From AI to the Final Frontier: Tech Trends Shaping 2025

In this year-end episode of Disruptors x CDL: The Innovation Era, hosts John Stackhouse and Sonia Sennik take a look back at 2024’s groundbreaking tech stories and gaze ahead to what 2025 might bring. Joined by Sean Silcoff, technology reporter for The Globe and Mail for 12 years, they explore the rise of AI, the space economy, Canada’s evolving tech ecosystem, and the influence of political shifts on innovation.

Sean sheds light on the evolving tech ecosystem, from Canadian companies like Wealthsimple and D2L bouncing back with renewed valuations, to the challenges posed by brain drain, capital gains taxes, and global competition.

The trio also discusses the political landscape’s influence on tech, including the re-election of Donald Trump and his administration’s implications for big tech, crypto innovation, and international tariffs. They delve into trends like trust in AI and dual-use technologies, the growing prominence of armed drones, and the surge of defense investments in hardware and innovation.

Whether you’re curious about Canada’s tech resurgence, fascinated by AI’s evolution, or keen to explore the intersection of politics and technology, this episode is packed with insights and foresight.