Top 10: Emerging Technologies
With AI leading a wave of innovation that has captured public imagination and enterprise investment, the past year has seen ML models advance from basic text generation to creating images, videos and functional computer code. This is just one area of technology that is emerging across the world in 2025.
This transformation builds on decades of technological evolution, from the first commercial computers of the 1950s through the internet revolution of the 1990s to today's era of ubiquitous computing.
Each wave has accelerated the pace of change - for example - with current advances in quantum computing, fields from cryptography to drug discovery are being reshaped.
Yet significant challenges emerge from the repercussions of such advanced technology.
Semiconductor supply chains face continued disruption, while cybersecurity threats grow more sophisticated.
Questions about AI safety and ethics spark calls for regulation, even as the technology becomes more deeply embedded in critical infrastructure - and the ethics and politics of advancing technology is causing tension between companies, customers and nations.
As technological innovation shows no sign of slowing down, we look at some of the top technologies emerging now and who is doing what to stay ahead of the game.
10. Edge computing
Edge computing is what’s revolutionising data processing, by bringing computation closer to the source, reducing latency and enhancing security.
By processing data locally, edge computing minimises network congestion, improves response times and bolsters data privacy.
Microsoft is investing in this tech with Azure Edge Zones, offering low-latency computing in strategic locations.
Additionally, AWS Wavelength integrates with 5G networks to enable real-time applications.
Cloudflare's Workers platform also allows developers to build serverless applications at the network edge.
9. Blockchain
Blockchain technology is transforming data management across industries, because this decentralised, distributed ledger system enables secure, transparent transactions without intermediaries.
Thanks to Blockchain, Ethereum facilitates smart contracts and decentralised applications.
Meanwhile, Ripple focuses on streamlining cross-border payments for financial institutions and IBM Blockchain offers enterprise solutions, particularly in supply chain management, enhancing traceability and efficiency.
Beyond cryptocurrencies, blockchain is transforming sectors like healthcare, voting systems and intellectual property rights.
8. Autonomous vehicle
These self-driving cars utilise advanced technologies like radar, LiDAR, cameras and AI to navigate complex environments.
Industry leaders Tesla, Waymo and Cruise are at the forefront, each employing unique approaches.
Tesla relies heavily on camera-based systems and machine learning, while Waymo and Cruise incorporate multiple sensor modalities and high-definition mapping.
However, despite progress, challenges remain in areas of regulation, public acceptance and technical refinement.
7. Biotechnology in agriculture
Biotechnology in agriculture is uplifting food production by enhancing crop yields, resilience and sustainability.
Companies like Bayer, Corteva Agriscience and Ginkgo Bioworks are leading innovations such as genetically modified crops resistant to pests, diseases and drought. For example, Golden Rice is biofortified with beta-carotene to combat vitamin A deficiencies.
Microbial biotechnology improves soil health through biofertilisers and biopesticides, while precision agriculture optimises farming efficiency.
6. Internet of Things (IoT)
Major players like Amazon's AWS IoT, Google Cloud IoT and Cisco are driving innovation in this space.
IoT connects billions of devices to share data and automate processes and now, from smart homes to industrial automation, IoT is transforming how we live and work - enabling real-time decision-making, predictive maintenance and enhanced operational efficiency across sectors.
In manufacturing, for example, IoT sensors optimise production cycles - while in agriculture - they monitor crop conditions, whilst smart cities leverage IoT for traffic management and energy conservation.
5. Augmented reality (AR)
AR is changing how we interact with the world, seamlessly blending digital content with our physical environment.
Industry leaders like Microsoft's HoloLens, Apple's ARKit and Niantic's Pokémon GO are pushing the boundaries of this technology.
AR enhances real-world experiences across various sectors, from gaming to healthcare and manufacturing - this means that smart devices, including phones, tablets, and specialised headsets, serve as gateways to AR experiences.
4. Virtual reality (VR) 2.0
Since VR 2.0 integrates AI for personalised, responsive environments and incorporates haptic feedback for realistic tactile sensations, it’s revolutionising immersive experiences across industries.
Meta's Oculus, Sony's PlayStation VR and HTC are leading the charge with advanced hardware featuring high-resolution displays and precise motion tracking.
Enhanced accessibility features, including customisable controls and multi-language support, are also making VR more inclusive.
Applications extend beyond gaming to corporate training, healthcare and remote collaboration. The technology now offers hyper-realistic graphics, spatial audio and seamless integration with 5G networks for low-latency experiences.
3. 5G expansion
China is leading the charge with 5G expansion, boasting 4.2 million base stations and aiming for 4.5 million by year-end.
According to GSMA Intelligence, 5G connections are expected to reach 5.5 billion by 2030.
This growth enables transformative applications in autonomous vehicles, smart cities and industrial automation.
Companies like Qualcomm, Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei are driving innovation, focusing on ultra-low latency and massive machine-type communication.
2. Quantum computing
Harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics to solve complex problems beyond the reach of classical computers, quantum computing is hugely impacting the world of computation.
Quantum computers utilise qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously, enabling exponential processing power.
This breakthrough has far-reaching implications across industries, from drug discovery and financial modeling to cryptography and AI.
Quantum computing promises to transform fields like material science, weather forecasting and optimisation.
Industry giants IBM, Google, Microsoft and IonQ are at the forefront of this groundbreaking technology.
For instance, last year, Google's quantum chip, Willow, completed a benchmark computation in under five minutes, that would take today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years.
Then Nvidia invented the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Super: “The world’s most affordable Gen AI computer.”
1. Gen AI
McKinsey reports that 72% of organisations are using Gen AI in one or more business functions as of 2024, compared to 56% in 2021 and MarketsandMarkets estimates the Gen AI market to reach US$136.7bn by 2030.
Gen AI is revolutionising industries with its ability to create original content across various mediums and is transforming sectors like healthcare, education and finance, enabling hyper-personalisation, early disease detection and automated content creation.
OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, Google's Bard and Nvidia are some at the helm of this technology.
“It started with perception AI - understanding images, words and sounds. Then Gen AI - creating text, images and sound,” Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO summarised when presenting the company’s new AI innovations at CES 2025.
Explore the latest edition of Technology Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Technology Magazine is a BizClik brand
