2025 Year in Review Highlights: A World Reshaped by AI and Politics

They shook hands, but the tension remains palpable. 2025 was a year of monumental leaps in technology and unsettling shifts in global stability. According to an analysis by AJ Labs, the stories that dominated headlines this year—from the surge of artificial intelligence to tectonic shifts in US politics—aren't just fading memories but are set to spill into 2026.

2025 Year in Review Highlights: AI Growth and Bitcoin's Peak

AI isn't just a trend; it's the new economic engine. A survey by the Reuters Institute revealed that generative AI usage jumped from 40% to 61% this year. Global spending on AI infrastructure reached $375bn by year-end, with UBS projecting a rise to $3 trillion by 2030. In the crypto space, Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $126,080 on October 6, fueled by a pro-crypto administration in the US, before settling at $88,400 today.

Geopolitical Turmoil and the Return of Trump

President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, instantly reshaping global trade with sweeping tariffs. His administration signed 225 executive orders this year alone, a pace that has left both allies and adversaries scrambled. Meanwhile, the Middle East witnessed extreme escalation. The war in Gaza saw a famine declared in August, and Israel launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, drawing the US into active combat operations.

Global culture and society weren't spared from the chaos. The Louvre Museum was the victim of a brazen $102m jewel heist in broad daylight. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi broke barriers as the nation's first female Prime Minister. However, political polarization worsened as conservative figure Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September, sparking a fierce debate over extremism in the West.