Here are MIT Technology Review’s best-performing stories of 2024

What did people enjoy most? Here’s a quick look at some of the stories that performed best with our audience: 

10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2024

Every year as we compile this annual list, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. It represents the advances that we think matter most, and the 2024 edition included weight-loss drugs, chiplets, and the first gene-editing treatment.

The 2025 list is dropping in early January. To find out what made the cut, join us for a special live Roundtables event, “Unveiling the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025,” on Friday, January 3, at 12:30 p.m. ET. This is a subscriber-only event. Register to attend or subscribe for access.)

What is AI?

Everyone thinks they know, but no one can agree. Senior editor Will Douglas Heaven explored the problem in this in-depth feature story—and explained why it matters for all of our futures. He covers the origins of modern AI and digs into the ongoing debate among experts about this technology’s capabilities and potential. 

The AI Hype Index

There’s no denying AI moves fast, and it can be hard to know what’s worth your attention. That’s why we started plotting everything you need to know about the state of AI in a new matrix, along axes that run from “Hype” to “Real” and “Doom” to “Utopia.”