Written by: Mark Minevich, Forbes
Compiled by: MetaverseHub
The upcoming year will be a year of significant change. Advancements in fields such as AI, robotics, biotechnology, and space exploration will shape economic growth while presenting notable opportunities and challenges. In 2025, we must focus on embracing stunning innovations and advancements while keeping these developments on an ethical implementation and usage track.
Mark Minevich from Forbes shares his 12 predictions:
01. Global Economic Shift
Technological advancements will determine economic growth. There will be a clear divide between countries participating in the innovation economy and those lacking capacity or infrastructure. The consequences of automation growth and the trend toward industrial decarbonization will serve as catalysts for shifts in power distribution on the international stage.
Countries that fail to do so will fall behind, while others, such as the BRICS nations, will continue to seek a shift away from the dollar.
However, the U.S. economy is expected to grow, inflation to decrease, employment to rise, and interest rates to lower. These changes underscore the necessity to supplement investments in innovation and adapt or reskill workforce skills to participate in global competition.
02. Stock Market Changes and the Dominance of AI
Wall Street is optimistic about this year's stock market. By the end of 2025, U.S. stock indices are expected to reach at least 6500 points, representing a 9% increase compared to current values, and a total return rate of 10% when dividends are considered. A significant portion of these gains will come from AI companies.
Nvidia will become a valuation leader due to its strategic position in the AI hardware field; interesting IPOs will emerge from companies like Stripe and Databricks. Robotics will also see exponential growth; for example, Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot will announce its significant milestones to the entire industry in 2024.
Even as AI continues to create value across industries, traditional sectors will feel the pressure to integrate these technologies into their systems, increasing market volatility.
03. The Transformation of AI and Robotics
Multimodal AI and AI agents will transform various industries. Several recently developed methods that interpret and generate multiple forms of data (text, images, and audio) electronically will significantly innovate processes across industries, including healthcare, education, and communication services.
AI agents will serve as a strategic workforce for complex tasks (including legal requirements, supply chain efficiency, product development, and other areas) to enhance efficiency and productivity.
Robotics will develop across fields. As social robots and humanoid robots, such as Ameca and Digit, transition from novelty items to necessities in elder care, warehousing, and retail, the application of robotic technology will become mainstream. Ordinary multitasking robots will become the backbone of the healthcare and logistics industries.
In households, affordable robotic devices will replace traditional devices, providing better protection and ease of use. By 2025, the distinction between what is human effort and what is not will become blurred, leading to profound debates about work, self, and meaning.
04. Progress in Space Exploration
In 2025, humanity will continue deep space exploration experiments and establish permanent habitats on the Moon through private enterprises and government initiatives, taking the first steps toward commercializing outer space. These are early steps, but they will signal the dawn of a sustainable economic presence on the Moon.
Asteroid mining will become a reality, as companies like AstroForge aim to launch a small refinery into space to extract minerals from asteroids and only bring precious metals back to Earth.
Technological advancements will make space tourism more accessible, allowing ultra-high-net-worth individuals to enter space.
Advancements in rocket reusability achieved by Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) and Blue Origin, along with countries' growing interest in acquiring space assets for safety and economic reasons, will promote the development of space tourism. These advancements are likely to create a multi-trillion dollar industry.
There is a severe lack of new governance methods in celestial regions and conflict resolution. 2025 will be a pivotal year where humanity will experience a transformation of goals and dreams, beginning a new life on new planets, transitioning from Earth species to multi-planetary species.
05. Biotechnology Revolution
In 2025, personalized medicine will become the norm in patient care due to innovations in chronic disease treatment driven by artificial intelligence. Anti-aging therapies operating at the cellular and genetic level will be advanced, and these technologies will become part of everyday practice.
Significant funding for gene-editing tools like CRISPR and the application of AI in new drug development and clinical research are driving these advancements. These technologies are key to the gradual evolution of medical treatment, changing how healthcare is delivered, particularly the goal of treatment—from alleviating discomfort caused by diseases to fundamentally eliminating disease states.
At the same time, ethical issues surrounding genetic engineering must be addressed. Advances in these biotechnologies will fundamentally change healthcare and may prompt us to rethink the meaning of health, aging, and life.
06. Transformation in Automotive and Transportation
Oil consumption and demand will force the automotive and oil industries to embrace green energy and other energy efficiencies.
