{"id":13814,"date":"2025-03-26T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=13814"},"modified":"2025-03-22T04:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T04:24:22","slug":"seven-advances-in-technology-2025-predictions-march-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/seven-advances-in-technology-2025-predictions-march-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven advances in technology that we\u2019re likely to see in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"theconversation-article-body\">\n    <figure>\n      <img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637394\/original\/file-20241210-16-sneiud.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&#038;rect=0%2C0%2C5751%2C3828&#038;q=45&#038;auto=format&#038;w=754&#038;fit=clip\" >\n        <figcaption>\n          Head mounted devices are making \u201cmixed reality\u201d technology more accessible.\n          <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/young-man-engages-virtual-world-using-2433261397\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ivan Baranov \/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\n        <\/figcaption>\n    <\/figure>\n\n  <span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/lewis-endlar-2207311\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lewis Endlar<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/keele-university-1012\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keele University<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n  <p>In the grand scheme of things, 45 years is not a long time. Back in 1980, it would take me three weeks to run a computer program, written in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/topics\/cobol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">programming language Cobol<\/a>, that worked using punched cards. Each card represented one line of code and it required multiple re-punches to correct errors. Eventually, I would have a working program that did something useful. <\/p>\n\n<p>How times have quickly changed in technology \u2013 now, my mobile phone has vast processing capability compared to the machine that processed that Cobol program. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, that same phone is able to instantly translate between languages on a live call, among many other features.<\/p>\n\n<p>With eye-catching announcements being made all the time, what can we expect in 2025 from the world of technology? Here are seven developments to look out for.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"1-ai-agents-come-into-their-own\">1. AI agents come into their own<\/h2>\n\n<p>Unsurprisingly, we\u2019re likely to see further important developments in AI. One area that\u2019s likely to take off is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/think\/topics\/ai-agents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">use of AI agents<\/a>. These are intelligent programs that are given objectives by humans and work out the best ways to achieve those objectives. Agents can write computer code, which could have a big impact on the way that tech companies work and could allow people without advanced coding skills to develop programs, apps or games.<\/p>\n\n<p>You could also see car plants with no people, running with robots operated by AI agents. In theory, mortgage applications could be assessed and approved by agent technology. Individual apps on a smartphone could be replaced by an agent interface that performs multiple tasks for the user.<\/p>\n\n<p>A combination of agent technology with robotics could be revolutionary. We are reaching a point where robots don\u2019t just emulate the tasks of humans, but are reasoning and answering to us directly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One candidate for hosting AI agent technology is Optimus, a humanoid robot built by Tesla. Elon Musk has said that the electric car maker will start <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/article\/2024\/jul\/23\/elon-musk-tesla-humanoid-robots-optimus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">using Optimus for tasks<\/a> within the company from 2025. He added that the automaton could be ready for sale to other businesses by 2026.<\/p>\n\n<p>Agents are tailor-made for industry tasks such as project management. The consulting firm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2019-03-20-gartner-says-80-percent-of-today-s-project-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gartner suggests<\/a> that by 2030, some 80% of project management tasks will be run by AI.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"2-customisation-with-help-from-ai\">2. Customisation, with help from AI<\/h2>\n\n<p>In education, the focus has traditionally been on linear programmes of study, with pre-determined entry and exit points lasting a number of years. Imagine a course of study that is uniquely tailored to individual students based on their experience, skills and abilities. <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2019\/10\/how-ai-and-data-could-personalize-higher-education\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bespoke degree programmes<\/a> centred around the student are already being explored in the US with AI. <\/p>\n\n<p>These are not just bespoke with regard to the content and curriculum, but also in recognising the special needs of the student or indeed how the learner may feel at any one time. This can include AI that adjusts the learning activity and study based on how much sleep you had last night, which is linked to smartwatch data.<\/p>\n\n<p>Education isn\u2019t the only area where AI could help with customisation. The management consultancy Accenture suggests that private companies will <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.accenture.com\/news\/2024\/accenture-pioneers-custom-llama-llm-models-with-nvidia-ai-foundry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">be able to train<\/a> their own, custom large language models, the technology behind AI chatbots such as ChatGPT. These could be trained with data specific to particular business areas, making them more effective for those firms. But these companies would have to use billions of pieces of data. We\u2019ll see progress towards this objective in 2025. <\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/think\/topics\/small-language-models\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Small language models (SLMs)<\/a> are being developed to perform precise tasks more efficiently. They don\u2019t need to be trained on as much data and require less computing power. This means they can be used more easily on so-called \u201cedge devices\u201d \u2013 smartphones, tablets and laptops \u2013 without relying on computing resources hosted in the cloud.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"3-towards-practical-quantum-computers\">3. Towards practical quantum computers<\/h2>\n\n<p>Developments in quantum computing could lead to machines that can solve complex tasks that are beyond the capability of most classical computers. Researchers have moved away from trying to break records for the number of basic processing units, called qubits, and towards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-024-08449-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">correcting the errors<\/a> that quantum computers are currently prone to. This is a step towards practical quantum computers that have some useful advantage over classical machines.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n            <img  decoding=\"async\"  alt=\"iPhone 16\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/637490\/original\/file-20241210-15-p1j1cs.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" >\n            <figcaption>\n              <span class=\"caption\">Small language models allow AI to be more easily used on edge devices like smartphones.