- AI startups crash and burn. OpenAI raises prices dramatically. ChatGPT and Bard start subtly adding product ads into their responses.

- Quality of life in the US continues to decline. Shantytowns start springing up in California. Rule of law shows cracks and gang-controlled zones expand.

- Entrepreneurs stop immigrating from China/India and prefer to stay there and build.

- Israel declares victory in Gaza and most people forget about the whole thing.

- Russia stops advancing, digs in. Ukraine continues sending drones in, but human casualties essentially stop. Turkey, Poland, and Scandinavian countries become more friendly with Russia.

- TSMC continues moving its operations from Taiwan to mainland China.

- Oil and gas production boom in the US, many tech workers end up working on the pipelines.