In this commentary, Toju Duke reviews the most significant AI developments of 2025. He begins by questioning the hype surrounding AGI and ASI, noting that the launch of GPT‑5 failed to deliver the promised leap toward artificial general intelligence, instead offering modest improvements and persisting errors. He then examines the rise of agentic AI and autonomous AI agents, discussing widespread concerns that such systems could trigger massive job displacement, while observing that labor market data still shows continuity rather than collapse. Ultimately, Duke argues that the true breakthrough of the year is "sovereign AI" – the emergence of nations outside the United States building and deploying their own end‑to‑end AI stacks. He contends that sovereign AI can drive economic growth, address long‑standing societal challenges, protect citizens from the limitations of foreign AI, and preserve cultural, linguistic, and historical heritage.
