Article
by Ken Tilk, Head of Data & AI
What will 2025 bring for Generative AI? A series: 1/4
As we’ve stepped into 2025, generative AI is still standing at the top of technological innovation, expected to change industries and how we see creativity, and challenge societal norms. From personalized digital assistants to revolutionary breakthroughs in healthcare and education, the potential applications of AI are as expansive as they are transformative.
However, with great power comes significant responsibility—raising questions about ethics, societal readiness, governance, and the long-term impact of this technology on our world. Also, how to prioritize all options when there is a pool of possibilities?
From the development of GenAI during recent years to scaling GenAI agents in the next few years, focus and open mind is needed to prepare us for great outcomes.
The transformative shift of 2024
Generative AI has been around for years, but 2023-2024 were the years it truly hit its stride. The release of open AI solutions made this technology more accessible and scalable, breaking down barriers that once limited adoption. The key drivers? User experience, accessibility, and affordability.
Early adopters often approached generative AI with specific challenges in mind, experimenting with innovative solutions tailored to their needs. These were niche use cases, addressing unique problems in creative but limited ways. Fast forward to today, and the conversation has shifted dramatically. With free solutions flooding the market, more people are experimenting with generative AI, which has unlocked widespread opportunities for its application in tasks like automating repetitive work, enhancing efficiency, and scaling human creativity.
The market has evolved from early adopters exploring and testing the unknown to a broader wave of users using AI in ways that are tangible and impactful. This shift has cemented generative AI’s place as a catalyst for innovation, pushing us closer to a world where it’s seamlessly integrated into everyday processes.
The focus for 2025: you don’t know what you don’t know
Looking ahead, generative AI’s trajectory is clear: it’s only going to grow more pervasive. But with that growth comes a critical need for focus. As the technology matures, so must our approach to implementing it effectively.
The potential of generative AI is boundless, but success hinges on asking the right questions and defining clear goals. Too often, projects fail not because the technology isn’t ready but because we haven’t taken the time to identify the actual challenges we’re trying to solve. A famous quote from Henry Ford comes to mind:”If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Or in other words: you don’t know what you don’t know.
In 2025, the focus must shift from merely innovating to innovating with intent. It’s not enough to deploy AI for the sake of it. We need to dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and ensure we’re addressing the root causes of problems rather than just their symptoms. Without deep work we won’t find innovation.
Key challenges and opportunities
One of the biggest opportunities lies in the availability of AI tools. Hyperscalers and tech giants are continuing to launch platforms that make AI accessible to everyone, enabling a new wave of innovation. This democratization lowers the barriers to entry, empowering individuals and organizations to experiment and create in ways that were previously out of reach.
But with great accessibility comes a societal challenge: how do we ensure we’re catching up as a collective? Technology might be racing ahead, but our ability to adapt—whether in workforce development, ethical considerations, or regulatory frameworks—needs to keep pace.
We also need to be mindful of how we invest our time and resources. Generative AI has the potential to be a game-changer, but only if we approach it with the right mindset. That means embracing an agile approach, staying open to pivots, and recognizing that the path to innovation is rarely linear. The more processes are given to GenAI, the more trust and appreciation can be ensured. Pilots we did last year show the use cases are from defense to healthcare to repetitive tasks of a bank, telco or university, saving resources, lending extra eyes or freeing up space to be more creative when freeing up time of one’s workload.
Takeaways
From a challenger to a household name, GenAI is here to grow and evolve. In 2025, societal readiness is more important than technological.
Growing from smaller roles like automating processes to a real business value adding position, GenAI will bring more ambitious use cases.
Focus and open-mindedness will enable innovation and drive business. Pivots are a great way to test and learn.
Different industries will have use cases of broadening the scope.
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