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Breakthroughs happen all the time in the tech world, but only a select few manage to make a lasting impact. Predicting which innovations will shape the future is always a challenge. On Tuesday, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its list of the top 10 emerging technologies of 2025, highlighting those expected to influence global challenges within the next three to five years. The list, compiled with the help of Frontiers Media, a publisher of peer-reviewed scientific journals, avoids naming specific companies. Instead, the WEF focuses on concepts that are both novel and nearing maturity, with the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to society. Here’s what the WEF sees as being on the path to a breakthrough in 2025. Advanced nuclear tech Demand for nuclear energy is on the rise, with the Trump administration pledging to fast-track permits for nuclear projects. The WEF predicts that smaller nuclear designs and alternative cooling systems will offer safer, cleaner energy at a lower cost. These reactors, it says, “could play a key role in building reliable, zero-carbon power systems.” Structural battery composites The weight of batteries has been a pain point for things like cars and planes, impacting their efficiency. New materials that store energy and support weight can make these vehicles lighter, improving both their performance and their environmental impact. Collaborative sensing Speaking of vehicles, networking connected sensors can let vehicles share information in real time with each other, as well as with cities and emergency services. In the case of an incident, this can reduce traffic, increase response times, and improve safety, the WEF says. Generative watermarking As artificial intelligence becomes even more widespread, distinguishing original content from AI-generated material will be critical. Generative watermarking adds an invisible tag to AI content, helping combat misinformation and build consumer trust. Green nitrogen Producing fertilizer today requires fossil fuels, which leads to pollution and carbon emissions. Green nitrogen, which relies on electricity instead, could offer “a more sustainable way to grow food,” the WEF says. GLP-1 drugs for neurodegenerative diseases GLP-1 drugs are currently used to treat obesity and diabetes. The WEF notes they are also showing promise in treating other diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Autonomous biochemical sensing Smart sensors capable of continuously monitoring environmental changes or human health without wires could unlock numerous possibilities. The medical field may use them for early disease detection, while scientists can apply them to track pollution and atmospheric trends. Nanozymes Naturally occurring enzymes help clean pollution and are used in medical diagnostics. Lab-made versions, called nanozymes, are stronger and cheaper, which could expand their use in a variety of applications. Engineered living therapeutics Long-term medical care is expensive and often inconsistent in its results. Scientists, according to the WEF, are developing therapies that use beneficial bacteria to deliver treatments from within the body. This approach could lower costs and improve success rates. Osmotic power systems This renewable energy source, which uses the pressure difference that occurs when freshwater and saltwater mix, produces a cleaner form of electricity. That can be especially helpful in coastal areas where special care must be taken to protect both the environment and wildlife.
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As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, Ive spent the past two decades treating young people and working with families in crisis. And I can tell you this: The threats to youth mental health are bigger than we think, and theyre not coming from where you might expect. While the stigma around therapy and psychiatric care may be slowly receding, access to care is under siege. We’re watching mental health supports erode at exactly the moment families need them most. And in the name of reform, new political efforts like the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) executive order are introducing even more barriers. To be clear, we should absolutely be thoughtful about how we deliver care and prevent misuse of medication in kids’ mental health treatment. But what we cannot do is politicize or pathologize the very tools that save lives. A system in retreat We are in the middle of a youth mental health crisis. According to the CDC, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 14 in 2023, the latest CDC data available. One in five children has a diagnosable mental health condition, yet almost two-thirds receive little to no treatment at all. And when care is delayed, the consequences can be severe: school dropout, addiction, chronic illness, even early death. Yet, despite this, we’re watching key supports disappear: School-based mental health programs are being defunded. These programs often catch problems early and are sometimes the only care option for underserved kids. Telehealth access is under threat, despite being a lifeline for rural families and working parents during the pandemic. Medicaid redeterminations have put millions of children at risk of losing coverage. Mental health medication access is being undermined by supply chain issues and growing skepticism around use, especially for conditions like ADHD. MAHAs emphasis on “over-utilization” of psychiatric medication only adds to the problem. When we focus on the wrong risks, we distract from the real ones: untreated illness, suffering families, and preventable tragedies. Stigma with a new disguise Im seeing more and more skepticism about psychiatric treatment. Questions like, “Are we overmedicating kids?” or “Shouldnt we be building resilience instead?” The thing is, its not either-or. We treat diabetes with insulin and teach healthy habits. We manage asthma with inhalers and reduce environmental triggers. Mental health should be no different. Framing treatment as a failure, or something we should avoid unless weve tried everything else, only drives families deeper into shame. And for kids, that can translate into silence, hopelessness, and danger. What kids and families actually need We need a new model for mental health careone that meets families where they are, uses the best available evidence, and doesnt leave them to figure it all out alone. Heres what that looks like: Integrated, team-based care. No one provider can do it all. Kids need therapists, psychiatric providers, and coaches who work together. Early, proactive support. The longer we wait, the worse outcomes get. Lets reach kids early, way before they actually hit a crisis. Technology that expands access, not replaces care. Telehealth and digital tools can help families overcome logistical barriers, especially when thoughtfully designed. Respect for families. Parents shouldnt feel judged for seeking care. They should be met with empathy and real options. Investment in workforce and innovation. We need to train more clinicians, pay them fairly, and support research into better treatments. How can policymakers and leaders help? So what can we actually do? First, we need to protect telehealth paritybecause where a child lives shouldnt determine whether they can see a therapist. We need to fully fund school-based programs, so kids have access to care where they spend most of their time. And we have to stabilize Medicaid enrollment to prevent kids from falling through the cracks just because of paperwork. We also must raise reimbursement rates for mental health carebecause when providers burn out or leave the field, families are the ones left scrambling. Finally, we need to push back on stigmaespecially in the way we write and talk about mental health in policy. This isnt the time for vague language or political posturing. Its time to be clear, evidence-based, and human. Silence isnt neutral It can feel risky to speak up. But as a clinician, a mom, and a human being, I cant stay quiet while kids fall through the cracks. This isnt about left or right. Its about right and wrong. Its about whether were willing to invest in our childrens future or continue to make care harder to reach. Mental health isnt a luxury. And every child deserves the chance to feel better. Lets stop building roadblocks and start building a future grounded in compassion, care, and real support. Monika Roots, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the cofounder, president, and chief medical officer of Bend Health.