Gartner predicts that by the end of 2025, there will be 85 million electric vehicles on the road, while I predict that one in every four cars sold will be electric.
Autonomous vehicle fleets will begin to appear in major cities. The transition to electric vehicles will start to disrupt global oil consumption and demand, forcing the automotive and oil industries to embrace green energy and other energy efficiencies.
07. Cybersecurity spending will exceed $300 billion
For any technology-dependent business, attention to cybersecurity at the corporate level will increase. We will see a rise in AI-driven cyber threats targeting critical technological infrastructure.
AI-driven defense systems will become key in combating and preventing these threats. Cybersecurity spending will exceed $300 billion. This focus cannot be limited to one nation; governments must collaborate for the greater good of the planet.
08. Towards Super AI
Humanity created General Artificial Intelligence (AGI), and AGI in turn created Super Artificial Intelligence (ASI). General Artificial Intelligence, also known as Strong AI, refers to AI that can perform any intellectual task that a human can.
Super AI refers to artificial intelligence that can surpass human intelligence in all areas. Super AI can solve complex problems beyond human capabilities, with learning and adaptability far exceeding human intelligence. These are hypothetical forms of AI that are currently not achievable.
2025 could be the year we finally have machines that think like humans. This, in turn, will force us to rethink what it means to be the creator of intelligent 'life.' With the birth of AGI systems capable of solving multidisciplinary problems, new questions will arise.
We also need to develop solutions to address future concerns about the safety of superintelligence, the ability to control and contain superintelligence, and how much quantity and intelligence level of AI agents can be developed. Neural architectures and quantum computing will drive this innovation.
This will spark discussions on international regulation, ensuring that AI aligns with societal moral benchmarks and welfare.
09. Legal Precedents Shaping the Future of AI in 2025
As interest and application of AI continue to expand, ethical issues surrounding the use and accessibility of AI will remain at the forefront.
Various industries and individuals are increasingly using generative AI daily, raising concerns about verifying human identities and identifying and preventing deepfakes.
Leaders will place greater emphasis on the ethical use of AI, or they will face backlash from both internal and public sources. Companies will ensure that their use of AI aligns with the fairness and ethical standards perceived by their employees.
The legal field has never proven itself to be efficient or ahead, so we can expect courtroom battles to drag on. However, once the dust settles, they will determine the future direction of AI, for better or worse.
10. The Disruption of the Economy by AI
The disruption of the economy by AI will only increase. From a personnel perspective, some middle managers, particularly in large companies, will become irrelevant due to the adoption of new technologies. With the democratization of AI, small businesses will find it easier to compete against large corporate organizations.
Yes, these enhanced technologies can bring significant benefits in achieving strategic change and returns, but they will also pose challenges, such as the necessity for displaced employees to reskill.
This transition will require known enterprises to rethink the fundamental models of business flexibility, focusing on technology.
11. AI Data Centers: The Pillars of AI Computing
As I wrote last October, AI data centers have now become the pillars of our future computational drive. We will make substantial investments in ultra-efficient liquid cooling structures.
This change will aid the development of multiple industries, particularly healthcare and automotive. Governments will support legislative modifications to encourage investments in sustainable data center design, creating numerous opportunities for green technology market participants.
To meet the demands of AI for these centers, the focus will be on sustainable and energy-efficient design. Many organizations may not yet recognize the importance of this, which could cause them to fall behind competitors faster than expected.
12. Venture Capital-Backed Startups
The presence and proliferation of AI in startups will bring about a new type of venture capital characterized by higher and unmatched efficiency and scalability.
Driven by lean startup principles in automation and other areas, these new forms will disrupt traditional businesses, many of which will have a net asset return of $100 million while employing fewer than 30 people.
Decentralized systems for secure information exchange will also emerge, changing how various industries perceive data. This wave of innovation will redefine industries, alter competitive patterns, introduce new market players, and highlight transformative AI-based plans and initiatives.
13. Conclusion
2025 will also be a year of significant change. Breakthroughs in AI, robotics, space travel, and healthcare indicate that the new year will be filled with infinite possibilities. I hope everyone can carefully plan actions and innovations to maximize value. In the next 12 months and beyond, we will be able to envision a future filled with social progress and technological advancements.