In 2025, AI continues to transform businesses, reinventing organizational models, accelerating innovation, and revolutionizing interactions between humans and machines. The “5 Trends for 2025” report published by the IBM Institute highlights the crucial trends that will redefine the strategies of global leaders.

 

The Rise of Agentic AI and the Importance of Talent Reskilling

Agentic AI, which encompasses systems that can act autonomously on various tasks, is radically transforming businesses. Unlike traditional AI assistants, these agents enable the automation of decision-making and problem-solving, offering employees new opportunities to optimize their productivity.

However, this evolution requires a significant effort in terms of talent reskilling. Nearly 47% of executives acknowledge that their employees lack the necessary knowledge to fully leverage the capabilities of generative AI.

To address this challenge, companies must integrate AI education into their professional training programs. Furthermore, they must adopt a proactive approach by developing emerging roles that supervise and coordinate the use of Agentic AI. The key lies in democratizing AI skills at all levels of the organization.

 

Managing Technical Debt: A Growing Challenge

Technical debt, in other words the inefficiencies created by technological decisions made for short-term gains, continues to hinder long-term progress. More than 55% of leaders now consider it a major obstacle to achieving their strategic objectives. Obsolete IT systems cannot meet the requirements of advanced AI solutions, particularly regarding data processing and the infrastructure needed at scale.

 

To overcome this obstacle, companies must adopt a modern architecture that promotes agility and modularity. The use of hybrid platforms that integrate AI models tailored to specific needs appears to be a promising solution. A “hybrid by design” strategy would, according to research, triple the return on investment of digital efforts.

Leaders must also balance their decisions between speed and sustainability. Reassessing the costs and benefits related to system modernization while limiting technical debt is essential to maintain a sustainable growth trajectory.

 

The Impact of Localization Strategies

According to the report, 93% of leaders anticipate that AI will impact their localization strategy by 2026. Companies are turning to markets offering an optimal mix of skilled talent, advanced computing capabilities, and regulations favorable to innovation. In this context, compliance with local and global regulations becomes crucial. The diversity of data privacy legislation, such as those enacted by the European Union, encourages companies to adopt hybrid approaches that enable compliance while maintaining operational flexibility.

Leaders must also leverage the predictive capabilities of generative AI to anticipate geopolitical and climate disruptions, better manage risks, and adjust operations proactively.

 

AI Self-Funding: A Strategic Imperative

The rapid integration of generative AI is disrupting companies’ budgetary priorities. In 2024, a large portion of AI funding came from other IT initiatives, which led to a cannibalization effect on internal resources. However, by 2026, nearly 95% of leaders expect generative AI to become partially self-funded.

To achieve this objective, companies must focus their investments on high-value use cases. In 2024, only 29% of AI investments were allocated to product-related functions, which limited their impact on growth. A more targeted approach would better align them with strategic goals, thereby maximizing return on investment.

Moreover, the increased adoption of open-source models and agile methods will help reduce AI development costs while fostering collaborative innovation.

 

Planning for an AI-Powered Future: Concrete Actions for Leaders

Faced with the opportunities and challenges related to the integration of generative and Agentic AI, companies must adopt concrete actions to ensure successful implementation.

 

1. Invest in Continuous Learning

The transition to an environment where AI plays a central role requires a cultural shift. As the report emphasizes, employees must be at the heart of this transformation.

  • Organizations must establish immersive educational initiatives. This could include workshops on using Agentic AI, hackathons to test AI tools, and online training adapted to different skill levels.
  • Foster collaborative innovation: create spaces where cross-functional teams—combining IT, HR, and business functions—experiment with AI-augmented use cases without fear of failure.

 

2. Adopt Hybrid Models to Maximize Agility

Information systems architecture is at the heart of companies’ ability to leverage AI at scale. According to the report, hybrid infrastructures—combining public and private cloud—offer increased flexibility and reduce costs related to infrastructure investments.

To succeed in this transition, leaders must:

  • Centralize AI management: create centralized control centers that monitor and optimize the use of AI resources across organizational functions.
  • Prioritize high-quality data: make it accessible while ensuring its security and regulatory compliance.

 

3. Integrate AI into Business Models and Customer Strategy

One of the essential points highlighted in the report is AI’s impact on customer loyalty and personalization. Rapidly adjusting offerings based on consumer needs will be a key differentiating factor.

  • By using predictive models to analyze customer data, companies can anticipate consumer requirements and provide customized products and services.
  • Rethink success metrics: companies must move from traditional KPIs such as revenue to indicators that assess engagement, satisfaction, and customer loyalty.

 

4. Better Manage Risks Associated with AI Adoption

Approximately 69% of leaders expect to receive regulatory fines related to AI in the coming years. To minimize them, it is important to:

  • Implement robust governance mechanisms: with strict oversight of autonomous decisions made by AI and traceability of models and data used.
  • Comply with emerging regulations: continuously monitor regulatory developments, such as those from the EU, and integrate them from the design stage of their tools.

 

5. Create Partnerships to Innovate at Scale

The report emphasizes the importance of the ecosystem. Rather than trying to master everything, companies should partner with startups, universities, or even competitors to co-develop innovative solutions.

  • Leverage open-source opportunities: Investing in open-source projects not only reduces costs but also enables the use of cutting-edge technologies.
  • Forge strategic alliances with actors sharing similar objectives to access new skills and resources, particularly in emerging areas such as AI agents.

 

Towards Human-Centered AI

The “5 Trends for 2025” report concludes with an essential point: generative and Agentic AI will only succeed if they are used to amplify human potential, not to replace it. Companies must approach this transformation with a clear vision, emphasizing skills, architecture, and business models adapted to the AI era.

So for 2025, is your company ready to embrace this profound change? Success will require not only technological investments, but also a firm commitment to talent training, infrastructure modernization, and continuous innovation.