Every day, we are tracked by hundreds or even thousands in the digital world. All of this is collected, packaged together with other details, and used to create highly personal profiles that are then shared or sold, often without our explicit knowledge or consent. to send them would require Congress to pass a comprehensive federal privacy law. So what can Americans expect for their personal data in 2025? We spoke to privacy experts and advocates about what’s on their minds about how our digital data could be traded or protected moving forward. Read the full story. —Eileen Guo This piece is part of MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series, looking at industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read more here. How optimistic are you about the future of AI? The start of a new year, and perhaps especially this one, seems like a good time to do a gut check: How optimistic are you about the future of technology? The annual list of 10 Technological Breakthroughs, published on Friday, can help you decide. The power of artificial intelligence has four breakthroughs shown in the list, and I expect your feelings will be different. Read the full story. —James O’Donnell
