The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Technology Review reporters and editors have assembled a list of the top 10 breakthrough technologies of 2025. Every year, the review compiles its list of breakthrough technologies that will make a difference in the world.
These breakthroughs include the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, generative AI search, small language models, cattle burping remedies, robotaxis, cleaner jet fuel, robots that learn fast, long-acting medication for HIV prevention, green steel, and effective stem-cell therapies.
Niall Firth, executive director of MIT Technology Review, said, “We just try to focus on technologies that are going to have a high impact. We also think a lot about what it will take for a new technology to become commercially viable. What will make it become a reality? We also think about the positive and negative effects that a technology might have.”
“In 2009, we put intelligent software systems on the list, really prompted by Siri, which at that time was being developed by a company of the same name, and then was later acquired by Apple,” he added.
Here are the top 10 breakthrough technologies:
Vera C. Rubin Observatory
According to MIT Technology Review, a new telescope will be installed in a remote area of Chile in 2025. The telescope’s purpose is to undertake a decade-long survey of the southern sky.
It stated that the telescope contains the largest digital camera ever made for use in astronomy. It will be taking photos constantly for years to come, to give astronomers unprecedented volumes of material to help them study dark matter and explore the Milky Way.
Gen AI search is changing the way people look for things online. Instead of coming up with a list of search results like a conventional search engine, Gen AI tools can summarise information from across a wide range of online sources high including visual and audio content, as well as text, to give you exactly what you need and fast.
MIT Technology Review said this has far-reaching implications for knowledge-sharing and information-gathering in digital spaces, and for the way businesses work online.
Small language models
Small language models (SLMs) are cheaper to run than large language models (LLMs), and they consume less power. Basically, they are more agile and adaptable than LLMs and, increasingly, they can be just as useful for a range of tasks.
Cattle burping remedies
MIT Technology Review stated that cow burps are one of the biggest sources of emissions from the agriculture industry, and one of the most difficult problems to solve because you can’t just tell cows not to burp.
“Now, a food supplement that reduces the amount of methane emitted by cattle burps is becoming available in countries around the world, and could have a significant impact on agricultural emissions,” MIT stated.
Robotaxis
Robotaxis are becoming available for public use in over a dozen cities around the world, according to MIT Technology Review.
It stated that now that they are operational, key players in the robotaxi market are preparing to compete for a stronger foothold in the market, while handling close attention from regional regulators.
Greener jet fuels offer the potential to power planes without fossil fuels and reduce the environmental impact of air travel.
Cleaner fuels are made from industrial waste, cooking oil, or gases in the air. After years of development these fuels are finally entering mass production and government-mandated use.
This is unlike the post-consumption jet fuel produces high levels of CO2 and other byproducts that are harmful to our environment.
Robots that learn fast
Faster-learning robots are one of the many outcomes of the generative AI boom we have seen over the last couple of years, according to MIT Technology Review.
Today’s robots can learn new tasks faster than ever before, and perhaps more important than their speed, their ability to learn means they can also handle a wider variety of tasks without specific pre-programming.
Long-acting medication for HIV prevention
A recent trial of a new HIV prevention medicine found that 100 percent of patients were protected from acquiring HIV infections when they received a dose of the medication every six months, MIT Technology Review stated.
It said this has major implications for the global health fight against HIV and AIDS, because if everyone who needs it could have access to this drug, then everyone could be protected.
Green steel
MIT Technology Review said the very first industrial green-steel plant (using renewable hydrogen) is under construction by startup Stegra, in Sweden.
“Steel production emits more carbon than the entirety of India, and far more than the global air travel industry. As such a significant industrial source of carbon dioxide, steel has been the focus of sustainability R&D efforts in recent years,” it stated.
Effective stem-cell therapies
MIT Technology Review noted that, supported by emerging technologies and AI data analysis, there is an increased pace of progress for stem cell therapies with real potential for wider use over the next few years.
“It’s been years since scientists first hypothesised that stem cells from human embryos would cure disease, and today, transplants of lab-made cells are being used to treat patients with epilepsy that have not responded to anti-seizure medication, and patients with type 1 diabetes,” it added.
