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2025-2050
Technological unemployment is rising rapidly
The second quarter of the 21st century is marked by a rapid rise in technological unemployment around much of the world. This results in considerable economic, political, social, and cultural upheaval. For most of the 200 years since the Industrial Revolution, new technological advances had tended to create more jobs than they destroyed. By the early 21st century, however, a fundamental change had begun to occur.
Median wages, already stagnating for decades, remained largely flat – especially in developed nations. Previously, globalisation and the outsourcing of jobs to markets with lower wages had been a primary driver of unemployment in high-income countries. But from the late 2020s onward, a combination of automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics is becoming a far more significant contributor to job displacement.
Whereas automation initially threatened mostly blue-collar workers in manufacturing and routine physical tasks, rapid advances in so-called generative AI and large language models (LLMs) begin to profoundly disrupt white-collar professions during this period. Fields like copywriting, journalism, software development, graphic and web design, accounting, customer support, and even certain legal services are impacted by significant job losses – particularly in entry-level roles.
Previously, some mainstream institutions had forecast a net positive impact of AI and automation on employment. However, these projections increasingly appear out of step with real-world trends. Ongoing, exponential improvements in LLMs, generative AI, and robotics, leads many experts to predict far higher levels of disruption than previously assumed. Sophisticated AI models, now entering widespread adoption, can automate tasks once believed to require human creativity and judgement.** Some of these systems are becoming increasingly "agentic" – able to operate autonomously over long time horizons, pursue goals, and take actions without continuous human oversight. OpenAI's Deep Research tool, for example, allows an AI to independently explore topics, gather evidence, and produce extended written outputs with minimal human prompting.*
An even greater inflection point appears imminent, with artificial general intelligence (AGI) moving closer to reality.* Unlike earlier tools limited to narrow uses, AGI has the potential to accomplish a broad spectrum of tasks at or beyond human level – not just augmenting labour, but replacing it across many domains. From strategic planning and scientific research to real-time decision-making and complex problem-solving, AGI threatens to make large segments of the knowledge economy redundant in a short timeframe.
Despite earlier optimistic predictions made in the 2010s, self-driving vehicles have yet to see mass rollout in transportation by 2025. Autonomous taxis, trucks, and delivery vehicles do exist, particularly in controlled environments or specific urban routes, but more widespread adoption remains limited due to persistent safety concerns, unpredictable edge-case scenarios, and regulatory complexities. Between 2030 and 2040, however, substantial improvements in AI perception, real-time decision-making, and infrastructure standardisation enable broader deployment of autonomous transport.** Smaller road vehicles such as taxis, delivery vans, and shuttle buses* experience rapid automation, impacting employment in these sectors. Early trials by companies like Waymo in San Francisco and Phoenix pave the way for greater adoption by numerous firms and cities worldwide. Larger autonomous vehicles, meanwhile – such as trucks, trains, ships, and even aircraft – also begin shifting to greater autonomy during this period, though initially at a slower pace.
Manufacturing, already heavily automated since the late 20th century, sees continued and accelerated replacement of workers by ever more versatile and adaptable robots, boosted by breakthroughs in machine learning, dexterity, and computer vision. By 2035, advanced humanoid and industrial robots can perform a wide range of complex assembly tasks, displacing large numbers of traditional manufacturing roles in many sectors. Other areas are seeing widespread adoption of robots during this time, such as catering, elderly care, hospitals, security patrols, and domestic environments. As the 2030s unfold, companies find robots increasingly cost-effective, reliable, and scalable compared to human workers.
By 2040, the cumulative impacts of automation, robotics, and the widespread adoption of AGI have caused a marked decline in global labour force participation. From over 70% in 1990,* the percentage of working-age (15–64) people in employment had already fallen to 67% by 2025. This downward trend is now accelerating significantly, with potential to reach as low as 41% by 2050. Industries such as transport, manufacturing, administrative services, retail, catering and food services, finance, and healthcare face large-scale job losses.
Initially, the rising unemployment triggers widespread social instability, protests, and political crises around the world. Traditional labour unions, now with diminished leverage over employers, are weakened, and governments struggle to respond effectively. The increasingly rapid pace of "job churn" – constant shifts in employment and skill demands – adds to the upheaval, with many workers unable to retrain fast enough or transition to new roles. Wealth inequality worsens, fuelling populist and anti-technology sentiments.
To mitigate social unrest and economic stagnation, governments increasingly embrace solutions such as Universal Basic Income (UBI). This concept, which had previously been controversial, gains broader support across the political spectrum as few viable alternatives emerge. Initially trialled on limited scales during the 2010s and 2020s, UBI schemes become vital for maintaining economic stability and consumer spending as job losses mount from 2030 onward. While UBI becomes widespread, some countries alternatively or additionally expand public services or adopt targeted approaches such as guaranteed minimum income, negative income tax, universal basic services, or job guarantee schemes.
