In the technical business, 2024 was a season of rapid change and shifting winds. Tech firms continued to make rapid development in artificial intellect, with A. I. products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude all getting large updates during the year, and billions being spent on the development of even more powerful models. ( And the researchers behind Google’s AlphaFold, an A. I. project on proteins that I gave a Good Tech Award three years ago, got a slightly more prestigious award this year — the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. ) But A. I. was not the only factor happening in Silicon Valley. This time, tech firms fought bitterly with regulators and clashed with governments, and a secessionist “founder style” movement led some technical key executives to accept bureaucracy. In the fall, as the election gripped the country, an rising “tech correct” lined up behind Donald J. Trump. Some software leaders jumped on the president-elect in hopes of a simpler second term after his victory. Every year, I try to highlight a few it projects that I believe have made a significant impact on humanity. As always, my criteria for what constitutes” good tech” are vague and arbitrary, but it has become an important exercise for me. One of the benefits of using this is that it helps me get rid of any unconscious negative discrimination I may have throughout the year. Another is that I’ve heard from previous consumers who have told me that being awarded for their work ( even one that is solely based on a mention in a newspaper column and doesn’t have a prize attached ) has motivated them to keep going. I believe that everyone on this week’s list may be encouraged to use their abilities for the good of society. To Epoch AI, a small volunteer research firm whose labor has helped politicians, academics, and the general public understand what’s happening in A. I., is now the focus of this year’s Great Tech Awards: To Epoch AI, for providing reliable information on the A. I. boom. The firm maintains public databases of A. I. models and A. I. hardware, and publishes research on A. I. trends, including an influential report this year about whether A. I. models can continue to grow at their current pace. ( Epoch AI determined that it was likely until 2030. ) Additionally, it creates its own tests, such as the FrontierMath benchmark, which evaluates advanced mathematical aptitude. To make good decisions about A. I., we need an accurate picture of the technology’s progress, and Epoch AI’s work has brought much-needed rigor and empiricism to an industry that often runs on hype and vibes. We are having trouble locating the article’s source. Please make JavaScript available in your browser’s settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.