As the Year 2025 moves into history, time to take a look back at some events to remember (or maybe not) the year by
1. Word of the Year
Six-Seven, as chosen by dictionary.com. What does it even mean? No one is quite sure, but kids everywhere seem to be latching on to it with the accompanying moving arms action!
2. The Year of Wars and Skirmishes threatening to break out into wars.
It almost seemed as if the world was hell-bent on proving Thomas Friedman wrong, with missiles/drones flying all over – Russia-Ukraine, the Middle East, India-Pakistan, Thailand-Cambodia, with the neutral Qatar taking hits from both sides. News channels were busy recycling pictures/videos more reminiscent of mythological series & video games than theatres of war. And somehow gave a feeling that all these were just the beginning of something bigger. The geopolitical chessboard seems to be on the cusp of something violent
3. Economic Term of the Year: Tariffs.
All market theories went for a toss, Research reports needed constant updation, Markets fluctuated, Numbers kept changing, Policy uncertainty prevailed and the global economy gave the impression of a cat sitting on hot tin roof.
4. The Louvre Heist
Has there been a real-life event somehow more outrageous than most satirical spoof that the movie industry could serve up. Artworks stolen in broad daylight, password, security systems, with the password “LOUVRE”, the forklift company getting free advertisement, a nattily dressed gentleman on the crime scene initially thought to be a police detective but wasn’t, comments on the French working hours. If not for the fact that actual artwork went missing, this was a pretty good plot for an Austin Powers/Pink Panther movie.
5. The AI era
AI usage expanded rapidly blurring the boundaries of real and artificial. From texts to pictures to videos to TV series, there is AI content everywhere. And it is becoming more and more indistinguishable from real. Wonder how much damage an increased reliance on AI without human judgement will cause?
6. What does that company really do?
The world learnt about Astronomer after its CXOs were caught behaving awkwardly on being seen on the concert camera at a Coldplay concert
7. The meme generator
The Indonesian boat race kid who danced at the head of the boat seemingly contributing to the team through his hand gestures (dubbed aura farming by the internet)
8. The biggest gathering: Mahakumbh.
If the numbers thrown by travel agencies & administrators are to be believed, nearly a third of India was there at some point or the other. Even otherwise, it was the largest ever gathering of humankind.
Overall, 2025 was a year dominated by geopolitical uncertainty and AI. Lets see what 2026 throws at us (it has begun even more crazily).
To all readers a Belated Happy New Year.
P.S. This entire post was typed out and not AI generated or modified.