Countries implement UBI differently based on cultural and economic factors. In many European nations, comprehensive welfare states gradually transform their existing entitlement programmes into streamlined UBI systems. The United States is slower to adapt, facing initial resistance due to extreme ideological divisions. However, a bipartisan consensus ultimately emerges – driven by urgent necessity, mass unemployment, and intensifying unrest. Its eventual version of UBI is shaped more by market-oriented values, heavily influenced by Silicon Valley lobbying, and funded in part by taxes on Big Tech. Payments are often delivered through digital platforms, with eligibility sometimes tied to participation in online upskilling programmes.
These income systems help not only to stabilise societies economically, but also to provide individuals with resources for retraining, education, entrepreneurship, and creative endeavours. While implementation varies by country, UBI becomes a crucial pillar of social policy in the face of mounting technological disruption.
Despite the short-term upheaval and challenges posed by mass unemployment, the widespread adoption of UBI – combined with continued progress in automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics – lays the groundwork for a future in which individuals can pursue meaningful work, lifelong learning, or leisure on their own terms. By 2050, humanity is shifting towards a more creative and resilient economic model, supported by automation but increasingly focused on human wellbeing. Technological unemployment, initially seen as a crisis, gradually becomes recognised as a transitional phase in the evolution toward greater individual freedom and social cohesion.
2025-2035
All television is becoming Internet-based
During this period, cable TV and other traditional modes of television are beginning to disappear in favour of Internet-based streaming. The inflexibility of scheduled programmes had made them increasingly unattractive, with users shifting instead towards on-demand services providing greater choice, convenience and value for money. By the late 2010s, more people were streaming video online each day than watching scheduled linear TV.* This trend continued into the following two decades,* resulting in a huge loss of subscribers for older traditional media companies,* which were forced to either evolve or die.
In Britain, the traditional TV licence fee (£157 annually, as of 2020) had been called into question, with many believing it should no longer be mandatory for all television owners. A Royal Charter guaranteed the licence fee funding until 2026, but the Conservative government proposed alternative methods of financing the BBC in the future.* Among the moves suggested for implementing a new system were the use of advertising revenue, a new broadcasting levy and the switch to a subscription-based system. This had been expected to reduce the power and influence of the BBC. However, the next Royal Charter extended the licence fee's use from 2026 until 2038.*
The visual quality of TV sets, tablets and other devices has markedly improved compared to previous generations, with 8K resolutions now relatively cheap and common in most countries. Connection speeds are increasing too, able to handle the exponential growth in web data. In the 2030s, the global average broadband speed exceeds 1 Gbit/s, with early adopters and high-end users having access to even faster downloads.
Furthermore, access and coverage have been made easier via expanded rural and remote networks, greater use of public Wi-Fi spots, and the rapid growth of satellite constellations. With nearly all of the world now coming online, the resulting flow of knowledge is contributing to greater awareness of political issues, corruption, and injustice. Citizens in even the poorest countries can document and disseminate their experiences on video, using mobile apps to capture footage of war crimes and human rights abuses, for example.*
Mouse revival from cryopreservation
Cryopreservation – a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to sub-zero temperatures – witnesses major advances during this period. By far the most notable achievement is a mouse being revived from storage at −196°C.
In the past, among the most serious challenges to overcome had been damage from crystallisation as a result of the freezing process. During the first decade of the 21st century, this problem was comprehensively solved by the development of cryoprotectants offering complete vitrification. In other words, the body being preserved was turned into a glass, rather than crystalline solid. A number of issues remained, however – such as the toxicity of these cryoprotectants, as well as the fracturing that occurred due to simple thermal stress. In subsequent decades, new research led to progressively more successful techniques, culminating in the mouse revival.*
Although a human revival is still many years away (and fraught with ethical, legal and social hurdles), such a feat now appears to be a more realistic prospect. Once considered the stuff of science fiction, cryopreservation becomes an increasingly regular feature in mainstream scientific literature. A number of new startups are formed around this time, promising to "resurrect" people at some future date.
2025-2030
Many cities are banning fossil fuel-powered vehicles
During this period,* many cities and regions around the world enforce outright bans on the use of traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. This is primarily to meet climate targets under international agreements such as the Kyoto Accord and the Paris Agreement, but is also for reasons of energy independence and improved air quality.
