In an industry in constant flux, sticking your neck out to predict what’s coming next may seem reckless. (AI bubble? What AI bubble?) But for the last few years we’ve done just that—check out our pretty accurate predictions for 2025—and now, we’re doing it all over again.
So what’s coming in 2026? Here are our big bets for the next 12 months.
—Rhiannon Williams, Will Douglas Heaven, Caiwei Chen, James O'Donnell & Michelle Kim
Interested in why it’s so hard to make predictions about AI—and why we’ve done it anyway? Check out the latest edition of The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up here to make sure you receive future editions straight to your inbox.
This story is also part of MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series, looking across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here.
Four bright spots in climate news in 2025
Climate news wasn’t great in 2025. Global greenhouse-gas emissions hit record highs (again). It’s set to be either the second or third warmest on record. Climate-fueled disasters like wildfires in California and flooding in Indonesia and Pakistan devastated communities and caused billions in damage.
There’s no doubt that we’re in a severe situation. But for those looking for bright spots, there was some good news in 2025, too. Here are just a few of the positive stories our climate reporters noticed this year. Read the full story.