The Greatest Successes and Worst Flameouts of 2025
From Tesla to AI friends to Big Balls and back, this is our definitive breakdown of everything, and everyone, that conquered the WIRED world this year—and a few that fell from the top.
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Tech Disrupted Friendship. It’s Time to Bring It Back
Two decades ago social media promised to connect people with pals far and wide. Twenty years online has left us turning to AI for kinship. IRL companionship is the future.
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Billion-Dollar Data Centers Are Taking Over the World
The battle for AI dominance has left a large footprint—and it’s only getting bigger and more expensive.
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Chinese Crypto Scammers on Telegram Are Fueling the Biggest Darknet Markets Ever
Online black markets once lurked in the shadows of the dark web. Today, they’ve moved onto public platforms like Telegram—and are racking up historic illicit fortunes.
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How Protesters Became Content for the Cops
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AI Labor Is Boring. AI Lust Is Big Business
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Fears Mount That US Federal Cybersecurity Is Stagnating—or Worse
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AI-Powered Dating Is All Hype. IRL Cruising Is the Future
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The Great Big Power Play
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The New Surveillance State Is You
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So Long, GPT-5. Hello, Qwen
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In Cryptoland, Memecoin Fever Gives Way to a Stablecoin Boom
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The Gloves Are Off in the Fight for Your Right to Repair
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2025’s Best Phones Were Also Its Wackiest
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The Age of the All-Access AI Agent Is Here
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How Elon Musk Won His No Good, Very Bad Year
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Brain Gear Is the Hot New Wearable
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