In this lively discussion, guest Joanna Stern, a Wall Street Journal columnist and consumer tech expert, joins the hosts to share bold predictions for 2025. Topics include the potential acquisition of TikTok by Walmart and the fragmented future of social media. They debate the fate of smart home devices, tackling everything from algorithm control to the skepticism surrounding smart tech's trajectory. With humor and insight, they bounce ideas about AI advancements and the tech landscape's evolution, all while keeping an eye on who will score the most accurate predictions.
The hosts explore a wide range of predictions for 2025, focusing on the impact of government regulations and AI hype on tech.
The discussions highlight the complexities of an evolving social media landscape where users may struggle with managing fragmented accounts.
Skepticism emerges regarding the ambitious smart home vision as practical challenges lead consumers back to simpler technology solutions.
Deep dives
Challenges of Holiday Gifting
Finding the right gift, especially within a $20 budget for casual acquaintances or workplace exchanges, can be particularly challenging. The speaker reflects on their organization for holiday shopping but feels lost when it comes to selecting universally appreciated gifts. Though they often resort to giving Starbucks gift cards as a safe option, they express a desire to discover more thoughtful alternatives. This highlights a common struggle during the holiday season to balance personal sentiment with practicality.
Looking Ahead to 2025 in Tech
As 2025 approaches, the discussion turns to significant technological trends and policy changes affecting the industry. The potential impact of a new government administration, especially concerning regulation of big tech, is highlighted. There is an ongoing AI hype and questions surrounding antitrust issues that could reshape the venture capital landscape. This dynamic environment suggests that 2025 could represent a pivotal moment in the world of technology.
Predictions Making the Rounds
The episode includes a collaborative prediction game among the hosts, where they each suggest three tech-related forecasts for 2025, ranked by their degree of speculation. The rules of the game involve co-signing predictions, creating a point system based on whether the predictions come true. This interactive approach fosters engaging discussions and varied perspectives on the featured predictions, prompting lively debate and speculation about future technological advancements. Each host brings their unique insights, contributing to the overall excitement surrounding what lies ahead.
Social Media Landscape in 2025
One prediction posits that users will still be engaging with a plethora of social media accounts by 2025, with platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and others remaining fragmented. Despite the challenges of managing multiple profiles, it is suggested that integrating posting across these platforms could become simpler. There is also speculation that competitors to these mainstream platforms may have emerged, introducing further complications in users' social media strategies. Overall, this underscores the complexity of the social media ecosystem as it continues to evolve.
The Future of Smart Homes and Matter
The conversation explores the notion that the ambitious vision for interconnected smart homes, supported by technologies like Matter, may begin to fade by 2025. There is skepticism surrounding the feasibility of achieving a truly seamless smart home experience, particularly with existing devices and DRM challenges leading to user frustration. The prevailing view suggests that rather than achieving a cohesive ecosystem, individuals will likely return to simpler smart gadgets that do not require extensive integration. This discussion raises critical questions about the practicality and user engagement of the smart home movement moving forward.
Welcome to our two-part preview of the year to come! For the first installment, Nilay, David, and Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern bring all the predictions for 2025 — their mildest, medium-est, and spiciest ideas about the year to come. Each host presents their take on TikTok bans, social platforms, smart homes, streaming services, and more, and the others get to decide whether they agree. Whoever gets the most right at the end of the year will win a big prize. (There's a points system for determining all that, but we'll figure that out later.)