<\/span>\n              <span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/new-york-ny-usa-september-22-2520603539\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Raman Shaunia \/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\n            <\/figcaption>\n          <\/figure>\n\n<h2 id=\"4-blending-physical-and-virtual-worlds\">4. Blending physical and virtual worlds<\/h2>\n\n<p>Augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality could be used more widely. Virtual reality immerses users in a computer-generated world. Augmented reality superimposes computer-generated elements onto the real world, while the latter remains visible. Mixed reality, refers to a set of immersive technologies including augmented reality, that provide different \u201cblends\u201d of physical and virtual worlds. <\/p>\n\n<p>There are already a number of <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/apple-vision-pro-headset-what-does-it-do-and-will-it-deliver-207125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">head-mounted devices (HMDs)<\/a> that can support these technologies. These include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/uk\/apple-vision-pro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple\u2019s Vision Pro<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meta.com\/gb\/quest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meta\u2019s Quest headset<\/a>. In 2025, we\u2019re likely to see new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/tech\/apple-vision-pro-could-major-120000629.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">products and refinements<\/a> from the likes of Meta, Apple and others. <\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"5-benefits-of-blockchain\">5. Benefits of blockchain<\/h2>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/aws.amazon.com\/what-is\/blockchain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blockchain technology<\/a>, which allows records to be stored across a network of computers, is set to affect supply chains and different sectors from healthcare to finance. Blockchain increases transparency and traceability, allowing for the tracking of products from origin to consumer, it also offers enhanced security and improved efficiency with automated processes. <\/p>\n\n<p>Patient data in healthcare could be made more secure with blockchain technology. The exchange of data could become seamless and medical supplies could be tracked. Financial transactions could be made more robust, faster and cheaper and there would be a greater degree of financial inclusion. This would provide access to a wider group who may not have had banking or lending services before.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"6-the-dawn-of-6g-communications\">6. The dawn of 6G communications<\/h2>\n\n<p>We will enjoy faster connectivity, with the introduction of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thalesgroup.com\/en\/worldwide\/digital-identity-and-security\/magazine\/whats-latest-6g-standards-features-use-cases-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">6G wireless communication networks<\/a>. The process of standardising 6G technology <a href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/6g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">will begin in 2025<\/a>. Clear 6G global standards and compatibility between networks is vital for the technology\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"7-more-advanced-self-driving-technology\">7. More advanced self-driving technology<\/h2>\n\n<p>Self-driving vehicles are also set to see a number of advancements going forward. Self-driving cars are classified <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sae.org\/blog\/sae-j3016-update\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">into six levels<\/a>, according to their autonomy \u2013 from 0 (fully manual) to 5 (fully autonomous). Current self-driving taxis deployed in US cities such as San Francisco are at level 4 (high driving automation).<\/p>\n\n<p>They can handle most driving tasks without human input but with some restrictions. In 2025, we\u2019re likely to see progress towards level 5. This is classified as full autonomy, and describes vehicles that operate without any human intervention. Mercedes will <a href=\"https:\/\/group.mercedes-benz.com\/innovations\/product-innovation\/autonomous-driving\/drive-pilot-95-kmh.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">increase the speed<\/a> of its Drive Pilot self-driving system in 2025 and Tesla is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2024\/oct\/11\/elon-musk-unveils-tesla-cybercab-self-driving-robotaxi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">developing its own Robotaxi<\/a>, which should be available \u201cbefore 2027\u201d, according to Elon Musk.<\/p>\n\n<p>We can expect technology to be able to achieve tasks that used to be the exclusive domain of humans. It will be able to complete work tasks and report back. This will lead to efficiencies and big changes to work. We\u2019ll also see technology that enhances our leisure time and quality of life.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"The Conversation\"  width=\"1\"  height=\"1\"  style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important\"  referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/245203\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" ><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n\n  <p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/lewis-endlar-2207311\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lewis Endlar<\/a>, Programme Director MSc Project Management and Lecturer in Business, Keele Business School, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/keele-university-1012\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keele University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n  <p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/seven-advances-in-technology-that-were-likely-to-see-in-2025-245203\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Head mounted devices are making \u201cmixed reality\u201d technology more accessible. Ivan Baranov \/ Shutterstock Lewis Endlar, Keele University&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":1114,"featured_media":13816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0a\/CES_2025_-_Xiaopeng_01.jpg\/1280px-CES_2025_-_Xiaopeng_01.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16],"tags":[6229,6232,6215,6214,6219,6225,6233,6230,6212,6211,6228,6226,6223,6218,6235,6213,6222,6217,6224,6227,6220,6221,474,6234,6231,6216],"class_list":{"0":"post-13814","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-engineering","8":"category-tech","9":"tag-6g-standardization-2025","10":"tag-6g-technology-rollout","11":"tag-ai-agents-2025","12":"tag-apple-vision-pro-updates","13":"tag-augmented-reality-trends-2025","14":"tag-blockchain-in-healthcare","15":"tag-blockchain-supply-chain-tracking","16":"tag-custom-ai-education","17":"tag-edge-ai-devices","18":"tag-future-of-autonomous-vehicles","19":"tag-future-of-custom-llms","20":"tag-future-technology-2025","21":"tag-mercedes-drive-pilot-upgrade","22":"tag-mixed-reality-2025","23":"tag-next-gen-smart-devices","24":"tag-optimus-tesla-robot","25":"tag-personalized-learning-ai","26":"tag-practical-quantum-computers","27":"tag-self-driving-cars-level-5","28":"tag-small-language-models-2025","29":"tag-technology-predictions-2025","30":"tag-tesla-robotaxi-2025","31":"tag-the-conversation","32":"tag-trends-in-ai-powered-robotics","33":"tag-upcoming-ai-advancements","34":"tag-virtual-reality-2025-gadgets","35":"cs-entry","36":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13815,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13814\/revisions\/13815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}