Among the first places to announce bans were Athens, Madrid, Paris and Mexico City. In December 2016, the mayors of each city pledged to take diesel cars and vans off their roads by 2025. Over the next few years, many more plans were announced for partial (diesel only) or complete bans (both gasoline and diesel) in more than 20 countries. The vast majority would cover the 2025-2030 timeframe, with some being implemented sooner (e.g. 2020 for Oxford, UK) and a few others later (e.g. 2040 for China, France and the UK). For these 'outliers' in 2040, it was subsequently suggested that these timelines were not ambitious enough and should be brought forward.
By the early 2020s, a flood of additional countries had joined this planned phase out. With zero-emission vehicles now cheaper than ever, their numbers were growing exponentially, regardless of any bans or regulations. Batteries had been the main reason why electric cars were more expensive than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts, but these prices have declined at such a rate that the overall price balance has flipped by the late 2020s. The relative cost difference continues to widen each year, making them the preferred option from now on. Many cities are beginning to see a noticeable improvement in air quality.
Human brain-scale simulations are becoming possible
The first complete simulation of a single neuron was perfected in 2005. This was followed by a neocortical column with 10,000 neurons in 2008; then a cortical mesocircuit with 1,000,000 neurons in 2011. Mouse brain simulations, containing tens of millions of neurons, were later achieved.
From 2000 to 2025, computing power increased one million-fold, while scanning resolution and bandwidth also improved. By 2025–30, exponential hardware and software improvements are making it possible to model every part of the human brain within a single system.* In other words, 100 billion neurons and up to a quadrillion synapses.*
Although simulating a complete human brain down to the level of individual neurons and synapses is now possible, analysing the gigantic volumes of data contained within, in order to fully understand the intricacies and interactions, will take much longer. Nonetheless, this represents a major milestone in neurology and leads to increased funding towards brain-related ailments.
Kivalina faces relocation as erosion intensifies
Kivalina, a small Alaskan village on a 12 km (7.5 mi) long barrier island, continues to experience rapid erosion and rising sea levels. Home to approximately 400 Inuit residents, the community relies on hunting and fishing traditions passed down for generations. However, a warming Arctic now threatens their way of life.
Temperatures in Alaska are increasing at twice the rate of the rest of the United States, causing Arctic sea ice to retreat dramatically. This loss of natural protection leaves Kivalina exposed to powerful storms and relentless waves. The US Army Corps of Engineers built a defensive wall to slow the damage, but it provides only a temporary reprieve. Coastal erosion is now encroaching on the village faster than expected, with some structures at risk of collapse into the sea.
Efforts to relocate the community are gaining urgency from 2025 onwards.* After years of debate and delays, plans for a new settlement on the mainland are finally advancing, but progress remains slow due to limited funding and logistical challenges. Meanwhile, the melting ice is opening up controversial opportunities for oil and gas extraction in the region, raising questions about the balance between economic development and environmental protection.*
Kivalina's plight highlights the broader struggles faced by Indigenous Arctic communities, who remain on the frontlines of climate change.
2025-2028
The United States is becoming more authoritarian
On 6th November 2024, Donald Trump defeated the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. Trump became the first Republican nominee since 2004 to win the popular vote, and the first president to be elected to a non-consecutive second term in 132 years, when Grover Cleveland won the 1892 election.
Trump's campaign incited outrage with its barrage of false statements and divisive rhetoric – including claims that the 2020 election had been stolen, engaging in anti-immigrant fearmongering, and promoting conspiracy theories. Trump's embrace of far-right extremism, as well as increasingly violent, dehumanising, and authoritarian language against his political opponents, drove historians and scholars to describe his words as fascist, unlike anything a political candidate had ever said in modern U.S. history, and a continued breaking of political norms.
With control over both the executive branch and Congress, Trump's administration quickly set its sights on implementing Project 2025 – a sweeping blueprint for consolidating power within the federal government. Published by The Heritage Foundation, America's most influential conservative think tank, and co-authored by 140 former Trump staffers, Project 2025 outlines a bold vision to reshape the country's governance. The plan grants the president unprecedented control over federal agencies, reduces regulatory oversight, and strips protections across various sectors. Through this initiative, the executive branch seeks to dismantle the so-called "deep state" and replace thousands of career civil servants with loyalists, prioritising those aligned with Trump's ideological vision. Critics warn that these changes could weaken democratic institutions and erode checks and balances, letting the president operate with fewer constraints and less accountability.
One of the Trump administration's first major actions is a sweeping programme of mass deportations targeting undocumented immigrants. With promises to remove up to 10 million undocumented residents from the United States, the administration moves swiftly to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, increase detention centre capacity, and deploy resources to accelerate deportation proceedings. The goal, officials claim, is to secure the nation's borders, reduce crime, and prioritise jobs for American citizens.
