Editing 2020s (section)

==Science and technology==
{{Science decade nav|{{currentyear}}}}
{{Main|2020s in science and technology}}

===Spaceflight===
{{See also|2020s in spaceflight}}

The trend towards cost reduction in access to orbit is expected to continue. [[Vulcan Centaur|Vulcan]] is replacing its more expensive predecessors. Since 2023, [[SpaceX]] is testing its fully reusable [[SpaceX Starship|Starship]] with orbital missions. In 2024, [[Blue Origin]] plans the maiden flight of [[New Glenn]] with a reusable first stage and [[Ariane 6]] is expected to replace the retired more expensive [[Ariane 5]].

Mars stays a focus for missions to other planets, with three missions launched in 2020 (by China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States) and at least one mission planned for [[EscaPADE|2024]], [[Martian Moons eXploration|2026]] and [[Rosalind Franklin (rover)|2028]].

In 2028, as part of the [[NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return]] mission, NASA plans to launch a Sample Retrieval Lander. In 2027, ESA plans to launch the Earth Return Orbiter, which will transport the retrieved samples from Mars to Earth by 2033. China is also planning to [[Mars sample-return mission#China|retrieve samples from Mars]] by 2031.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |date=2022-06-20 |title=China aims to bring Mars samples to Earth 2 years before NASA, ESA mission |url=https://spacenews.com/china-aims-to-bring-mars-samples-to-earth-2-years-before-nasa-esa-mission/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref>

NASA plans a return of humans to the Moon by 2025. The [[Artemis 1|first uncrewed launch]] of the [[Space Launch System]] happened in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=We Are Going: Artemis I Launches |url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/we-are-going-artemis-i-launches |publisher=NASA |access-date=18 November 2022 |date=16 November 2022}}</ref> [[Artemis 2|The first crewed launch]] is planned for September 2025.<ref name="sn-20240109">{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-delays-artemis-2-and-3-missions/ |title=NASA delays Artemis 2 and 3 missions |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=9 January 2024}}</ref> In addition NASA plans to assemble the [[Lunar Gateway]] in lunar orbit. A crewed exploration of Mars could follow in the mid 2030s. SpaceX, a private company, has also announced plans to land humans on Mars in the 2020s, with the long-term goal of enabling the [[colonization of Mars]].

India plans to launch its first crewed flight with a spacecraft called ''[[Gaganyaan]]'' on a home-grown [[GSLV Mark III]] rocket in 2025. The mission would make India the fourth nation to launch a crewed spaceflight after Russia, the US and China. India also plans to launch its second Mars probe, [[Mars Orbiter Mission 2]] (''Mangalyaan 2'').

The [[James Webb Space Telescope]] was launched in 2021. NASA plans to launch the [[Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope]], which will have a field of view 100 times larger than that of the [[Hubble Space Telescope]], between October 2026 and May 2027.<ref name="nasa-20220719">{{cite press release |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-roman-space-telescope |title=NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Roman Space Telescope |work=[[NASA]] |date=19 July 2022 |access-date=19 July 2022}}</ref><ref name="sn-20210930">{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/pandemic-causes-delay-and-cost-increase-for-nasas-roman-space-telescope/ |title=Pandemic causes delay and cost increase for NASA's Roman Space Telescope |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=30 September 2021 |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="sn20200520">{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-renames-wfirst-space-telescope-after-pioneering-woman-astronomer/ |title=NASA renames WFIRST space telescope after pioneering woman astronomer |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref>

NASA's [[NEO Surveyor]], scheduled to launch no later than June 2028,<ref name="sn-20221207">{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-confirms-neo-surveyor-for-2028-launch/ |title=NASA confirms NEO Surveyor for 2028 launch |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=7 December 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref> is expected to be capable of detecting at least 90% of [[near-Earth object]]s larger than {{convert|140|m|ft|sp=us}}, a goal mandated by the US Congress in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr1022/text/rh |title=H.R. 1022 (109th): George E. Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act - Original text |work=[[GovTrack]] |date=27 June 2005 |access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref>

The number of [[small satellites]] launched annually was expected to grow to around one thousand (2018 estimate), mainly [[Satellite constellation#Communications satellite constellations|communication satellites in large constellations]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsr.com/smallsat-growth-on-shaky-foundations/ |title=Smallsat Growth On Shaky Foundations |work=[[Northern Sky Research]] |date=19 February 2019 |access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref> but launches quickly exceeded this estimate, mainly due to the rapid deployment of the [[Starlink]] and [[OneWeb]] constellations. From 2020 to 2022, around 3500 Starlink satellites<ref>{{cite web|url=https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html|title=Starlink Statistics|access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> and 500 satellites by OneWeb<ref>{{cite web|url=https://planet4589.org/space/con/ow/stats.html|title=OneWeb Statistics|access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> were launched.

