For decades, the sci-fi subgenre known as cyberpunk imagined a future of chrome-plated mercenaries, cyberspace cowboys, and hackers battling globe-spanning corporations. Four decades later, much of that future has arrived—just not in the way its creators expected. Brain-computer interfaces like Neuralink, AI-powered smart glasses, and increasingly sophisticated robotic prosthetics have begun bringing science fiction's chrome-plated future into the real world. At the same time, a handful of technology companies, including OpenAI, xAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google, now shape how billions of people communicate, work, and increasingly interact with artificial intelligence.