The TechRadar team looks back at the biggest tech stories of 2025 (www.techradar.com)

In 2025, the tech landscape was dominated by remarkable advances in artificial intelligence, surpassing incremental improvements in hardware. Companies like OpenAI and Google led the charge with innovations such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google's Gemini, which enhanced user experience and AI capabilities across various products. AI integration became ubiquitous, transforming not only software applications but also consumer devices, making AI an anticipated standard feature rather than an optional enhancement. However, the excitement surrounding AI came with challenges, as rising costs of components linked to AI's boom threatened to inflate prices for future devices like smartphones and laptops. Notably, OpenAI faced setbacks with the release of its GPT-5 model, which received criticism for lacking the warmth of previous iterations. As AI technology continues to evolve rapidly, particularly in areas like generative models and imaging capabilities, the community grapples with balancing innovation against practical implications, highlighting both the transformative potential and the unforeseen consequences of widespread AI adoption. Looking ahead to 2026, the tech community remains poised for both thrilling advancements and potential market challenges.