In addition to the mass deportations, Project 2025 includes proposals to denaturalise certain immigrants – a process that revokes the U.S. citizenship from naturalised immigrants deemed "problematic" or "disloyal" – thus rendering them deportable. Although historically a rare practice and highly controversial, denaturalisation enters mainstream policy discussions during this time, with potential targets including individuals from certain countries, those with specific political affiliations, or those found to be overly critical of the administration.
However, the scale of this deportation effort is hampered by formidable challenges, with projected costs running into the hundreds of billions, alongside a number of legal, logistical, and operational issues.* Industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality – which rely heavily on immigrant labour – face the potential for major workforce shortages and supply chain disruptions, triggering a backlash from business leaders. Legislative progress also stalls, as even some conservative lawmakers express concerns over the programme's economic and social implications. Civil rights organisations file a series of legal challenges, complicating and delaying the rollout, with courts ruling in some cases that specific aspects of the programme violate the constitution.
Despite these hurdles, Project 2025's centralised structure allows the administration to push forward elements of the initiative by bypassing certain safeguards and circumventing state-level protections. Together with ongoing issues over the Mexico border wall, started during Trump's first presidency, these deportations become highly contentious and polarising. Increasingly frequent reports emerge of human rights abuses, particularly at detention centres, such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of care.
In addition to immigration reform, Project 2025 includes a series of measures aimed at expanding federal surveillance and tightening control over civil liberties. Under the guise of "national security," Trump's administration proposes enhanced monitoring tools for tracking suspected threats – targeting political opponents, activists, and minority communities. The programme extends to online spaces, where authorities implement intensified monitoring of social media platforms, forums, and independent news websites to detect and flag "subversive" content. These expanded surveillance capabilities raise concerns about the potential targeting of individuals who openly criticise the administration or express dissenting views.
New policies also seek to curtail press freedom with stricter regulations on media outlets deemed "unpatriotic" or "biased." As part of this effort, the Trump administration moves to defund public broadcasting entities like NPR and PBS. Journalists critical of the administration face heightened scrutiny, with some even threatened with legal action.
Meanwhile, Project 2025 empowers federal law enforcement with broader authority to suppress protests, even going as far as deploying the military to break up such gatherings. This marks a significant departure from American norms, which historically upheld free assembly and civil disobedience as protected rights, drawing comparisons to hardline regimes like China and Russia.
Adding to concerns over civil liberties, Project 2025 mandates that states provide abortion data, ending what had previously been a voluntary reporting system.* States must now report on the number of abortions performed, gestational age at the time of the procedure, reasons for each abortion, the pregnant person's state of residence, and method used. To enforce compliance, the administration threatens to halt federal funding for states that do not supply the required data. As surveillance of pregnancy outcomes intensifies, this data is weaponised against individuals in states hostile to abortion rights, criminalising those seeking or assisting with abortions. The prospect of a nationwide abortion ban moves closer to reality, with grave implications for women's health and well-being.
Project 2025 also envisions a rollback of protections for LGBT individuals, proposing measures that remove federal recognition of gender diversity and eliminate protections against discrimination in healthcare, housing, and employment. The plan aims to reinstate narrow definitions of gender and sex, erasing policies that provide access to gender-affirming healthcare and protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics argue that this marks a dangerous regression in civil rights, targeting people in ways that parallel the restrictive laws seen in authoritarian states that enforce social conformity. The impact of these policies threatens to marginalise LGBT individuals further, eroding gains made in recent decades and enforcing a rigid, state-sanctioned ideology around gender and sexuality.
Overall, the combination of intensified surveillance, restrictions on reproductive rights, rollback of LGBT protections, expanded police and military powers, and the deportation of political dissidents creates a troubling precedent for free speech, privacy, and civil liberties, marking a shift towards a more authoritarian state.
Project 2025 includes many other proposals – affecting education, employment, the environment, welfare programs, and much more* – signalling a decisive rightward turn in policymaking. As it begins to reshape American governance, concerns grow that the 2024 election may have been the last truly free and fair presidential contest in the United States. The consolidation of executive power lays a strong foundation to influence or restrict any future democratic processes. With echoes of tactics employed by autocratic leaders such as Vladimir Putin, observers warn that democratic safeguards Americans have long taken for granted may weaken further, creating a turbulent road to the 2028 election and beyond.
Contact with the Voyager probes is lost
Voyager I is the farthest man-made object: 14 billion miles (22 billion km) away, or 150 times the distance between the Sun and Earth. Both Voyager I and its sister probe, Voyager II, have remained operational for nearly half a century, continuing to transmit data back to NASA. They have left the heliosphere and are now headed towards the Oort Cloud. By 2025, however, onboard power is finally starting to wane.*
During 2017, Voyager I had fired its trajectory thrusters for the first time since November 1980, to subtly rotate the spacecraft and reorient its antenna – extending the mission lifetime slightly. This makes Voyager II the first of the two to shut down, with Voyager I outliving it by three years.* The shutdowns happen gradually rather than instantly, with instruments failing one by one, until none are left operating.
