The 24 biggest AI moments of 2024: A Laptop Mag countdown

A curated series of events that defined AI’s impact this year — and possibly in the years to come

Laptop Mag's Biggest AI Moments in 2024 image showing various leaders in the AI industry in a punk-pop-art scrapbook art style on a colorful pastel background.
(Image credit: Design: Rael Hornby, Photos: Ethan Miller/I-HWA CHENG/Odd ANDERSEN/AFP, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images and Annabelle Chih/David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Artificial intelligence played a major role in 2024, from the apps we use and the computers it now helps power to its wider impact on society. But with so much AI-centric news heading your way over the last 12 months, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.

So, what better way to wrap the year than by revisiting the stories that have shaped the impact of AI in 2024? Join Laptop Mag as we present the more memorable and impactful stories of the year in which artificial intelligence played a key role.

As we look back on these stories, we also want to look ahead to 2025 and beyond. Our selection highlights twenty-four stories that may have a larger impact on the road ahead, even if their initial breaking didn't cause shockwaves.

Stay with us throughout December to reflect on a busy year in tech as we dedicate this Laptop Mag special issue to counting down The 24 Biggest AI Moments of 2024.

█ Laptop Mag's Biggest AI Moments of 2024

Punk Pop-Art styled scrapbook-like image of Uncle Sam pointing towards the viewer with a rudimentary American flag in the background with an overlay of the Capitol Hill building.Running Regu-late
24. Uncle Sam's Big Tech task force deliberated while AI worries proliferated

Punk Pop-Art, scrapbook-styled image of an open medicine bottle filled with microchips, in the background medicinal pills and digital artifacts are part of a colorful collage.Silicon savior
23. AI supercharged the sciences in 2024, revealing a major breakthrough in Alzheimer's diagnosis

Punk Pop-Art, scrapbook styled image of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai standing in front of a European Union flag where each star has been replaced by the Google Gemini AI star symbol. The background is a colorful collage including depictions of the continent of Europe and American currency.Learn to earn
22. Google invested millions in training job seekers to use AI this year. Will it work?

Scrapbook style image of a Google logo sticker with Bard and Gemini AI stars, on top of a Google-themed runway with a light blue background filled with various shapes.From Bard to worse?
21. This year, Google launched Gemini AI, but did it come too late to defeat ChatGPT?

Colorful scrapbook styled punk pop-art image of a Shiba Inu dog saying various phrases through floating speech bubbles, with a There's an AI for that
20. AI was everywhere in 2024, except where you wanted it

Scrapbook styled punk pop-art image showing the Humane AI Pin being held in a hand on a colorful background.The Humane-ity!
19. Remember the year's biggest AI flop? The Humane AI pin's public failure has a silver lining

Scrapbook-style collage showing photograph of IBM scientist Murray Campbell (R) making a move for the IBM Deep Blue computer in a game 04 May in New York against World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov (L). The monitor at rear on table relays the computers' moves to Campbell. Kasparov, making a record of the move, won the first game on 03 May and leads the match,1-0. The photo is presented above a punk pop-art image of a chessboard.Devin dev outed
18. In 1996, AI beat a grandmaster at chess. In 2024, the stakes are higher

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Series written by
Stevie Bonifield standing in the woods
Series written by
Stevie Bonifield

Contributing writer Stevie Bonifield brings a history of science and technology writing to Laptop Mag, covering numerous stories throughout the year on topics such as OpenAI and Apple Intelligence. Stevie's expertise stretches beyond software or societal impacts of AI, routinely getting to grips with AI at a hardware level through reviewing Copilot+ and AI PCs as part of the Laptop Mag review team.

Series edited by
Laptop Mag Writer
Series edited by
Rael Hornby

Special projects editor Rael Hornby brings decades of tech enthusiasm to the table and a history of covering AI for Laptop Mag since 2023. From Copilot to ChatGPT, Rael has produced news and features focusing on AI's growing presence in tech and its wider impact on our lives.

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