From leveling the AI playing field to advancing drone technology and medical diagnostics via wearables, 2025 will deliver new, efficient computer science-based solutions for consumers and businesses

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, announced today, together with the IEEE Computer Society (CS), its 2025 Top Technology Predictions. The report contains a forecast of the trends that will have the greatest impact on the global computer engineering industry in 2025, redefining and re-shaping the global community for years to come.

“Each year, the IEEE Computer Society strives to summarize the technology trends driving the future of computer science and engineering through our annual Technology Predictions,” said Dejan Milojicic, IEEE Computer Society Technology Predictions Committee Chair, IEEE Fellow, and 2014 IEEE Computer Society President, “The experts who make up our Committee thoroughly examine what’s happening today to ensure the IEEE Computer Society and the larger computer science and engineering community are prepared and can both lead new directions for the field and respond to the opportunities these developments will bring. Advances with these technologies will be reflected in the coming year at our top-ranked industry conferences and peer-reviewed journals.”

The Committee evaluated technologies based on the likelihood of commercial or research success in 2025, impact on humanity, maturity, market adoption, and adoption horizon. Based on that evaluation, the Committee scored each technology with a letter grade using a U.S.-based educational evaluation scale, with A serving as excellent, B as average, and C as low potential in the coming year.

For 2025, the Committee identified the top five computer science and engineering technologies that will have the most significant impact on the global ecosystem, focusing on those with the most advancement, largest market adoption, and market maturity. These technology trends include:

Leveling of the AI playing field with new forms of Large Language Model (LLM) deployment: As AI continues to grow in accessibility, companies will seek out ways to efficiently leverage LLMs. For instance, open-source communities create ways for developers to efficiently tap into successful models, and cloud services are providing LLM solutions with integrated prompt engineering. Hardware evolution will continue to specifically accommodate for optimal run of LLMs, and model compression will continue. As a result, 2025 will see deployments of Small Language Models and exotic, special-purpose models, transforming industries through more domain-specific and efficient AI applications.

Expanding access to drones: In 2025, expect to see Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) redefine logistics, agriculture, and disaster response, offering reliable, low-cost solutions with quick turnarounds. Advancements in technology, including size, weight, and power optimization, battery life, and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) technologies will further boost adoption, making drones more commercially viable and efficient for a variety of industries.

Commercial success of AI agents: Building on the success of LLM accessibility, AI agents will combine LLMs, machine learning (ML) models, and rule-based systems to provide autonomous, highly specialized solutions for finance, manufacturing, and retail operations. The coinciding advancement of small language models will lower hardware requirements and enable easier fine-tuning of AI agent solutions, and open-source AI libraries and models will allow for model and data ownership. In addition, cloud solutions with friendly user interfaces and low code approaches will increase the accessibility of these solutions in 2025.

Businesses will deploy AI agents for a variety of customer service and simplified operational tasks.

More widespread evaluation of AI-enhanced robotics: In 2025, embodied intelligence will enable robots to perceive, learn, and collaborate in dynamic environments, achieving unprecedented autonomy and human-like adaptability. We can expect advancements in research settings, including work on LLMs, multimodal AI, and computer vision; advanced edge computing and 5G/6G networks; next-generation battery technology, wireless charging, and energy storage; integrated sensors with advanced fusion capabilities and real-time analytics to enable enhanced perception and seamless interaction; and robust data integration from the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time adaptability. At the same time, engineers will continue exploring standardized protocols for robot-to-robot communication to ensure seamless interaction and collaboration.

Increased conceptualization of wearables/biomarkers in medicine/wellness: In the coming year, we expect to see wearables make the transition from pure fitness tracking to early concepts of products for medical-grade monitoring of chronic conditions. Devices will have the ability to track biomarkers for early disease detection and proactive wellness, enabled by the identification of low-cost, specific biomarkers. In addition, new ML algorithms and accelerators will be created to perform sophisticated computations, and at the same time, miniaturized electronics will address practical needs, supported by new forms of battery efficiency and integrated circuit technologies.

In addition to these top technology developments, the Committee also anticipates the following technologies will experience significant growth over the next year: IT/energy convergence; augmented AI; autonomous driving; SmartAg; functional safety/autonomous vehicles; AI-assisted drug discovery; sustainable computing; mis/disinformation; AI-based medical diagnosis, AI-optimized green high-performance computing; next-gen cyberwarfare; new battery chemistries; data feudalism; nuclear-powered data centers; tools and policies for AI regulation; brain-computer interfaces (ones that enhance interfaces between humans and computers, particularly for those with disabilities); and space computing. A detailed dive into each of these areas can be accessed in the full report.

Recommendations
Beyond outlining computer science and engineering trends, the 2025 Technology Predictions Committee offers insights into how industry, government, academia, and professional organizations can support and advance these developments. Key recommendations for these groups include:

Industry: Explore new facets of LLM deployment and start delivering AI agents in areas where they can complement human labor.

Government: Invest in tools and policies for AI regulation in broad domains and foster industry to drive AI-assisted drug discovery.

Academia: Research and prototype AI-optimized, green High Performance Computing (HPC), and prototype brain-computer interfaces for a select set of ethically approved use cases.

Professional Organizations: Define standards and best practices for wearables/biomarkers in medicine/wellness, foster safe and ethically aligned augmented AI, and encourage AI-based medical diagnosis for existing/new diseases.

“The 2025 Technology Predictions offer us an opportunity to really look at where the industry is headed,” said Hironori Washizaki, 2025 IEEE Computer Society President. “As the leading computer science and engineering organization, it is imperative that we provide the vision to guide not only our members, but the greater community, towards the future. These predictions enable us to partner with the community to help lead and drive the advancements that will transform the field as we know it.”

To download the complete 2025 Technology Predictions Report, please visit computer.org.

About IEEE

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization and a public charity dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice in a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers, and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics. Learn more at https://www.ieee.org.

About the IEEE Computer Society
Engaging computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas and levels of computing, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) serves as the world’s largest and most established professional organization of its type. IEEE CS sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels continued global technological advancement. Through conferences, publications, and programs that inspire dialogue, debate, and collaboration, IEEE CS empowers, shapes, and guides the future of not only its 375,000+ community members, but the greater industry, enabling new opportunities to better serve our world. Visit computer.org for more information.

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SOURCE IEEE Computer Society