Each probe carries a gold-plated audio-visual disc, in the event that either spacecraft is ever found by intelligent alien life. The discs carry images of Earth and its lifeforms, a range of scientific information, along with a medley, "Sounds of Earth", that includes the sounds of whales, a baby crying, waves breaking on a shore, music from different cultures and eras, plus greetings in 60 different languages. Voyager I passes by the red dwarf star Gliese 445 in the year 42,000 AD and Voyager II approaches Sirius in 298,000 AD.
2025
First light for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory – formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope – enters a pivotal stage in 2025.* This huge, state-of-the-art project, funded by the US National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, achieves 'first light' – the moment when a telescope captures its first usable images – and begins full scientific operations. This milestone follows 24 years of development that began with a proposal in 2001, fabrication of the mirror starting in 2007, and site construction from 2015 onwards.
Situated on Cerro Pachón, a mountain in Chile, the facility houses an 8.4-metre optical telescope, and the most powerful digital camera ever built for astronomy, with an astonishing resolution of 3.2 gigapixels. The camera captures images using six filters that span the optical electromagnetic spectrum, from violet to the edge of infrared.
Credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The observatory is designed to survey the entire visible sky every few nights, offering a dynamic and comprehensive view of the cosmos that promises transformative discoveries. Its main scientific goals include:
• Studying dark energy and dark matter by measuring weak gravitational lensing, baryon acoustic oscillations, and photometry of Type Ia supernovae, all as a function of redshift.
• Mapping small objects in the Solar System, particularly near-Earth asteroids, and Kuiper Belt objects, increasing the number of catalogued objects by a factor of 10–100. It will also aid in the search for the hypothesised Planet Nine.
• Detecting transient astronomical events, including novae, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, quasar variability, and gravitational lensing, while providing prompt event notifications to facilitate follow-up observations.
• Mapping the Milky Way, refining knowledge of its structure, star clusters, and interstellar dust.
With its fast-moving telescope and high sensitivity, Vera Rubin can alert operators to changes in the night sky within 60 seconds, helping researchers quickly plan and deploy missions to track rapidly moving objects of interest. For example, only two interstellar objects had been observed before 2025 – 'Oumuamua (2017) and 21/Borisov (2019) – but as many as 70 can be tracked by Vera Rubin each year.*
By conducting a deep survey over the entire night sky, every few nights for ten years, the observatory obtains astronomical catalogues that are orders of magnitude larger than any previously compiled. Approximately 20 billion galaxies and 17 billion stars are identified, each with 200 attributes, a dramatic increase from the "only" six million galaxies and 1.7 billion stars known before 2025.
Data and images totalling more than 500 petabytes are generated by the Vera Rubin Observatory's huge camera, with subsequent analysis helping to address some of the most pressing questions about the structure and evolution of the universe and the objects within it.
Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/A. Pizarro D. (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License / CC BY 4.0)
Sample return mission to Kamo'oalewa
In 2025, China launches a sample return mission to the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa.* This tiny, fast-rotating body is just 41 m (135 ft) in diameter and is the second-smallest, closest, and most stable known quasi-satellite of Earth. Its orbit, and the lunar-like silicates it contains, make it likely to be an impact fragment from the Moon. The mission provides confirmation of this, along with further science data when it returns the sample.
The technical challenges include entering and keeping orbit around a small body with very weak gravity. The spacecraft requires long-life propulsion engines and a high-precision navigation, guidance, and control system. The return capsule must also withstand ultra-high-speed re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
China develops two mission architectures – "anchor-and-attach" and "touch-and-go" – using both to maximise the chances of success. It lands on the asteroid using four robotic arms, with a drill on the end of each for anchoring.
After delivering samples to Earth in a return capsule, the probe continues on towards the main-belt comet 311P/PANSTARRS. On arrival in 2034, it uses a variety of imaging, spectrometer, and other instruments to investigate whether such a comet may have delivered water to the young Earth. It also provides insight into the differences between active asteroids and classic comets.*
Credit: Tao Zhang, Kun Xu, and Xilun Ding/Nature Astronomy
Europe's first successful vertical rocket launch into space
In 2025,* SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands becomes the site of Europe's first successful vertical rocket launch to orbit. This milestone marks a new chapter in the continent's aerospace ambitions, since previous European rocket missions have relied on French Guiana or suborbital flights elsewhere.
