiency. Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have been designing their own semiconductors for years to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and Nvidia, a market leader in advanced AI training chips whose valuation surpasses the GDP of 183 countries.

Images, deepfakes and disinformation

The first models capable of converting text into video emerged at the end of 2022, with companies like Meta, Google, and video tech startup Runway presenting early results that seemed insignificant at the time. Just a year and a half later, OpenAI introduced Sora, followed by updates from Google, Runway, Midjourney, and Stability AI, among others. Today, these tools are capable of creating entire films.

However, the creative potential of these technologies has been overshadowed by their widespread misuse, particularly in the creation of deepfakes. These lifelike videos and images have flooded the internet with propaganda and non-consensual pornography, creating a global issue that is expected to worsen this year. After all, video is the most natural medium for the internet and social media networks like YouTube and TikTok.

Online misinformation remains one of the primary challenges facing society and democratic systems. “We are replacing trust with mistrust, confusion, fear, and hate. Society without ground truth will degenerate,” said Michal Pechoucek, CTO of Gen Digital, the firm behind online security brands like Norton and Avast, in an interview with MIT Technology Review.

John Wissinger, head of innovation and strategy at Blackbird AI, tracks low-tech misinformation, such as social media posts that misplace real images in misleading contexts. Generative technologies make things worse, but the problem of people presenting media in misleading ways, deliberately or otherwise, is not new, he explains. Blackbird AI has developed Compass, a tool that helps users verify articles and social media posts. Additionally, researchers at MIT and Cornell University have launched an AI chatbot, Debunkbot.com, specifically trained to counter conspiracy theories and hoaxes.

Driverless cars

Despite incidents and regulatory challenges, self-driving car projects continue to make significant progress. Manuel Carranza García, a professor and doctor in the Department of Computer Languages and Systems at the University of Seville, argues that “the advantages are so obvious that it’s nearly impossible to abandon the idea.” “It’s already operational in China, and at this point, it seems to be evolving more as a legislative initiative than a technological one. The developments are already in place; there will be flaws, as there are with humans, and that’s a legislative issue. But the risks associated with autonomous driving are far outweighed by its advantages,” explains Carranza.

Robots

The race for humanoid robot technology is being driven by about 20 companies, including 1X Technologies (owned by OpenAI), Apptronik, Agility Robotics, Figure (backed by Jeff Bezos, OpenAI, and Nvidia), and Boston Dynamics, among others. Rev Lebaredian points out that the mechanical aspects of these robots are nearly perfected and that market forces will soon drive down costs, as has happened with other technologies. “We now have the technology to build these physical robots and reduce their price to a few thousand dollars,” he explains. The missing piece, he adds, emerged a decade ago when programming evolved from simply generating tools to creating skills and intelligence. “It’s a new revolution,” he says. Meanwhile, Lerrel Pinto’s team at New York University is developing techniques that enable robots to learn through trial and error, collecting their own training data as they go.

Classical and quantum supercomputing

One of the burgeoning developments that highlights the convergence of technologies is the rise of digital twins. This concept allows for the creation, testing, and modification of a future physical reality without the need for prototyping, a key breakthrough for industries and the modeling of complex systems. A major project, led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center’s Mare Nostrum, is aiming to create a digital twin of Earth to better understand the planet and prevent catastrophic events. Another cutting-edge machine, Frontier, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is being used to model a digital version of the Milky Way. “If everyone on Earth did a calculation every second, it would take four years to match what that computer can do in one second,” explains computer scientist Jack Dongarra from the University of Tennessee.

However, to truly grasp complex natural phenomena, like the chaotic movement of fluids or the intricate map of neurons, these powerful systems will require the assistance of another promising technology: quantum computing. Microsoft, IBM, and Google are set to unveil quantum computers and developments in 2025. These advances repesent the first step toward achieving systems with a sufficient number of qubits, extended operational lifetimes, and improved fault tolerance — key milestones for complementing and enhancing the capabilities of large classical machines.

Batteries

The journey towards mass electrification hinges on the development of better, more efficient, and cheaper batteries. While lithium-ion batteries have been the standard for decades, powering everything from laptops and cell phones to vehicles and energy storage, they will need to make way for systems that more capable, more cost-effective and faster to recharge. The focus of research in the coming year will be on alternatives such as solid-state, sodium-ion, and iron-air batteries.

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