AI in 2025
Risks and Opportunities in an Era of Relentless Growth
By: Rooz Aliabadi, Ph.D.
Welcome to 2025, where artificial intelligence is no longer just a technology but a relentless force reshaping our societies. In the past few years, AI has evolved from promising tools into systems that drive autonomous decisions, generate complex outputs indistinguishable from human creativity, and even self-replicate to improve themselves. AI is no longer augmenting what we do — it’s fundamentally redefining it. Yet, as this revolution unfolds, we remain ill-prepared to manage the risks inherent in such transformative power.
I believe that in the year 2025, we will find ourselves standing at a precipice. On one side is a stunning vision of what AI can offer: unparalleled efficiencies, solutions to age-old problems, and a reimagining of what’s possible in every sector, from medicine to logistics. On the other side lies a chaotic race, fragmented global governance, and a growing realization that the safeguards needed to manage AI’s risks are falling woefully behind. The question isn’t whether AI will change the world — it’s whether we can steer that change responsibly or whether it will steer us.
Governance in Retreat
AI governance has become the Achilles’ heel of this remarkable progress. 2024, there were hints of hope: the European Union’s AI Act, the United Nations proposals for AI governance, and even safety-focused initiatives in the United States. But 2025 tells a different story. Fragmented priorities, political headwinds, and intensifying global competition have diluted these efforts.
The incoming Trump administration has taken a deregulatory approach to AI in the United States. Key safety measures introduced under the Biden administration, such as the AI executive order mandating transparency and ethical use of advanced models, have been dismantled. The new priority? Maximizing competitiveness against rivals like China. Once a beacon of regulatory leadership, California recently saw its SB-1047 bill — a landmark proposal requiring safety assessments for high-cost AI models — defeated. At the federal level, political gridlock has rendered meaningful regulation nearly impossible. Instead, the focus has shifted to encouraging private-sector innovation, regardless of the risks.
Even the European Union, long considered a leader in responsible AI governance, is pivoting. The existential risks of unbound AI — once central to policy discussions — have been overshadowed by near-term concerns like labor market disruptions and intellectual property conflicts. Renaming the “AI Safety Summit” to the more market-friendly “AI Action Summit” epitomizes this shift. The narrative has changed from managing AI’s risks to accelerating its benefits, no matter the cost.
Globally, the picture is no better. The US-China relationship, which briefly showed promise for AI safety dialogue, has deteriorated further. Deep mistrust has stalled any meaningful collaboration, with both nations prioritizing national security and economic advantage. AI safety talks initiated under the Biden administration have been abandoned, leaving a dangerous vacuum. As these two superpowers race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), the stakes have never been higher. Misuse, accidents, or even an uncontrollable AI “breakout” becomes more likely as competition intensifies.
Meanwhile, developing nations focus on gaining access to AI rather than addressing its risks. With limited resources and little say in global governance, their primary concern is catching up, not slowing down. Coordination mechanisms like the EU-US Trade and Technology Council are faltering, leaving a fractured global landscape where risks grow unchecked.
The Energy Reckoning
Beyond governance, AI’s rise is creating another, less visible challenge: energy. The computational demands of training advanced AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 have grown exponentially. Data centers are consuming vast amounts of electricity, and AI’s carbon footprint is becoming a critical issue. Major tech companies are scrambling to secure energy supplies, investing in cutting-edge solutions like modular reactors and fusion power. While these efforts hold promise, they’re unlikely to meet AI’s ballooning energy demands in the short term.
The strain is particularly severe in tech hubs where infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. In places like Texas and the Washington, D.C. metro area, power grids are at risk of outages and price surges. Meanwhile, geopolitical factors add layers of complexity. In the Middle East, for example, water scarcity is emerging as a critical bottleneck for building the cooling systems needed to support AI-driven economies. Energy security is no longer just an environmental issue — it’s a fundamental question of whether AI’s growth is sustainable.
Autonomous Agents and the Risk of Misuse
As AI capabilities soar, integrating autonomous agents into everyday life redefines how we work, communicate, and solve problems. These systems, designed to operate with minimal human oversight, transform industries from supply chains to financial markets. However, their potential for misuse is enormous.
Imagine an AI agent capable of manipulating global financial systems, spreading disinformation at an unprecedented scale, or disrupting critical infrastructure like energy grids or transportation networks. These risks aren’t hypothetical — they’re already beginning to emerge. In healthcare, for example, AI-driven diagnostic tools are becoming indispensable, but their integration into life-or-death systems introduces vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Autonomous weapons, once confined to science fiction, are now a chilling reality, raising unresolved ethical and practical concerns.
The Road Ahead: Hard Limits or Hard Choices?
So, where does this leave us? AI’s trajectory suggests that meaningful constraints may only emerge when we hit hard limits on data, computing, or energy. Until then, the race will continue, driven by economic incentives and geopolitical rivalries. But the risks will grow just as fast — if not faster.
The onus is on policymakers, tech leaders, and global institutions to chart a new course. This isn’t about slowing down i butt’s about ensuring that innovation serves humanity rather than threatening it. Collective action is essential but requires trust, vision, and leadership — qualities in short supply in the current geopolitical climate.
A Moment of Reckoning
2025 is a turning point. The decisions we make now will shape the future of AI for decades to come. Do we treat AI as a tool to be wielded responsibly, or do we let it evolve unchecked, guided only by market forces and geopolitical competition?
The stakes couldn’t be higher. AI holds the power to solve some of humanity’s most significant challenges, but without proper governance, it could also exacerbate them. As we stand on the brink of this new era, one thing is clear: the future of AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about humanity’s ability to rise to the occasion, balance ambition with responsibility, and ensure that the tools we create serve us — not the other way around.
This article was written by Rooz Aliabadi, Ph.D. (rooz@readyai.org). Rooz is the CEO (Chief Troublemaker) at ReadyAI.org
To learn more about ReadyAI, visit www.readyai.org or email us at info@readyai.org.
