Tech winners and losers of 2024: For every triumph, a turkey [Video]

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The year 2024 delivered all the drama technology fans could want: AI dominance, chip wars, smart devices that were anything but, and a social media implosion that’s already a case study in corporate mismanagement. From monumental wins to jaw-dropping failures, here’s the definitive breakdown of the year’s tech highs and lows.

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Losers

1. X (formerly Twitter): A masterclass in self-destruction

Elon Musk spent 2024 doubling down on the chaos that turned X into a punchline. Advertisers fled after baffling policy shifts, verified checkmarks became meaningless, and users abandoned ship for Bluesky and Mastodon in droves. Engagement plummeted, and what was once a cultural institution became a meme of its former self. Musk might still call it “the town square,” but in 2024, X was more like the local landfill.

Also: I tried replacing Twitter with Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon: Here’s what I found