10 things that matter in AI right now

What is really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI? MIT reporters and editors have spent years thinking about this question, charting AI’s progress and mapping out what’s next. Now, for the first time, we’ve distilled our answers into a single list.

Inspired by MIT Technology Review’s annual list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies, here’s a brand new look at the big ideas, trends, and new advances in AI that are driving progress or shifting power dynamics today—and will shape what’s possible tomorrow.

1. Humanoid data.  Just as our words became training data for large language models, videos of our movements are now being collected en masse to train humanoid robots. From sprawling “training centers” where workers repetitively complete tasks to tele-operated bots “puppeted” by strangers overseas, it’s a bizarre effort with no guarantee of success.
2. LLMs+.  Large language models took the world by storm. Now everyone in AI is chasing the next big thing. The low-hanging fruit may be gone, but LLMs aren’t going anywhere. There’s a lot of juice left to squeeze out of this technology.
3. Supercharged scams.  AI is lowering the barriers for scammers and hackers, making attempts to infiltrate targets faster, cheaper, and easier than ever before.
4. World models.  AI companies want to build systems that understand the external world. If they succeed, they may overcome limitations of LLMs and help AI enter physical environments.
5. The new war room.  Algorithms have long automated military grunt work, but now generative AI has its own seat in the war room, and commanders take its advice seriously. It’s reshaping how militaries share intelligence, work with Big Tech, and make lethal decisions.
6. Weaponized deepfakes.  Between improvements in generative AI, Grok’s mass generation of nonconsensual sexual images, and a US administration using the technology for propaganda, the long-predicted threat of weaponized deepfakes is here.
7. Agent orchestration.  The first wave of AI agents were able to run your browser or write snippets of code. But they could only act alone. Coming next are teams of agents that cooperate to achieve far more complex goals.
8. China’s open-source bet.  Giving away frontier models for free has earned Chinese labs global credibility and lots of good favor with developers. Is it financially sustainable? No one knows—but the world is already building on Chinese foundations.
9. Artificial scientists.  Academics and companies alike are developing agents that can carry out research tasks autonomously and work with scientists as genuine collaborators. Some believe these AI co-scientists will one day reach Nobel Prize–worthy heights.
10. Resistance.  After years of unfettered AI development, a powerful backlash is building around the world. From conservatives to liberals and artists to labor unions, activists are gaining momentum and starting to earn small wins.