Two key players vie for success at SaxaVord, located on the remote island of Unst, one of the most northerly places in Scotland. The UK startup Orbex plans to launch a small-lift rocket known as Prime. This two-stage vehicle stands 19 m (62 ft) in height, with a payload capacity of 180 kg (400 lb). After reaching a standard 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit, it deploys a cluster of cubesats. Meanwhile, German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) aims to debut its larger RFA ONE rocket, which stands 30 m (100 ft) tall and can deliver up to 1,300 kg (2,866 lb) to orbit in three stages. Both companies target SaxaVord for their maiden flights, as the site operators aim to demonstrate that European domestic infrastructure can compete with the world's leading launch facilities.
SaxaVord's strategic position, with open sea in multiple directions, is ideal for launching payloads to polar and Sun-synchronous orbits. Its construction began several years prior, overcoming challenges of local weather, environmental assessments, and logistical hurdles of such a far-flung location. The pad is designed to accommodate a new generation of small and medium-sized rockets, with potentially as many as 30 launches each year, carrying satellites to track everything from climate data to maritime traffic.
British and European leaders hail the mission as a significant step forward for the region's nascent private space sector, which seeks to establish itself alongside more mature industries in the US, China, and Russia. The successful flight from SaxaVord adds momentum to other planned spaceports in Scotland and Norway, signalling Europe's intent to diversify away from a single equatorial location in French Guiana.
Credit: SaxaVord UK/PA
The Gordie Howe Bridge is completed
Among the most notable infrastructure projects of 2025 is the Gordie Howe Bridge, linking Detroit in the United States with Windsor in Canada. This modern crossing relieves immense pressure on the historic Ambassador Bridge further east. The latter, built in 1929, had long struggled with heavy congestion and bottlenecks for both freight and passenger traffic.
The new bridge provides a major boost in capacity for one of the most congested trade corridors in North America – a region handling nearly 30% of all goods travelling between the two countries, totalling around US$150 billion each year. Its construction reduces lengthy border delays and enables dramatically improved journey times.
A proposal for the Gordie Howe Bridge emerged in 2004, with a joint announcement by the governments of the United States and Canada. The project's funding would involve a blend of public and private investment on both sides of the border. After years of environmental assessments and legal wrangling, officials broke ground in 2018 and began pushing forward with construction. During its development, the bridge faced significant opposition from billionaire Manuel Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge, who attempted to block the project in courts to protect his lucrative toll revenues.
Despite these challenges, workers complete the Gordie Howe Bridge in 2025,* only slightly behind schedule due to COVID-19. Its state-of-the-art design includes a total of six lanes for automotive traffic, a bicycle lane, and a footpath, as well as sophisticated inspection facilities to expedite border processes. The cable-stayed bridge consists of two A-shaped towers, standing 220 m (722 ft) tall, built on opposite banks of the Detroit River. The road deck itself is held up using 216 cable stays. It has the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America, at 853 m (2,800 ft), with a total bridge length of 2.5 km (1.6 mi).
The wider road network around the bridge sees upgrades too, ensuring smoother connections to major highways. In addition to cutting congestion and pollution, the project created thousands of local jobs during construction. Its completion paves the way for stronger economic ties between the United States and Canada in the decades ahead, supported by a 30-year maintenance and operations agreement under its public-private partnership. The bridge is expected to remain a vital infrastructure asset well into the future, with a projected lifetime of at least 125 years.
Click to enlarge
Credit: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Direct flights from Sydney to London and New York
In 2025, Australia's national airline, Qantas, begins offering Project Sunrise flights.* This new service – described as "the final frontier of long-haul travel" – enables direct routes from cities in eastern and southern Australia to any major city in the world, without any connections.
In the case of Sydney to London, the journey lasts for 20 hours, making it the world's longest commercial passenger flight. However, this enables a reduction in travel time of up to four hours compared with earlier services that required layovers.
Qantas began operating non-stop flights from the western port city of Perth to London in March 2018. This ended the era of the continents of Europe and Oceania not being connected by non-stop flights, marking the first time that all continents, excluding Antarctica, had been connected by non-stop flights. The Sydney to London service is one of the final steps in a century of progress for air travel distances. Qantas had carried its first passenger in 1922 aboard an Avro 504 biplane on a domestic flight within Queensland. Sydney to London journeys in 1935 took 12 days, made up of 31 stopovers.
Project Sunrise includes 12 new Airbus A350-1000s, which begin entering service in late 2025; the fleet is fully operational by 2028. They each have a seat count of 238, the lowest compared with any other A350-1000 in service. The interior designs, influenced by medical and scientific research, are specially configured for improved comfort on ultra-long-haul flights, which includes a Wellbeing Zone and more spacious seating in both Premium and Economy cabins.* HEPA filters remove 99.9% of particles and refresh the air every 2-3 minutes. As part of its 2050 net zero emissions commitment, Qantas announced that all net emissions from Project Sunrise flights would be carbon offset.
