3 Things Looking back at 2025: AI’s biggest successes and failures
Jan 2, 2026
Karan Mahadik, a technology reporter at The Indian Express specializing in AI and tech policy, reflects on 2025's AI milestones. He discusses how Trump's policies reshaped US AI investment and regulatory landscapes. The rise of DeepSeek is explored, highlighting its challenge to US dominance. Karan also covers AI's influence on search behaviors, mental health risks from chatbots, and controversies emerged from AI-driven job cuts. He concludes with a look ahead to the India AI Impact Summit and the future landscape of AI.
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US Policy Tilt Boosted Big Tech AI
- Trump’s 2025 policies and industry courting reshaped the US AI landscape toward industry-friendly rules and massive domestic investment.
- Karan Mahadik notes Big Tech secured $1.4 trillion in US projects and lighter regulation after Trump withdrew Biden’s AI executive order.
Open-Weight Models Shifted The Race
- DeepSeek's open-weight model narrowed the perceived AI gap between the US and China by matching top models with fewer resources.
- The release triggered market reactions and renewed focus on AI sovereignty globally, says Karan Mahadik.
Search Became Conversational And Summary-First
- Search behavior shifted from blue links to AI summaries as Google rolled out AI Mode, changing the homepage experience for billions.
- Pew Research found 58% of sampled Americans saw at least one AI-generated summary in March 2025, Karan Mahadik reports.