2025, A Retrospective

Source: Where’s Your Ed At Date: 2025-12-31 URL: https://www.wheresyoured.at/2025-a-retrospective/

Summary

Ed’s year-end 2025 assessment — the central claim is that generative AI is an unsustainable bubble with no profitable companies, dependent on GPU sales rather than viable applications. OpenAI needs “$1 trillion in the next four years” without sufficient revenue to justify the number; Wall Street and tech executives perpetuate myths about revolutionary potential to obscure unsustainable costs, pathetic margins, and an industry that collapses when funding dries up.

Implications

• AI financial sustainability. “$1 trillion needed, revenue insufficient” is Ed’s year-end summary of OpenAI’s financial position — useful as a timestamp for tracking how the gap evolves into 2026.
• Capital markets. “No profitable generative AI companies” as of end-2025 is the benchmark claim; any subsequent profitability announcement should be evaluated against Ed’s documented financial analysis to verify whether accounting changes explain the improvement rather than real business fundamentals.
• Vendor BS detection. 2025 retrospective framing positions this as a “year when it became undeniable” narrative — Ed is arguing the evidence became conclusive during 2025, which is the setup for expecting 2026 consequences.