Every year a handful of the articles we write rise to the top – the ones our readers share most widely, return to repeatedly or cite when trying to make sense of AI’s accelerating impact. We’ve rounded up the ten most-read articles published on our site over the past year to see what they tell us about the AI conversation of the last twelve months. They offer a snapshot of what mattered to those navigating the fast-shifting AI landscape.
Taken together, these ten articles show how curiosity about AI has matured in 2025. Readers wanted clarity on business realities, responsible governance, and sustainability, but also insight into emerging possibilities – from autonomous agents to superintelligence. Out top ten list of most read articles reflects the full arc of that curiosity.
10. The business case for ethical AI: clear ROI
In the first article on the top ten AI articles list we argued that embedding ethical AI practices is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s a strategic business investment. Drawing on recent empirical research, it showed that companies prioritising ethical, responsible AI see clear measurable returns: higher product quality, stronger brand reputation, greater customer loyalty and improved employee satisfaction. In short: ethics doesn’t just feel good – it delivers measurable commercial benefits [Read it here]
9. AI for children: balancing innovation and ethics
In this piece we explored the opportunities and serious ethical challenges when AI is designed for children and young people, such as in educational tools, smart toys or social media. While AI systems can personalise learning, offer interactive companionship or support mental-health needs, they also raise critical concerns around data privacy and security, algorithmic bias, transparency, and the potential for emotional or developmental harm. The article emphasised that companies building AI-powered products for children must tread carefully, embedding strong safeguards and clear boundaries to ensure children’s welfare and rights are respected. [Read it here]
8. Ten steps to align AI with your corporate values
In this piece we offered a practical, step-by-step roadmap for organisations wanting to ensure their AI aligns with their corporate values. The guidance translated abstract ethical principles into concrete actions, covering governance structures, procurement policies, stakeholder engagement and ongoing audits. It showed that value-aligned AI isn’t accidental – it’s the result of deliberate, disciplined work at every level of an organisation. [Read it here]
7. AI 2027 – a race to super intelligence?
We reviewed a provocative scenario from the AI Futures Project that maps how current AI systems could evolve by 2027 into superintelligences – with transformative, world-altering consequences. The scenario traces a rapid progression: from today’s large-language-model-based assistants to autonomous ‘agent’ systems, culminating in self-improving AI that could outstrip human cognitive capacity. The article explored both a dystopian ‘race’ ending – with existential risk – and a more hopeful ‘slowdown and alignment’ branch. It concluded that whether this future arrives depends heavily not just on tech but on strategic choices, governance and societal readiness. [Read it here]
6. The case for robot friendships
In this popular piece we examined whether humans can form genuine friendships with robots – not just functional interactions, but real emotional or social bonds. Drawing on philosophical arguments (notably from John Danaher), the article asked whether the key characteristics of human friendship – mutual goodwill, shared values, respect – could ever be replicated by sufficiently advanced robots. It acknowledged objections (e.g. robots lack inner consciousness), but suggested that, according to a behaviour-based view of moral and social relationships, consistent outward behaviour might be enough to qualify as friendship. In doing so, the article challenged readers to rethink the boundaries of companionship in an age of sociable machines. [Read it here]
5. How AI is reshaping news consumption
We examined findings from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s 2025 Digital News Report – an enormous global survey spanning nearly 100,000 respondents across 48 markets. We showed how AI tools are already transforming how people consume, produce and trust news: changing the balance between human and algorithmic curation, shifting consumption habits, and prompting serious questions about quality, bias and media trust. The piece highlighted that news organisations, policymakers and audiences are entering a new phase where the role of AI is not marginal – it may define the future of journalism.. [Read it here]
4. Calculating AI’s energy use, frameworks and tools
We brought attention here to a dimension of responsible AI often overlooked: energy consumption and environmental impact. The article reviewed emerging frameworks and tools that allow organisations to estimate and monitor the energy costs of training and running AI models. The main takeaway was that if AI is to scale sustainably, companies must embed energy-awareness and environmental responsibility into their AI development pipelines – a call for AI that is not only powerful and ethical, but also green. [Read it here]
3. When AI runs the company: autonomous agents at work
We presented a fascinating real-world experiment from Carnegie Mellon University: a fully simulated digital office where autonomous agents powered by large language models attempted to perform real business tasks – from coding and project management to HR and finance. The results were mixed: agents could handle structured tasks (like coding) reasonably well, but struggled badly with social nuance, coordination, and unpredictable real-world quirks. The article concluded that although AI agents show promise, they remain far from replacing human teams – at least for now. [Read it here]
2. The state of AI safety
In this analysis we reviewed how leading AI labs – including OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind – increasingly view safety not as optional but as existential. We explored the growing acknowledgment that as frontier AI systems become more capable, the potential consequences of failure grow more severe. The discussion covered structural, technical and governance challenges – underscoring that investing in safety isn’t just about risk mitigation, but about safeguarding society. [Read it here]
1. This is no AI bubble, here’s why
Topping our list was our bold essay arguing that the current surge in AI investment and enthusiasm should not be dismissed as a speculative AI bubble destined to burst. The article traced how the economics of AI have fundamentally changed: unlike past AI winters, today’s AI is embedded via recurring digital-rent models rather than relying on fleeting capital. It argued that because of deep structural, economic and political shifts, the current boom in AI investment has real staying power – even if future regulation or environmental constraints slow some momentum. The conclusion: this isn’t hype – it’s structural transformation. [Read it here]
Looking across these ten pieces, it’s clear why they resonated so strongly with our readers. Each acknowledges the real-world significance of AI, focusing not on abstract speculation but on how AI is already reshaping business, society and human relationships. Many of the articles focused on ethical and societal challenges- from children’s rights to environmental impact – reflecting that our readers are not just curious about capability but deeply concerned with consequence. Others home in on governance, strategy and organisational preparedness, offering grounded guidance for decision-makers facing rapid technological change.
What also stands out (we hope) is the balance between optimism and caution. Some pieces look ahead to transformative possibilities, such as superintelligence or agent-driven organisations, while others offer a pragmatic counterweight by highlighting risks, limitations and practical safeguards. This interplay of ambition and realism appears to be exactly what readers were seeking.
Finally, we hope that these articles succeeded in making complex topics accessible. We aim to translate technical, legal and philosophical issues into clear, engaging narratives that welcome readers from many professional backgrounds. By connecting breakthrough capabilities with tangible social, economic and moral questions, they offer the kind of clarity people look for in moments of rapid change. No wonder these ten pieces captured so much attention over the past year!