2016年初，科技界一片欣欣向榮的景象，企業(yè)利潤不斷攀升，硅谷對美國政府的影響力也在日益增強(qiáng)。不過到了2017年，情況就不再這么美好了。

唐納德·特朗普出人意料的當(dāng)選，對科技公司在政治和經(jīng)濟(jì)上都堪稱一次打擊，它們本指望希拉里獲勝，從而維持奧巴馬任期下政府優(yōu)厚的調(diào)控政策。

但毫無疑問，科技巨頭仍然是美國企業(yè)界的霸主，盡管他們的情緒（和股價）不會太好。無論2017年的政策風(fēng)向如何，硅谷的重要性依舊不可動搖。以下是我們值得關(guān)注的5條故事線。

1. Facebook和谷歌平臺的力量

谷歌（Google）和Facebook可能會說他們是科技公司而不是媒體渠道。不過這樣的謊言該垮臺了，因為它們平臺上的假新聞和凌駕于黨派之上的故事對大選結(jié)果的影響已經(jīng)鬧得沸沸揚(yáng)揚(yáng)。

這兩家科技巨頭如今正在不情愿地采取措施，讓自己平臺上的新聞變得更加負(fù)責(zé)。不過對于它們權(quán)力的爭論才剛剛開始。我們可以看看新政府是否會使用反壟斷法（因為特朗普已經(jīng)就此指責(zé)了亞馬遜）來限制它們，或消費(fèi)者是否會警惕它們的影響，開始選擇其他替代平臺。

2. 加密術(shù)成為主流

2016年初，蘋果和美國聯(lián)邦調(diào)查局因為解密iPhone的問題而對簿公堂。從那時起，保護(hù)消費(fèi)者和公司的數(shù)據(jù)和設(shè)備免受他人窺探的加密技術(shù)就變得愈加流行。例如，《紐約時報》如今就通過加密應(yīng)用Signal接受新聞線索，越來越多的網(wǎng)站也開始利用加密技術(shù)保護(hù)自己的網(wǎng)頁通信。

3. 人工智能走進(jìn)現(xiàn)實(shí)

說到大肆宣傳的能力，科技界無人能及。無論是對“云”概念的熱捧（還算合理）還是對虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)的愿景（這些設(shè)想還未實(shí)現(xiàn)），他們總是熱衷于談?wù)撓乱粋€熱門話題。

不過在人工智能領(lǐng)域，這種吹噓看起來并不過分。人工智能在谷歌翻譯和亞馬遜的家庭助手Alexa上已經(jīng)展現(xiàn)了驚人的潛力，從無人駕駛汽車到醫(yī)學(xué)研究，它的能力都在得到發(fā)掘。期待著人工智能成為2017年最重要的純技術(shù)案例吧。

4. Snapchat的成功和蘋果的困境

2016年，Snapchat表現(xiàn)出色，保持千禧一代用戶飛速增長的同時，還推出了一系列優(yōu)秀的功能，甚至是Spectacles可錄像眼鏡這樣的硬件。與此同時，隨著蘋果曾經(jīng)引以為豪的產(chǎn)品熱度不再，公司也失去了光芒，投資者開始擔(dān)憂蘋果已經(jīng)江郎才盡，產(chǎn)品創(chuàng)意已經(jīng)枯竭。我們認(rèn)為這兩家公司在2017年會延續(xù)——并加速這一趨勢。

5. 科技巨頭與特朗普的恩怨

今年12月，候任總統(tǒng)特朗普與頂級科技高管在特朗普大樓達(dá)成了休戰(zhàn)協(xié)定，他們合影留念，并宣布會建立高效的合作關(guān)系。不過這種關(guān)系可能只是看上去很好。從蘋果首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆·庫克在會議上的表情，我們很容易推斷出未來的情況——由于總統(tǒng)與科技界的商業(yè)和文化價值觀存在著巨大的分歧，雙方可能將重新憎恨彼此。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

作者：Jeff John Roberts

譯者：嚴(yán)匡正

At the beginning of 2016, the tech industry was riding high as corporate profits kept popping and Silicon Valley's influence in Washington, D.C. kept growing. Things are not as rosy for 2017.

The surprise election of Donald Trump delivered a political and financial jolt to tech companies, which had counted on a Clinton victory to preserve the favorable regulatory policies of the Obama White House.

Make no mistake, the tech giants are still the kings of corporate America, but their moods (and their share prices) are not so sunny. But wherever the political winds blow in 2017, Silicon Valley is as important as ever. Here are 5 storylines to watch:

1. Facebook and Google's Power of the Platform

Google and Facebook like to claim they're tech companies, not media outlets. But that fiction came crashing down in the uproar over how the companies' delivery of fake news and hyper-partisan stories helped shape the election.

The two tech giants are now grudgingly taking steps to be more accountable for the information they show. But the debate over their power is just beginning. Watch to see if the new administration turns to anti-trust law (as Trump vowed to do vis-a-vis Amazon) to corral them, or if consumers grow alarmed about their influence and seek out alternatives.

2. Encryption Goes Mainstream

In early 2016, Apple and the FBI got into a legal showdown over an encrypted iPhone. Since then, encryption technology—which allows consumers and companies to secure their data and devices from outside eyes—has grown ever more popular. The New York Times, for instance, is now accepting news tips via the encrypted app Signal, while more and more websites are turning on encryption to guard their web communications.

3. Artificial Intelligence Is the Real Deal

Nobody does hype like the tech industry. Whether it's the commotion over "the cloud" (which is justified) or visions of virtual reality (whose promise is yet to be fulfilled), there is always a rush to talk up the next big thing.

In the case of artificial intelligence it's becoming apparent the hype is justified. AI is already showing its awesome potential in tools like Google Translate (googl) or Amazon's (amzn) home assistant, Alexa, and its power is being tapped for everything from driverless cars to medical research. Look for AI to be the most important pure technology story of 2017.

4. Snapchat Soars and Apple Stumbles

In 2016, Snapchat did a masterful job of maintaining rapid growth among millennials while preserving its cool cachet with new features, and even hardware like Spectacles. Meanwhile, Apple (aapl) lost more luster as the company's once-vaunted demo days lost their sizzle, and investors fret that Apple's ideas are stale and its product pipeline is dry. Look for this tale of two companies to continue—and accelerate—in 2017.

5. Tech vs. Trump

The President-elect and top tech executives reached a truce in December, meeting for a photo-op in Trump tower amid public proclamations the relationship would be productive. But this is likely to be as good as it gets. The look on the face of Apple CEO Tim Cook during the meeting provides a good clue to what might be in store—a return to animosity as the very different business and cultural values of the President and the tech industry became a chasm.