QuEra launches a 3,000-qubit quantum computer
Quantum computing – a new and more powerful way of processing information – has steadily evolved over recent decades, moving from theoretical concepts to practical machines capable of solving problems far beyond the reach of classical supercomputers.
At the heart of this progress lies the qubit, or 'quantum bit', the fundamental building block of quantum computers. As qubit counts grow, so too does the computational power of these devices. With only a relatively small number of qubits joined together, vast calculations become possible. This ability to work with astronomically large numbers, many orders of magnitude above what classical computers typically handle, offers the potential for advances in fields such as cryptography, drug discovery, materials science, and much more.
In 2023, computing giant IBM became the first to exceed 1,000 qubits with its Condor processor containing 1,121-qubits. Atom Computing took the lead in 2024 with a 1,180-qubit quantum computer. Alongside higher qubit counts, researchers had also begun to focus more on improving error correction, coherence times, and connectivity between qubits, factors now becoming critical for scaling practical quantum systems.
Founded in 2019 by Harvard and MIT alumni, Boston-based QuEra Computing had developed its 256-qubit Aquila system, which introduced local qubit control to broaden programming capabilities. Building on this foundation, QuEra achieves a major milestone in 2025 with a 3,000-qubit system.* This new machine utilises neutral-atom technology, arranging individual atoms in precise arrays to create qubits.
In addition to its 3,000 physical qubits, the system incorporates 30 "logical" qubits – triple the number of its predecessor. Unlike physical qubits, which are prone to errors from noise and interference, logical qubits are error-corrected units created by combining multiple physical qubits. These are crucial for scaling quantum computers and achieving reliable, fault-tolerant performance needed for practical applications.
By leveraging scalable architectures and advanced error-correction techniques, QuEra pushes the boundaries of what is possible with quantum hardware, demonstrating not only unprecedented computational power but also features that make it accessible for real-world applications. This marks a pivotal step in the commercialisation of quantum computing. An even greater leap forward is made with a fourth-generation, 10,000-qubit system in 2026, and a million qubits are reached by the end of the decade.
Grand Theft Auto VI is launched
Towards the end of this year,* Rockstar Games launches Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6), arguably the most highly-anticipated video game of the last 10 years. Building upon the monumental success of GTA 5 – which became the second best-selling game of all time, behind only Minecraft – GTA 6 introduces groundbreaking new features that elevate the open-world genre to new heights.
Set in the reimagined Vice City (a fictionalised version of Miami), the game offers an expansive and immersive environment. Players can explore a dynamic world with unprecedented interactivity, which includes the ability to enter approximately 40% of buildings and experience advanced destruction physics in 60% of smaller structures. This level of detail, combined with a map surpassing GTA 5 in both size and diversity, creates a more realistic and engaging experience than even the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2, enhancing the series' hallmark of open-world freedom.
GTA 6 introduces two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, whose intertwined narratives provide a fresh perspective on the franchise's storytelling. As with previous titles in the series, gameplay revolves around a mix of high-stakes robberies, intense combat scenarios, strategic meetings, and a variety of missions that blend action, stealth, and exploration.
The launch of GTA 6 – initially on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S – not only continues the legacy of its predecessor but also sets new standards in the gaming industry. With its innovative features, expansive world-building, and truly next-generation graphics, it once again redefines player expectations and solidifies Rockstar Games' position at the forefront of interactive entertainment.
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References
1 AI to disrupt creative jobs in the near future, Future Timeline Blog:
https://futuretimeline.net/blog/2024/02/3-ai-creative-jobs-disruption-future-timeline.htm
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
2 8 million UK jobs at risk from AI, Future Timeline Blog:
https://futuretimeline.net/blog/2024/03/30-uk-ai-8-million-jobs-risk-future.htm
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
3 Introducing deep research, OpenAI:
https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
4 When do experts expect AGI to arrive?, 80,000 hours:
https://80000hours.org/2025/03/when-do-experts-expect-agi-to-arrive/
Accessed 24th March 2025.
5 Autonomous driving's future: Convenient and connected, McKinsey:
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/autonomous-drivings-future-convenient-and-connected
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
6 "...by 2040 autonomous robotaxis will be widespread in areas across the U.S., potentially making up around 50% of available taxis by that year."
See Tesla Stock Rebounds As The Robotaxi Approaches; Waymo Tops 100,000 Weekly Fares, Investor's Business Daily:
https://www.investors.com/news/tesla-stock-robotaxi-event-waymo-uber-lyft/
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
7 Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses Market Size, Year 2033, Spherical Insights:
https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/robot-shuttles-and-autonomous-buses-market
Accessed 23rd March 2025.
