What Happened to Innovation? Why 2025 Feels Like 2019 with AI Filters

June 8, 2025 Tyler Brooks 0 Comments 3 min read

There was a time when every year felt like a leap forward. New devices. New ways to connect. Radical redesigns. Risky bets. The kind of progress that turned science fiction into your lock screen.

But here we are in 2025, and everything feels… the same.
Just with “AI-powered” slapped on top.

We’re Not Innovating — We’re Rebranding

Photo editors are now “AI creativity suites.”
Chatbots are “co-pilots.”
To-do list apps have AI “task whisperers.”
Even dating apps brag about using machine learning — to match you with the same types of people you’ve been swiping past since 2016.

What’s new isn’t new. It’s old ideas with new packaging.

AI Isn’t the Problem — It’s the Excuse

Don’t get me wrong. AI is powerful. But instead of using it to build truly novel experiences, most companies are bolting it onto stale products to justify another funding round.

Innovation used to mean breaking things. Now it means prompting better.

We’re mistaking smarter filters for genuine leaps in tech.

The Rise of Safe Ideas

Startups aren’t building the future — they’re building safer versions of past products.

“Uber, but for ____”
“Airbnb meets AI”
“Like TikTok, but for learning”

Why? Investors are risk-averse. Product teams are metrics-obsessed. And everyone’s watching everyone else, trying not to fall behind.

In a world ruled by KPIs and retention rates, radical ideas don’t get greenlit — they get nerfed.

Is It Just Nostalgia?

Maybe.
Maybe part of the reason 2025 feels like 2019 is because we were expecting flying cars and got AI-generated memes.

But it’s more than that. The tools are more powerful. The minds are still sharp. What’s missing is the willingness to build something weird, hard, or unpredictable.

Where Real Innovation Is Hiding

Look away from the headlines. Real innovation is happening — but in the margins:

Indie developers building chaotic experiments
Artists creating with AI instead of fighting it
Hardware startups rethinking form, not just function
Decentralized protocols that challenge platform monopolies

Innovation isn’t gone. It’s just not trending.

🔍 One Last Thought (Unfiltered)

Innovation dies when convenience wins.
And in 2025, most products are designed to be convenient — not transformative.

Maybe what we need isn’t better AI. Maybe we need braver ideas.