The number of total satellites reached 10,000 for the first time in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Look Up Space Reports More Than 10,000 Active Satellites in Orbit |url=https://spacewatch.global/2024/06/look-up-space-reports-more-than-10000-active-satellites-in-orbit/ }}</ref>

===Artificial intelligence===
[[File:Bill clinton dall-e.jpg|thumb|120px|upright|right|The [[AI boom]] emerged in the 2020s. Generative AI such as [[Text-to-image model]]s and [[ChatGPT|AI chatbots]] released publicly. Machine learning systems that took minute(s) to produce blurry images in mid 2022 were able to produce more realistic imagery in seconds by mid 2023. English text would appear as [[gibberish]] in earlier AI text-to-image builds, although this was fixed to an extent with newer AI models such as DALL-E 3.]]

The [[AI boom]]<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Knight |first=Will |title=Google's Gemini Is the Real Start of the Generative AI Boom |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/google-gemini-generative-ai-boom/ |access-date=2023-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Meredith |first=Sam |date=2023-12-06 |title=A 'thirsty' generative AI boom poses a growing problem for Big Tech |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/06/water-why-a-thirsty-generative-ai-boom-poses-a-problem-for-big-tech.html |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=CNBC}}</ref> is an ongoing period of rapid [[Progress in artificial intelligence|progress in]] the field of [[artificial intelligence]] (AI) that started in the late 2010s before gaining international prominence in late 2022 with the public release of [[ChatGPT]] and [[DeepSeek]] in early 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Milmo |first1=Dan |last2=Hawkins |first2=Amy |last3=Booth |first3=Robert |last4=Kollewe |first4=Julia |date=2025-01-28 |title='Sputnik moment': $1tn wiped off US stocks after Chinese firm unveils AI chatbot |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/27/tech-shares-asia-europe-fall-china-ai-deepseek |access-date=2025-04-26 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Examples include [[large language model]]s and [[generative AI]] applications developed by [[OpenAI]] as well as [[Protein structure prediction|protein folding prediction]] led by [[Google DeepMind]]. This period is sometimes referred to as an '''AI spring''', to contrast it with previous [[AI winter]]s.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bommasani | first=Rishi | date=March 17, 2023 |url=https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-spring-four-takeaways-major-releases-foundation-models | title=AI Spring? Four Takeaways from Major Releases in Foundation Models | publisher=Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence | access-date=May 16, 2023 | archive-date=May 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507165115/https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-spring-four-takeaways-major-releases-foundation-models | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The coming of AI Spring |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview/in-the-news/the-coming-of-ai-spring |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=www.mckinsey.com}}</ref>

