Here are this year's top ten emerging technologies from the World Economic Forum

Staying true to form, this year's list includes technologies that may not be on your radar but should be – from nanozymes and generative watermarking to treating neurodegenerative disease with GLP-1's

Midjourney image inspired by growing interest in using GLP-1s to treat neurodegenerative disease. Source: World Economic Forum/

Google the top emerging technologies that are poised to change the world (or simply ask your favorite generative AI app), and you’ll be deluged by lists from mainstream media platforms and well known consultancies, to self-made commentators.

There’s no shortage of opinions out there on what’s hot in the world of tech.

But the just-released annual report on the Top Ten Emerging Technologies from the World Economic Forum stands out as being different from most.

I may, of course, be biased, having been involved with the list since its inception in 2012 (and I’m writing this from WEF’s “Summer Davos” meeting in Tianjin China, where we’ve just released this year’s Top Ten list). But unlike many others, this is a collection of emerging technologies that eschews hype and what’s “on trend” for breakthroughs that are demonstrably poised to have an impact.

As a result it tends to highlight technologies you might not have heard about, but probably should be paying attention to. And this year is no exception.

This year’s list includes some technologies that may not surprise — advanced nuclear technologies for instance (including small modular reactors, which are currently attracting a lot of attention).

But it also includes advances that aren’t trending on social media, yet are nevertheless likely to lead to substantial impact. I suspect that green nitrogen fixation and engineered living therapeutics will fit into this category for some readers.

Then there are the truly unexpected additions — for me this year it was the growing interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists (widely used for diabetes treatment and weight loss) as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

What is also telling about this year’s list — and something that underlines its resistance to caving to popular trends — is the the lack of explicit mentions of AI.

We’ve covered artificial intelligence in the past where it made sense (for instance last year we highlighted AI for scientific discovery, and in 2023 we highlighted generative AI, AI-facilitated healthcare, and sustainable computing). But in a year where AI seems to be everywhere, it’s notable that our one explicit nod to the technology is the inclusion of watermarking techniques for AI-generated content.

Of course, AI is an important factor in many of the other technologies we highlight. But the list is an important reminder that there’s more to emerging technologies than artificial intelligence, even though it might sometimes seem otherwise.

Report and insights

This year’s Top Ten Emerging Technologies report and associated resources can be accessed at wef.ch/emergingtech25. It’s worth reading in full — especially for the overview of the methodology behind the list and the deep dives into how the technologies are part of a larger social, economic, technological and political landscape. But I’ve also included a quick summary of this years technologies below if you scroll down.

I’d also encourage you to check out this week’s episode of Modem Futura where Sean Leahy and I explore each technology in turn — available as always on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other places you get your podcast content.

Also, just in case you’re an Apple Vision Pro headset user, you can join me and my co-host Sean Leahy in 3D as we discuss the report — part of our ongoing exploration at ASU of how spatial computing and AR/VR/XR are opening up new opportunities.¹

And one final observation before I list this year’s top ten technologies: As part of the steering committee that helps sift through the possible technologies each year, I’m deeply aware that what we end up with is only ever a snapshot in time of a deeply complex network of interconnected innovation. And so I was pleased to see the team at WEF pull together the graphic below that captures how three previously identified technologies feed into engineered living therapeutic — one of this year’s technologies:

This, of course, is also just a snapshot of a vatly more complex interconnected landscape. But it does emphasize that, while creating lists of transformative technologies is useful for understanding emerging trends and possibilities, it’s often the not-so-visible network of connections, influences, serendipitous discoveries, that ultimately stand to transform the world we live in — and the futures we aspire to.

And with that, here is this year’s list top ten emerging technologies:²

World Economic Forum Top Ten Emerging Technologies 2025

Structural battery composites

Structural battery composites combine energy storage and structural strength in a single material, reducing weight and improving efficiency in vehicles and aircraft. Though still emerging, they offer major sustainability and cost benefits. Challenges remain in performance, safety and regulation before widespread adoption can be achieved.

Osmotic power systems

Osmotic power systems generate clean, steady energy from differences in water salinity, using membranes. Recent advances in materials and design have revived a technology that’s been around for a while, was struggling to gain traction. With pilot plants under way, osmotic power offers promise for sustainable electricity, water purification and resource recovery, pending further investment and cost reduction.

Advanced nuclear technologies

As energy demand surges, advanced nuclear technologies are gaining momentum. Innovations like small modular reactors (SMRs) and next-gen cooling systems promise safer, cheaper and scalable green energy. With global investment rising, fission leads near-term deployment while fusion remains a long-term goal for a zero-carbon energy future.

Engineered living therapeutics

Engineered “living therapeutics” are modified microbes or cells that produce drugs inside the body, offering targeted, sustained treatment with lower costs and fewer side effects. Enabled through research in the field of synthetic biology, this approach could transform chronic disease care. Key challenges remain around safety, regulation and large-scale clinical approval.

GLP-1s for neurodegenerative disease

GLP-1 drugs, originally for diabetes and obesity, show promise in treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s due to their neuroprotective effects. Early studies suggest benefits like reduced brain inflammation and improved cell function. While results are encouraging, more clinical trials and regulatory steps are needed to confirm effectiveness and accessibility.

Autonomous biochemical sensing

Autonomous biochemical sensors continuously detect health or environmental markers without human input, using wireless, self-powered systems. Enabled through the convergence of bioengineering and nanotech, they offer real-time monitoring for applications like glucose tracking or pollution detection. Key challenges include sensor lifespan, cost and regulatory concerns.

Green nitrogen fixation

Green nitrogen fixation aims to reduce the high carbon footprint of conventional ammonia production (which is critical for global food production). Emerging methods use renewable energy, engineered microbes or lithium-based systems to produce ammonia more sustainably. While still early-stage, these innovations could localize production and decarbonize agriculture and shipping.

Nanozymes

Nanozymes are synthetic nanomaterials that mimic enzymes, offering greater stability, lower cost and wider use. They are advancing in medicine, particularly for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in environmental cleanup and food safety. With a projected $57.95 billion market by 2034, commercialization is accelerating despite challenges.

Collaborative sensing

Collaborative sensing connects everyday sensors in homes, cities and vehicles into AI-powered networks. These systems enable real-time, shared decision-making for uses like traffic control, environmental monitoring and autonomous vehicles. Key challenges include data privacy, power and developing multi-modal algorithms for seamless integration.

Generative watermarking

Generative AI watermarking embeds invisible markers in text, images, audio and video to verify authenticity and trace origins. As AI content proliferates, these technologies help combat misinformation and protect intellectual property. While adoption is growing, challenges like evasion, lack of standards and ethical concerns still need resolution.

1. While there aren’t that many users of the Apple Vision Pro out there yet, there’s something quite unique and special about feeling as if you are in the room with us as we recorded this week’s podcast. We’re actively exploring how we can leverage technologies like this in unique and and potentially transformative ways through ASU’s Future of Being Human initiative.

2. The blurbs here are based on material developed by WEF. I’ve tweaked them in places, but these were expertly authored by others! All images provided by WEF and created using Midjourney. Check the full report for details.