Meta’s AI push risks alienating users if social feeds flood with bots. Balancing innovation with human creator support will be key to retaining its audience.

The year of AI: Artificial intelligence invaded all aspects of life in 2024, from work to play and generation to generation. New genAI players appeared to take on megaliths like Google and Meta. It would be a copout to say that 2025 will bring more of the same, but we expect startups to begin taking more market share from Big Tech and challenging the status quo.

Big Tech battled Europe’s new rules in 2024: Apple opened its ecosystem to comply with DMA while Meta faced fines and scrutiny over data use and subscriptions. We can expect continued stringent regulations.

Big Tech’s energy shift: Companies like Google and Microsoft are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to meet the escalating power demands of AI, but regulators could stop projects before they start.

While costly headsets falter, mobile AR is seeing strong momentum. Affordable solutions like Ray-Ban Meta Glasses offer promising pathways for consumer engagement.

Cyberattacks and overloads disrupt industries: From telecom strikes to service failures, 2024’s outages underline the fragility of tech systems and the urgent need for diversification and resilience strategies.

Automated ad systems, boosted video ad spending, and platforms leaning into their unique qualities led to a bounce-back year in 2024 for social networks overall.

TikTok is driving social commerce sales and buyer growth: The platform’s popularity and influence with Gen Zers contributed to its 2024 successes. We look at how that could change in 2025.

New features like live translation and an on-device assistant transform Ray-Ban Meta Glasses into a practical tool, signaling progress in wearables development.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why now might be the exact right time for Meta to bring back live shopping, who would be the most likely candidate to buy Party City, and why Disney thinks that now is the right time to pull the trigger on a big change. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

A US TikTok ban may happen in the near future, but brands that sell on TikTok Shop shouldn’t abandon it until they have to.

By questioning OpenAI’s shift, Meta warns of tax loopholes and nonprofit misuse, signaling growing tensions over funding ethics and competition in AI’s commercialization.

A growing list of legal problems for large platforms: A Texas investigation is a reminder of the coming era of privacy regulation.

TikTok’s ban is officially happening, but there are caveats: A few potential escape hatches exist, but the January 19 deadline remains.

In a bid for influence, tech leaders risk backlash as they align with Trump, aiming to steer antitrust cases and secure growth opportunities

With GPT-4 features, privacy options, and a price under $150, Solos’ AirGo Vision glasses dare to unseat Ray-Ban Meta as the go-to wearable for tech lovers.

AI agents, mobile AI, and smart glasses will lead a wave of advancements, while genAI search and digital twins will redefine business strategies.

Regulation will disrupt some digital players, while retail media and genAI adoption will create opportunities across advertising and commerce.

"In 2025 we are going to see brands think community-first,” according to Jennifer Quigley-Jones, CEO of Digital Voices. One place they will do this is on Instagram Broadcast Channels, the one-to-many messaging feature that allows users to directly engage with followers. As of last week, subscribers of the exclusive direct messaging (DM) channels can now communicate with the creators and brands they follow, similar to how they might use Discord or Patreon.

AI will become deeply woven into daily life in 2025. Autonomous agents, smart devices, AR glasses, search engines, and digital twins are making AI an ambient presence in how we work, shop, browse, and interact with the world.