8 ILOSTAT data explorer, International Labour Organization (ILO):
https://rshiny.ilo.org/dataexplorer28/?lang=en
Note: The ILO has since deleted the global data covering 1990–2025, but you can view an archived copy here:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/spreadsheets/ilo-labour-force-participation-rate-1990-2025.xlsx
Accessed 24th March 2025.
9 We're about to pass a watershed moment in the decline of TV, Tech Insider:
http://www.techinsider.io/streaming-will-soon-pass-traditional-tv-2015-9
10 Netflix CEO Reed Hastings predicts when cable TV will die for good, Business Insider:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/netflix-ceo-says-all-tv-will-be-on-internet-in-10-to-20-years-2015-9
Accessed 10th June 2016.
11 This is the scariest chart in the history of cable TV, Business Insider:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/cable-tv-subscribers-plunging-2015-8
Accessed 10th June 2016.
12 BBC: '10 years left of licence fee', BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33215141
Accessed 10th June 2016.
13 Television licence fee 'preferred option' to fund BBC until 2038, say MPs, The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/25/television-licence-fee-preferred-option-fund-bbc-2038-mps
Accessed 25th March 2021.
14 New mobile app could revolutionise human rights justice, Future Timeline Blog:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2015/06/8-2.htm
Accessed 10th June 2016.
15 Aubrey de Grey has responded to his IAMA - Now with Transcript, Less Wrong:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ReSqnpwWh4K786JPc/aubrey-de-grey-has-responded-to-his-iama-now-with-transcript
Accessed 30th June 2012.
16 Phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles
Accessed 21st January 2024.
17 The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil (2005)
http://www.amazon.com/Singularity-Near-Humans-Transcend-Biology/dp/0143037889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254172463&sr=1-1
Accessed 7th Dec 2008.
18 Neuromorphic supercomputer aims for human brain scale, Future Timeline Blog:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2023/12/16-worlds-first-human-brain-scale-neuromorphic-supercomputer.htm
Accessed 21st January 2024.
19 The Alaskan village set to disappear under water in a decade, BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23346370
Accessed 30th July 2013.
20 "...the USACE estimates that Kivalina will be uninhabitable by 2025, and the Government Accountability Office recommends that Kivalina's 400 residents leave immediately."
See Climate Change Is Driving Residents of Kivalina From Their Homes, Sierra:
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/climate-change-driving-residents-kivalina-their-homes
Accessed 15th January 2024.
21 Trump's mass deportation plans would be costly. Here's why, CNN:
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/19/politics/trump-mass-deportation-cost-cec/index.html
Accessed 10th November 2024.
22 Project 2025: What It Means for Women, Families, and Gender Justice, National Women's Law Center:
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Project-2025-Full-Report.pdf
For archived version, see:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/pdfs/project-2025-full-report.pdf
Accessed 10th November 2024.
23 Policy Agenda, Project 2025:
https://www.project2025.org/policy/
Accessed 10th November 2024.
24 Voyager program, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_program
Accessed 10th September 2018.
25 Voyager I fires thrusters for first time since 1980, Future Timeline Blog:
https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2017/12/3.htm
Accessed 10th September 2018.
26 Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_C._Rubin_Observatory
Accessed 27th December 2024.
27 Vera Rubin Observatory could find up to 70 interstellar objects a year, Phys.org:
https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vera-rubin-observatory-interstellar-year.html
Accessed 27th December 2024.
28 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/469219_Kamo%CA%BBoalewa
Accessed 18th November 2021.
29 China Plans Near-Earth Asteroid Smash-and-Grab, IEEE Spectrum:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/china-plans-near-earth-asteroid-smash-and-grab
Accessed 18th November 2021.
30 SaxaVord Spaceport, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaxaVord_Spaceport
Accessed 25th January 2025.
31 Top 25 Construction Megaprojects of 2025, YouTube:
https://youtu.be/pJ3ATTY13qo?si=DtuPOvr5vic5KRGL&t=417
Accessed 7th January 2025.
32 Qantas announces Project Sunrise aircraft order for non-stop flights to Australia, Qantas:
https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-announces-project-sunrise-aircraft-order-for-non-stop-flights-to-australia/
Accessed 2nd May 2022.
33 Qantas A350 First, YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c504mnty-Tc
Accessed 2nd May 2022.
34 Quantum computing startup says it will beat IBM to error correction, Ars Technica:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/01/quantum-computing-startup-says-it-will-beat-ibm-to-error-correction/
Accessed 12th January 2025.
35 GTA 6 Release Date Narrowed to Fall 2025 Amid Questions about Delays, IGN:
https://www.ign.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-6-release-date-take-two-interactive
Accessed 12th January 2025.
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