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In this episode we look ahead to 2025, and offer our annual set of predictions-that-aren't-really-predictions-but-more-like-thoughts-about-interesting-trends. This year we consider:

• UK Grantmaking on pause
• Implementing policies to boost giving
• Debate over tax relief for charitable giving
• US foundations under populist attack 
• Next Gen philanthropy and new models
• Continued growth of DAFs
• Closing space for civil society in the US and beyond
• More UK charities to close
• Rebalancing head and heart in philanthropy
• Population debates, pronatalism and philanthropy
• The platformisation of giving
• OpenAI and the blurred lines between profit and purpose
• The final death of X
• Social media influencers and the impatience economy
• De-teching and the importance of real-life experiences
• The resurgence of crypto
• Wearables on the rise, and AR/VR finally goes mainstream
• AI ambivalence and the rise of AI slop
• Are LLMs a dead end?
• GenAI and the erosion of authenticity.

Related links:

• Last year's Philanthropisms prediction episode, part 1 and part 2
• WPM article on "What Will 2024 Bring for Philanthropy and Civil Society?"
• WPM articles on the future of work, life extension and pronatalism, Open AI and blurred lines, Elon Musk
• WPM guides on philanthropy and: emerging tech, AI and crypto
• HBS paper, "Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality"
• Ethan Mollick's blog on "15 Times to use AI, and 5 Not to"
• Eryk Salvaggio's blog series on "AI Slop Infrastructure"
• Future Today Institute Tech Trends 2024
• Accenture Life Trends 2025