* [[DeepMind]] solves the [[protein folding problem]] to 90 percent accuracy, a 50-year-old grand challenge, at [[CASP]]14 in 2020.<ref>{{cite journal |title='It will change everything': DeepMind's AI makes gigantic leap in solving protein structures |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03348-4 |journal=Nature |year=2020 |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-03348-4 |access-date=17 January 2021 |last1=Callaway |first1=Ewen |volume=588 |issue=7837 |pages=203–204 |pmid=33257889 |bibcode=2020Natur.588..203C |s2cid=227243204}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AlphaFold: A Solution to a 50 Year Old Grand Challenge in Biology |url=https://deepmind.com/blog/article/alphafold-a-solution-to-a-50-year-old-grand-challenge-in-biology |website=Deepmind.com |date=30 November 2020 |access-date=17 January 2021}}</ref>
* [[Artificial intelligence art#Text-to-image models|Text-to-image AI art systems]]{{Broken anchor|date=20 April 2024|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Artificial intelligence art#Text-to-image models|reason=Anchor "Artificial intelligence art#Text-to-image models" links to a specific web page: "Text-to-image model". The anchor (Text-to-image models) [[Special:Diff/1128206855|has been deleted]].}} such as [[DALL-E]] (1, 2, and 3) and [[Stable Diffusion]] are capable of generating highly detailed and realistic images from text prompts.
* [[Large language model]]s, like [[OpenAI]]'s [[ChatGPT]], [[Anthropic]]'s [[Claude (language model)|Claude]] and [[Meta Platforms|Meta's]] [[Llama (language model)|Llama]] became widely adopted in 2023 and 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=2023-02-02 |title=ChatGPT reaches 100 million users two months after launch |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/02/chatgpt-100-million-users-open-ai-fastest-growing-app |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* In early 2024, OpenAI released a new technology called [[Sora (text-to-video model)]], a video model [[Generative artificial intelligence|generates]] short video clips based on user [[Prompt engineering|prompts]], and can also extend existing short videos. Sora was released publicly for ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro users in December 2024. This has revolutionized the video industry, since this machine generates videos in shorter time, leading to more companies adopting AI videos, with [[Coca-Cola]] Christmas commercial being the first one to do so.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Di Placido|first=Dani|date=November 16, 2024|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2024/11/16/coca-colas-ai-generated-ad-controversy-explained/|title=Coca Cola's AI-Generated Ad Controversy, Explained|magazine=[[Forbes]]|access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Horvath|first=Bruna|date=November 18, 2024|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/coca-cola-causes-controversy-ai-made-ad-rcna180665|title=Coca-Cola causes controversy with AI-made ad|publisher=[[NBC News]]|access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref>

===Communications and electronics===
* [[5G]] became increasingly widespread during the decade.
* By 2020, [[3D printing]] had reached decent quality and affordable pricing which allowed many people to own 3D printers.
* [[8K resolution]] and [[4K resolution]] becomes prevalent in consumer electronics.

===Software and electronic platforms===
* Support for [[Adobe Flash Player]] ended on 31 December 2020.
* [[Windows 11]] is released on 5 October 2021, succeeding [[Windows 10]].
* Support for [[Internet Explorer]] on [[Windows 10]] Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) ended on 15 June 2022.
* ESU support for [[Windows 7]] and extended support for [[Windows 8.1]] and [[Windows RT]] ended on 10 January 2023. Some versions of [[Windows 10]], such as Windows 10 2106 LTSB are already out of ''mainstream'' support, some versions <!-- e.g. all Mobile --> are out of all support, and others soon on, i.e. October 14, 2025, while some Enterprise versions will be supported longer.

===Technology===
* The [[BBC]] reports that for the "first time someone who has had a complete cut to their spinal cord has been able to walk freely... because of an electrical implant that has been surgically attached to his spine".<ref>{{cite news |first=Pallab |last=Ghosh |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60258620 |title=Paralysed man with severed spine walks thanks to implant |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2022-03-02}}</ref>
* Sales of [[electric vehicle]]s have grown significantly and this is expected to continue through the decade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iea.org/news/global-electric-car-sales-set-for-further-strong-growth-after-40-rise-in-2020 |title=Global electric car sales set for further strong growth after 40% rise in 2020 – News |date=29 April 2021}}</ref>
* [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]] as a form of digital art emerged in the 2020s, with NFTs such as [[Everydays: the First 5000 Days]]. The NFT market experienced rapid growth during 2020, with its value tripling to {{Currency|250|US}} million.<ref name="Duffy-2021">{{Cite web |title=The NFT Market Tripled Last Year, and It's Gaining Even More Momentum in 2021 |url=https://www.morningbrew.com/emerging-tech/stories/2021/02/22/nft-market-tripled-last-year-gaining-even-momentum-2021 |access-date=April 8, 2021 |website=Morning Brew}}</ref> In the first three months of 2021, more than {{Currency|200|US}} million were spent on NFTs,<ref name="Time-2021">{{Cite magazine |title=NFTs Are Shaking Up the Art World – But They Could Change So Much More |url=https://time.com/5947720/nft-art/ |magazine=Time |access-date=April 6, 2021}}</ref> and in the early months of 2021, interest in NFTs increased after a number of high-profile sales and art auctions.<ref name="Howcroft-2021">{{Cite news |last=Howcroft |first=Elizabeth |date=March 17, 2021 |title=Explainer: NFTs are hot. So what are they? |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crypto-currency-nft-explainer-idUSKBN2B92MA |access-date=April 6, 2021}}</ref>