This is the time of year I try to gather my observations and write them down. Most years, I craft a trend report or enumerate my “investable theses,” but this year, I simply want to share what’s on my mind. These are not predictions or forecasts—just a collection of the ideas and concepts that have captured my attention. From the accelerating pace of innovation to the profound societal shifts driven by AI, here’s what I’m thinking about as 2024 comes to a close:
The Great AI Transformation of 2025
The great AI transformation of 2025 won’t be about technology—it will be about leadership. Technology evolves exponentially, as it always has, but tech alone is not the answer. When you teach someone to complete three hours of work in three minutes, they won’t automatically move to the next task unless they are motivated and properly compensated. This is a leadership challenge, not a technological one. Success in 2025 will belong to those who understand how to lead teams in this era of unprecedented productivity.
Keeping Up to Date
The pace of technological change has reached an almost incomprehensible velocity. For over 25 years, I’ve been preaching exponential change, yet I, (like just about everyone) find myself struggling to keep up. Staying informed has gone from a strategic imperative to an ongoing battle against the overwhelming flood of information. AI-powered curation tools are no longer luxuries; they are necessities.
Humans Are No Longer the Sole Writers of History
AI has become a full co-writer of human history. Generative AI systems now shape culture, create narratives, and influence decisions at a scale we’ve never seen before. This evolution raises profound questions about authorship and authenticity.
AGI: The New North Star
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has supplanted AI as the ultimate goal for big model builders. The term “AI” feels almost quaint as tech giants race to define what a true AGI can achieve.
Reasoning Engines
Reasoning engines represent the next frontier in AI development. Unlike traditional LLMs, they aim to provide structured, logical decision-making. Their potential applications, from strategic planning to complex problem-solving, are boundless.
Agentic Systems
Everyone I know is working on agentic systems—software capable of autonomous action. Their development will redefine how we think about tools, assistants, and personal AI collaborators.
Marketing to Bots
As agentic systems become ubiquitous, marketing must adapt. Each of us will probably have multiple AI personas making decisions on our behalf. Brands will have to learn to target bots, not just humans, with personalized, bot-friendly messaging.
The Loneliness Epidemic: Synthetic Companionship
Platforms like character.ai are captivating audiences of all ages (but especially Gen-Alpha and Gen-Z). Synthetic companions are replacing traditional human interaction. Is this a passing fad, or are we witnessing the rise of a new social dynamic? Also, from a brand POV, are we authentically synthetic or synthetically authentic? It’s a new world.
The End of Link-Based Search
AI-driven summaries are putting a lot of stress on traditional, link-based search models. This shift poses existential questions for search engines, publishers, and the broader information ecosystem.
Talking to Data
Apps like Google’s NotebookLM and Meta’s NotebookLlama enable users to converse with their data, offering unprecedented insights and interactions. This transformative approach to information management is reshaping everything from education to enterprise decision-making.
Productivity & Workflow Innovation
Simply increasing productivity with an AI stack isn’t enough. To unlock AI’s full potential, businesses must innovate workflows and processes at the same pace and with the same intensity as the technology is evolving.
Human-AI Co-Worker Teams
The future of work demands new rules for human-AI collaboration. Teams must redefine roles and expectations to fully integrate AI systems as partners, not tools.
Creativity vs. Execution
Humans excel at creativity; AI thrives in execution. Understanding this distinction is essential to assigning work effectively in hybrid human-AI teams. Here’s what I mean.
Multimodal Capabilities
The rise of multimodal AI systems is empowering a new era of “social production,” where anyone can describe and produce complex outputs. This democratization of production capability is magical—and disruptive (just don’t confuse it with creativity).
Creating a Culture of Continuous Adaptation
The days of “change management” and “digital transformation” are over. Organizations must now build cultures that embrace perpetual change, fostering resilience and adaptability at every level. We have a nice approach to this.
How LLMs Work
A fundamental understanding of LLM technology—pre-training, inference workloads, and post-training—is essential. Mastering these concepts will separate leaders from laggards in 2025. We have a course that can help.
AI’s Impact on Education
AI has already reshaped teaching and learning at every level of education. The question for 2025 is: what’s next? From personalized tutoring to automated curriculum design, the possibilities are endless.
AI Training Ethics
The ethical implications of AI training are becoming impossible to ignore. From copyright law to biases baked into datasets, ensuring alignment between AI systems and societal values is essential for ethical deployment.
AI Energy Consumption
The environmental impact of AI cannot be overstated. Training large AI models requires vast amounts of energy, prompting the need for more efficient algorithms and sustainable infrastructure to minimize carbon footprints.
We Are The Architects of the World We Want to Live in
The future has never been more exciting or full of potential. This list is woefully incomplete. What’s capturing your attention? I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to reach out and share what you’re thinking about. Together, we can explore what’s new, what’s next, and what it means. Let’s shape the future, one idea at a time.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.