At the start of 2025, lists of technology trends pointed almost entirely in one direction: artificial intelligence everywhere. The year confirmed that bet, but more unevenly than the predictions suggested. This guide reviews the main technology trends of 2025 and what they indicate for 2026.
1. AI agents: the word of the year
In 2025 nearly every major technology company launched or announced agents, AI systems able to carry out multi-step tasks such as browsing websites, writing and testing code or organising information. What held up: agents proved useful for well-defined tasks, especially programming. What stayed a promise: fully autonomous agents reliable enough to act without human supervision.
2. Reasoning models and cheaper models
Reasoning models, which spend more computing time thinking before they answer, spread widely. In January 2025 the Chinese company DeepSeek released its R1 reasoning model with open weights and performance close to the leaders at a much lower cost of use. The market reacted strongly, and competition on efficiency intensified.
3. Regulation left the drawing board
In the European Union, the AI Act began to apply in stages: banned practices took effect in February 2025 and obligations for general-purpose AI models in August 2025. For companies, compliance with AI rules became part of planning.
4. Energy became a technology story
Demand from AI data centres put energy at the centre of the debate. Large technology companies signed deals to buy nuclear power and invest in small modular reactors, announced from 2024 onwards. Chip efficiency and the source of electricity began to weigh on investment decisions.
5. AI PCs and the end of Windows 10
Manufacturers bet on computers with processors dedicated to AI, known as NPUs. The end of support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025 accelerated hardware upgrades in businesses and homes.
6. Security: passkeys and post-quantum cryptography
Passkeys kept replacing passwords in major services. At the same time, with the post-quantum cryptography standards published by NIST in August 2024, governments and companies began planning the move to algorithms that resist quantum computers.
7. Satellites on the phone
Carriers started offering satellite messaging directly on ordinary phones, with no special antenna, in areas without coverage. The service is still limited, but it points to the end of completely disconnected zones.
8. Humanoid robots on trial
Robotics companies stepped up trials of humanoid robots in factories and warehouses. In 2025 they remained in pilot projects, far from large-scale use.
What the 2025 trends suggest for 2026
The main lesson of 2025 is that real adoption of technology moves more slowly than announcements. For 2026 the signals point to AI agents that are more reliable on specific tasks, growing pressure for energy efficiency, more rules being enforced in practice and digital security as a priority. Follow these trends in today's technology news and in our guide to the future of technology.