Scroll back through the last year, and the same words come up again and again. The top-trending terms of 2025, from artificial intelligence to Zohran Mamdani, shaped headlines across politics, conflict, technology and climate. As the year comes to a close, AJ Labs has compiled an A to Z list of names, places and issues that generated sustained interest throughout 2025, according to a loose analysis of our own most-viewed story tags and those that appeared in Google's most searched. Taken together, these terms are a patchwork of issues that are also likely to spill into 2026, from ongoing conflicts to a changing technosocial landscape not seen since the dawn of the internet. This is 2025 from A to Z, by the words that made the year.

Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump have both posted AI-generated videos on social media. Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump have both posted AI-generated videos on social media. T he New York City mayoral election may be remembered for the remarkable win of a young democratic socialist, but it was also marked by something that is likely to permeate future elections: the use of AI-generated campaign videos. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Zohran Mamdani in last week's election, took particular interest in sharing deepfake videos of his opponent, including one that saw the former governor accused of racism, in what is a developing area of electioneering. AI has been used by campaigns before, particularly in using algorithms to target certain voters, and even, in some cases, to write policy proposals.

The images and videos were hard to miss in the days leading up to November 5. There was Donald Trump with the chiseled musculature of Superman, hovering over a row of skyscrapers. People had clearly used AI to create these--an effort to show support for their candidate or to troll their opponents. But the images didn't stop after Trump won. The day after polls closed, the Statue of Liberty wept into her hands as a drizzle fell around her. Trump and Elon Musk, in space suits, stood on the surface of Mars; hours later, Trump appeared at the door of the White House, waving goodbye to Harris as she walked away, clutching a cardboard box filled with flags.

When Melissa Kono, the town clerk in Burnside, Wisconsin, began training election workers in 2015, their questions were relatively mundane. They asked about election rules, voter eligibility, and other basic procedures. The job was gratifying and enjoyable; they helped their neighbors while sipping coffee. But over the past few years, everything has changed. Kono now finds herself fielding questions about what to do when approached by suspicious voters who ask provocative questions or gripe about fraud.

Days after Vice President Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid, a video -- created with the help of artificial intelligence -- went viral. "I ... am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate," a voice that sounded like Harris' said in the fake audio track used to alter one of her campaign ads. "I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire." Billionaire Elon Musk -- who has endorsed Harris' Republican opponent, former President Trump-- shared the video on X, then clarified two days later that it was actually meant as a parody. His initial tweet had 136 million views.

Before the start of India's general election in April, a top candidate looking to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not out wooing voters on the campaign trail. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and the head of a political party known for its anti-corruption platform, was arrested in late March for, yes, alleged corruption. His supporters hit the streets in protest, decrying the arrest as a politically motivated move by Modi aimed at weakening a rival. Soon after the arrest, Kejriwal implored his supporters to stay strong. "There are some forces who are trying to weaken our country and its democracy," he said in a 34-second audio clip posted to social media by a fellow party member.

Illinois advertising professor Michelle Nelson says voters should expect to see a lot more generative AI in political ads during the 2024 election cycle, warning that it might be difficult to impossible to tell what's real and what's fake. It's estimated that 12 billion will be spent on political ads this [USA] election cycle – 30% more than in 2020. The sheer volume of ads is remarkable, and there is vast potential to use this political information to contribute to democracy: to reach more potential voters and provide accurate information. There's also more potential than ever for generative artificial intelligence to misrepresent candidates and policies, leading to confusion in the voting booth. News Bureau editor Lois Yoksoulian spoke with advertising professor and department head Michelle Nelson about the topic.

Heritage Foundation tech policy director Kara Frederick joins'America's Newsroom' to discuss pornographic AI photos of Taylor Swift sparking conversations about deepfake regulation. Ahead of the general election, more states are proactively introducing new bills to regulate the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) created "deepfakes," or digitally altered videos or images, in their campaign materials. Advanced generative AI tools, ranging from voice-cloning software to image generators, have swiftly become fixtures in election cycles both domestically and internationally. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential race last year, a wave of innovation saw the integration of AI-generated audio and imagery in campaign ads, alongside ventures into AI chatbots to cultivate voter engagement. This week, Wisconsin joined 20 other states that have either introduced or passed election laws requiring election campaigns to disclose when advertisements are AI-generated.

A bipartisan panel of voters weighed in on the future of artificial intelligence and growing concerns surrounding the potential dangers of the emerging technology. Imagine waking up tomorrow to discover that MLB commissioner Rob Manfeld made another rule change to America's pastime: All performance-enhancing drugs are legal. Imagine the increases in strength, speed, and stamina that baseball would have to contend with as players from every team experimented with pharmaceutical cocktails to give them the ultimate advantage. What we're about to see in the 2024 election cycle, with the introduction of artificial intelligence, is the rise of "performance-enhancing digital." AI will revolutionize politics in the months ahead.

The Republican National Committee fired off an attack ad as soon as President Joe Biden announced his reelection campaign last week. The 30-second spot which used fake visuals of China invading Taiwan, financial markets crashing and immigrants overrunning the border sported a disclaimer: "Built entirely with AI imagery." The ad – which the GOP called "an AI-generated look into the country's possible future if Joe Biden is re-elected in 2024" – is a sign of what's to come in the 2024 presidential election, experts say. AI crack down?Senate leader Schumer unveils plans to crack down on AI Fake Twitter accountsIs that Twitter account real? 4 ways to help you spot a fake account. Even as the technology grows more sophisticated and powerful, spreading into all aspects of American life, there are still very few rules governing its use.