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“I know how this ends. Im sitting here watching it unfold like a slow-motion movieknowing exactly where it leads in 10 years from now, and feeling like I cant stop it.” That lineas one founder put it during a recent gathering, captures the emotional temperature across tech, philanthropy, and the social innovation world in 2025. People care. But theyre cautious. Panels are packed. Questions are asked. Yet action feels stuck. We dont need another diagnosis. We need a shift from performative hope to pragmatic optimism. From words to scaffolding. From reflection to response. The readiness signal Across recent Fast Company Impact Council, Skoll Forum, and European ESG Forum events, from New York to Oxford to Brussels, my team and I have been sensing the same tension. Different contexts, same emotional current: uncertainty, caution, yet unmistakable readiness to act. From Fast Companys Tech for Good and Human Leadership roundtables to Skoll Sidebar breakout rooms, the questions were strikingly direct: Can we still act globally in a world turning inward? How do we build trust without diluting purpose? Heres the real question, Will the answers leave the room and bring tangible change? As one insider framed it, How can we stay mission-driven while navigating expectations that shift almost daily? One statement today could feel outdated or risky by tomorrow. The appetite for action is real. Whats missing is the structure: reliable ways to experiment, collaborate, and scale without getting lost in noise or paralyzed by risk. The hesitation gap In the U.S., philanthropic collaboratives gained momentum in the early 2020s as a lean, expert-led model of giving. According to Bridgespans 2023 report, nearly 200 such collaboratives collectively deployed between $2 and $3 billion in 2021 alone. The report attributes this rise, in part, to growing interest among newer philanthropists in pooled giving platforms that resemble mutual funds for impact. For many, the appeal wasnt just scale, it was structure. Donors were looking for ways to contribute without building foundations or going it alone. What this signals is important: Philanthropy wasnt lacking intent. It was searching for shared, trusted vehicles to act. People want confidence that what they step into will work. Not another vague framework. Something proven, buildable, and timely. When building beats talking What if the best way forward isnt more debating, but better prototypes that take into consideration all those different interests? At Tech To The Rescue, were seeing glimpses of this future. Our AI for Changemakers nonprofit acceleration program has mobilized nearly 500 tech companies to co-build with more than 110 nonprofits since its 2024 launch. When small, focused tech teams co-build with urgency, the result isnt just a tool, its a proof of possibility. It looks like Alsama (UK/Lebanon), partnering with tech company to roll out innovative education programs in refugee camps, compressing 12 years of learning into six for refugee youth, AsyLex (Switzerland), which co-built an AI assistant helping asylum seekers file human rights appeals to UN bodies or Justdiggit (Africa), now building AI powered chatbots to spread regreening techniques to farming communities across African countries. These organizations didnt need another strategy session. They needed trusted co-builders, tools, and a chance to start building. This co-creation model is becoming a movement. The road isn’t simple, but it’s being paved one partnership at a time and it’s what I believe pragmatic optimism should look like in practice. If you want to help, build Thats why at Tech To The Rescue were shaping something newa collaborative model born from many conversations, especially during our recent EuroLab experience. Not a think tank, not a conference. A hands-on space where NGOs, technologists, and funders build together. Small teams. Time-boxed sprints. Open-source lessons. A replicable engine for pragmatic optimism designed to scale across sectors and geographies. If youre a funder, you should support models that can be scaled. If you lead a nonprofit, ask not who will invite you in, but what you can prototype. If youre in tech, make your skills available to working systems, not just solutions. Lets build co-creation labs, not just roundtables. Lets equip optimism with tools. Lets stop waiting. So lets start. If youre already prototyping solutions that tackle humanitys burning problems, share whats working with others. If youre stuck, find one small team and test an idea together. And if youre waiting for a model to follow, this is it. The time to build is (still) now. Jacek Siadkowski is CEO and cofounder of Tech To The Rescue.
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