This year has marked a turning point on the road to digitalization and technological advances. Developments in artificial intelligence, new approaches to security, and ethical issues when applying new technologies are shaping the present and future of the global economy.
CIOs and senior IT managers are facing major challenges that are changing and transforming at a dizzying pace, where the only way to maintain leadership is to have the ability to anticipate and be ready for what the future has in store.
According to Gartner, the technologies and technological innovations that will shape 2025 fall into three major blocks: AI imperatives and risks, new frontiers of computing, and human-machine synergies.
We take a look at the most important technology trends that will shape 2025!
Agentic AI
Agentic artificial intelligence refers to software programs designed to make decisions and take actions to achieve specific objectives autonomously.
Their operation is based on the combination of various AI techniques that rely on functions such as memory, planning, environmental sensing, tool usage, and following safety guidelines to carry out tasks that enable them to achieve goals independently.
This ability to act autonomously or semi-autonomously has the potential to help CIOs realize their vision of generative AI to increase productivity across the organization. In addition, its most important use cases involve empowering workers on more complicated technical projects, automating customer experiences, and improving insight and decision-making.
“By 2028, at least 15% of everyday work decisions will be made autonomously by agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024,” according to Gartner.
AI Governance Platforms
These platforms help manage and control AI systems by ensuring that they are used responsibly and ethically. This ensures that models are reliable, transparent, fair, and accountable while meeting security and compliance standards.
As AI spreads to more domains and industries, so do risks such as biases, privacy issues, and the need to align with human values. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that AI does not harm or manipulate certain groups or markets.
They will help assess potential harms, guide models through governance processes to ensure that all controls are followed throughout their lifecycle or monitor their performance, audit decision-making processes, and ensure that their operation is compliant with standards.
Quantum Bases and Quantum Security
With the advances in quantum computing in recent months, now is the time to prepare to extract its full value while mitigating its most pressing threats.
The advent of qubits enables quantum computers to perform calculations that traditional computers would take too long or could not. Companies and governments around the world are investing millions in their development and, according to Qureca, their market is expected to reach $106 billion by 2040.
But this breakthrough, soon to be a reality, may render many conventional cryptographic methods obsolete, posing a risk to data security. This threat has accelerated the need to prepare for “Post-Quantum Cryptography,” which offers protection against quantum decryption.
This PQC refers to cryptographic methods to ensure security against potential threats from quantum computers, which can protect valuable intellectual property from cyber threats, prepare systems to protect sensitive data or ensure that encrypted messages, contracts, and operational data cannot be intercepted or decrypted by quantum-capable adversaries.
Climate Technology
Technology designed to reduce or reverse to some extent the damage humans cause to the environment and reduce carbon emissions will be key in 2025.
In recent years, we have seen significant advances ranging from the growing adoption of electric cars to advances in carbon capture and storage.
Applying energy-efficient computing, which minimizes energy consumption and carbon footprint, is set to become a growing trend. New computing technologies such as GPUs, neuromorphic computing, and quantum computing will provide much-needed improvements in energy efficiency over the next decade.
With this technology, it will be possible to cut data center costs and energy consumption, develop sustainable products, or use intelligent energy management systems to reduce consumption in office networks.
Convergence of Human and Machine Intelligence
The increasing sophistication of AI models is making the distinction of interactions with chatbots harder to detect. In fact, a recent study by the University of California, San Diego shows that when participants were asked to have a five-minute text-based conversation, only 67% correctly identified humans. 50% identified ChatGPT 3.5 as human and 54% identified GPT-4 as human.
Generative AI is capable of creating digital twins in many different modalities and, as a result, the global market is growing exponentially, with a forecast that may grow from $10 billion in 2020 to $530 billion by 2030, according to Synthesia.
These business opportunities created by “digital humans” will have a very positive impact on numerous industries, as well as help us in our daily work, increase our capabilities, and improve our lives, increasing our productivity and better decision-making. All of this, always keeping in mind the development of ethical and responsible AI.
Hybrid Computing
This type of computing combines various technologies (CPU, GPU, edge devices, ASICs, etc.) to solve complex computational problems. Its main objective is to create a hybrid environment that leverages the strengths of each technology.
The strength of hybrid computing is that it enables companies to leverage new technologies such as photonics, bioinformatics, neuromorphic, and quantum systems to achieve disruptive impact. Its most prominent example is generative AI, which requires advanced computing, networking, and large-scale storage to solve complex problems.
Other benefits include cost-effective scalability, improved data security and compliance, and accelerated innovation and development by leveraging the latest cloud tools while maintaining the security of local environments for production.
Spatial Computing
The convergence between the real and digital worlds is something we have been witnessing for a few years now, but immersive, realistic, and intuitive experiences will continue to evolve and gain importance.
Thanks to advances in Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and AI, immersive digital environments are being created in different sectors, such as gaming, healthcare, and e-commerce.
Also the proliferation of 5G or improved and more affordable devices such as Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3, or the investment of large companies such as Nvidia and Qualcomm, are driving demand and opening opportunities for new business models.
Their main use cases range from immersive collaboration for more effective and interactive remote meetings or training with realistic simulations that improve skills acquisition and retention, to virtual assistants that revolutionize the shopping experience and increase engagement and sales.
Multifunctional Robots
These robots are machines that can perform different tasks following human instructions or examples. They are set to become an upward trend due to rising labor costs and the demand for higher profitability, especially in the manufacturing and warehousing sectors.
These robots provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness due to their extensive capabilities and accessibility. They are also very useful when performing tasks such as picking, packing, and transporting goods, as well as in healthcare (delivering supplies, assisting patient mobility or disinfecting spaces), inspecting equipment, performing routine maintenance tasks, and repairing breakdowns in remote or hazardous environments.
The Value of Data
This is a trend we have already seen, but one that will continue to gain momentum over the coming months and years. The reason is simple: data is one of the most important assets for a company and a good use of it can be the differentiating factor against the competition. It is also a key element for the development of other technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which is growing so fast.
Proper data management continues to be one of the main barriers to creating value in GenAI projects. In fact, according to a McKinsey survey, 70% of respondents have experienced difficulties integrating data into AI models, ranging from issues with data quality, defining processes for data governance, and the availability of sufficient training data.
Therefore, following a Data-Driven strategy helps companies create new customer experiences, accelerate operations, and capitalize on new market opportunities, as well as the agility to pivot when an unforeseen event occurs.
Global Cybersecurity
Cyber threats will continue to be a major concern for businesses in 2025, but their magnitude will also spill over into society, national security, and public safety.
In recent months, we have seen an increase in attacks against critical infrastructures such as energy grids, healthcare infrastructures, and electoral systems. This is why it is so important that 2025 marks a historic milestone for investment in cybersecurity infrastructures, as well as collaboration between states and companies to share intelligence and develop collaborative defense strategies.
The latest developments in AI will be crucial when it comes to detecting and preventing attacks, but focus must also be placed on its use by cybercriminals to turn it into a tool for rogue purposes. Cybersecurity will therefore cease to be just a problem to be solved for companies and will become an essential element of security at national and global levels.
Understanding and seeing the potential of these trends will be crucial to aligning your business ambitions for innovation, as well as planning a strategy that will lead you to success and drive your progress steadily.
At Plain Concepts we are always on top of emerging technology trends, and we offer a wide variety of digital solutions for all types of businesses and needs. We can help you find the one that best suits your requirements and achieve results that will put you ahead of your competitors. Contact us and we will study your case!
