2025 is just around the corner and tis the season for tech trends and predictions reports. It’s hard to believe that ChatGPT is only 2 years old, considering the amount of capital that has been invested in generative AI startups since. Will 2025 be a year of reckoning? Or is the infrastructure finally good enough to build proper application layer startups at scale?
This analysis spotlights 10 key trends set to redefine media, entertainment, gaming, and commerce—domains where technological disruption is felt most profoundly. From AI-powered agents revolutionizing transactions to immersive experiences reshaping content consumption, these predictions capture the pulse of the coming year.
1. The Rise of AI Agents: From Concept to Commerce
AI agents are no longer theoretical; in 2025, they will become operational players across industries, capable of autonomous transactions, strategy execution, and negotiation.
What to Expect:
- AI agents managing financial portfolios, purchasing goods, and negotiating contracts in real-time.
- Embedded into eCommerce, customer support, and enterprise workflows.
- Task completion: monitor the prices for the best holiday packages, products and deals
Startup Opportunity:
- Platforms enabling secure AI-to-AI transactions.
- Vertical-specific agents (e.g., real estate, finance, healthcare).
- Security protocols for AI-driven commerce.
2. Generative AI Redefines Entertainment Content
Generative AI will continue to automate creative workflows, enabling hyper-personalised media, gaming assets, and dynamic storytelling. We’ll start seeing AI generated content go viral and create huge following.
Key Developments:
- AI-generated storylines, gaming levels, and personalized avatars.
- Tools that enhance video production efficiency (e.g., AI-generated VFX and animation).
- Media companies using generative AI to reduce costs and scale content libraries.
Startup Opportunity:
- AI platforms enabling real-time content generation for games and films.
- Personalized content-creation tools that align with viewer preferences.
3. The Next Era of Immersive Gaming: Spatial and Social Experiences
Gaming will become more immersive and communal, driven by spatial computing, AR/VR advancements, and AI-driven world-building. We’ll see more mature examples of gaming for Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Orion, combining AR content on real world surfaces and environments. No one has been able to recreate the success of Pokemon Go, but the introduction of Android XR and improved hardware solutions are likely to accelerate this trend.
Trends to Watch:
- Persistent virtual worlds powered by generative AI.
- AR and VR adoption enhancing multiplayer, real-time gaming experiences.
- AI creating dynamic NPCs (non-playable characters) that respond uniquely to players.
Startup Opportunity:
- Platforms that blend AR gaming with physical spaces (e.g., retail or sports venues).
- Tools that democratize spatial game creation for developers.
4. AI-Powered Cybersecurity: Defence Evolves
As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, AI will drive predictive and autonomous defences. From deepfake AI avatars to voice clones, this threat vector has never been more pronounced. In addition to cybersecurity, defence tech will see huge surge in demand. From technologies selling to armies and governments (drone defence, AI surveillance etc) to consumer use cases for homes and businesses.
Focus Areas:
- Proactive threat detection and mitigation.
- Real-time AI-generated threat simulations.
- AI models that adapt to evolving attack surfaces.
Startup Opportunity: Israeli cybersecurity leaders will continue pushing innovation in AI-driven threat neutralisation.
5. Hyper-Personalized Media Experiences
Streaming platforms and digital entertainment will embrace granular personalization—an AI-driven shift mirroring YouTube and TikTok’s success. It’s no secret that short form vertical video is the fastest growing form of content on the web, but until now it’s also been more cumbersome to produce quality content. New AI Video models (like Google’s VEO, OpenAI’s Sora, Kling and others like HourOne’s AI avatar engine) will make programatic video content creation as easy as writing a prompt.
What to Expect:
- Dynamic, user-specific content recommendations.
- Integration of social media behaviors for personalized streaming experiences.
- Generative AI tools producing content tailored to niche preferences.
Startup Opportunity: AI tools that personalize both discovery and creation of digital media content.
6. The Rise of AI-Driven Creator Economy:
Creator burnout has been one of the biggest roadblocks to the creator economy. It takes a lot of work for creators to consistently post quality content, engage their audience and generate revenue. AI and generative tools will supercharge the creator economy by merging media and commerce seamlessly, creating new opportunities for creators to scale their presence and monetise their engagement.
What’s Changing:
- AI-driven tools enabling creators to design, promote, and sell personalized products.
- Shoppable livestreams and video content becoming standard in digital commerce.
- AI tools assisting creators with monetization strategies.
Startup Opportunity: Platforms that integrate commerce directly into social and entertainment media.
7. Interactive and Immersive Storytelling
From media to gaming, immersive storytelling will redefine audience engagement using interactive narratives, virtual environments, and AI enhancements.
Key Innovations:
- AI tools enabling content personalization within interactive narratives.
- Spatial storytelling blending AR/VR with traditional media formats.
- Generative AI powering dynamic, adaptive stories tailored to users.
Startup Opportunity: Tools that bridge traditional storytelling with interactivity and virtual production.
8. Short-Form Video and Social Media Evolution
The dominance of short-form video will expand as platforms innovate in monetization, personalization, and AI-driven production tools.
Trends to Watch:
- AI-optimized content creation tools for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
- Personalized short-form content delivery powered by user behavior data.
- Emerging social platforms blending video content with gamification.
Startup Opportunity: Creator-focused AI tools that streamline video production, editing, and audience targeting.
9. Virtual Influencers and AI-Generated Personalities
AI-driven virtual influencers and characters will dominate digital campaigns, streaming, and branded entertainment. It’s already a rising phenomenon, but the availability of tools, and increased quality will make this trend mainstream in 2025.
What to Expect:
- AI-generated influencers with hyper-realistic personas.
- Integration of virtual characters into ad campaigns, games, and entertainment franchises.
- Personalized virtual brand ambassadors for companies.
Startup Opportunity: AI platforms building virtual influencer ecosystems and tools for brands to deploy virtual personalities.
10. Sustainable Media and Gaming Tech
As the environmental impact of digital content grows, sustainability will become a driving focus for tech innovators. Today, artists and creatives are concerned about the rise of automation in their field, but ethical, sustainable use of AI that fairly compensates creators will increase adoption.
Focus Areas:
- Energy-efficient cloud infrastructure for media streaming and gaming.
- Tools that minimize e-waste in gaming hardware.
- AI optimizing server usage to reduce carbon footprints.
Startup Opportunity: Platforms and tools reducing the environmental footprint of digital content distribution and gameplay.
Closing Thoughts: The Convergence of Transformation
2025 will mark a year of convergence—where generative AI, spatial computing, and creator-driven commerce amplify human imagination and digital transformation. From immersive gaming experiences to hyper-personalized media, the next era of innovation will empower audiences, creators, and companies alike.
For founders, investors, and technologists, this is the moment to build. Those who seize the opportunities presented by AI-driven creativity, interactive storytelling, and next-gen commerce will shape the digital renaissance of 2025.
I'm a former general partner at google ventures, head of Google for Entrepreneurs in Europe and founding head of Campus London, Google's first physical hub for startups.
I'm also the founder of Techbikers, a non-profit bringing together the startup ecosystem on cycling challenges in support of Room to Read. Since inception in 2012 we've built 11 schools and 50 libraries in the developing world.
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