Predictions for AI in 2025

This time last year, I posted on LinkedIn about my new appointment as Head of AI for CGI in the UK & Australia. One year on, I've learned more than I ever imagined through a combination of working with clients on their adoption of AI and driving our own organisational AI-enablement plan. I'm looking forward to ‘more of the same but (radically) different’ in 2025, and here's where I join my fellow commentators in making four AI predictions for the coming year.

My AI predictions for 2025

1. Accelerated implementation and rapid integration of AI across organisations
2. AI supporting a diverse workforce
3. AI for good
4. The next frontier: Agentic AI

1. Accelerated implementation and rapid integration of AI across organisations

It's taken just a few months to revolutionise our UK business by embracing AI to enhance productivity and collaboration. From ChatGPT Enterprise to GitHub Copilot and a range of custom chatbots, our integration efforts have delivered measurable benefits.

Having seen how quickly we can move, my first prediction is that it'll get faster and faster in 2025.

Generative AI has accelerated our software engineering teams, boosting productivity by 35-50% within months. As well as assisting our engineers with code suggestions and enforcing our coding standards, we've seen it speed up the onboarding of junior team members, freeing senior staff to focus on more strategic tasks.

And it's not just the developers. Our executives, our project and service managers, our contact centre agents, and all our corporate functions have embraced GenAI tools, with over 60% of users reporting significant productivity gains. It works on multiple levels, making individuals more productive while at the same time streamlining workflows within small teams, enhancing communication, and fostering innovation.

We've been building custom chatbots and information assistants to address specific, enterprise-wide needs like financial management and risk mitigation. These tools have already improved on-time delivery and prevented overspending, strengthening project outcomes.

In 2025, I believe we’ll transition from standalone solutions to more deeply integrated systems. By combining commercially available tools with custom solutions developed on platforms like Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, and Azure OpenAI Studio, businesses will create resilient AI ecosystems that deliver long-term value.

2. AI supporting a diverse workforce

I sincerely believe that diversity in the workplace is more crucial than ever. Through our own AI-enablement projects, GenAI has emerged as a powerful tool for promoting inclusivity, offering tailored support to meet the varied needs of individuals.

For neurodivergent CGI Partners, AI has quickly proven to be transformative. Individuals with ADHD or dyslexia often struggle to organise and express their thoughts in writing. Feedback from our GenAI projects shows the technology rapidly becoming an indispensable assistant, helping them articulate ideas more fluidly and effectively, transforming how they communicate.

Our pilots with Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT Enterprise reveal no gender disparity in adoption rates. This indicates that AI is supporting gender diversity by providing equal access to information and resources for all.

AI's language translation capabilities also help break down linguistic barriers, making it easier for non-native English speakers to integrate into diverse teams. This fosters a truly inclusive environment where everyone can contribute meaningfully and thrive.

In 2025, Generative AI will be more than just a technological advancement, it'll prove itself as a catalyst for change, empowering a diverse workforce and paving the way for more inclusivity.

3. AI for good

At CGI we’ve always been passionate about using technology to positively impact society and the communities we serve. In 2025, AI will evolve beyond being just a productivity tool to becoming a driver of meaningful change across various industry sectors.

In healthcare, we've already seen AI revolutionise patient care: from AI-powered early diagnostics, such as our work with Helsinki University Hospital to detect brain haemorrhages, to personalised treatment pathways, including adoption of "digital triplets" powered by GenAI, and making positive outcomes more consistent.

Sustainability is another cornerstone of our mission. We've worked with the United Nations to harness AI to manage geospatial data for environmental benefits, including to identify where and when pollution incidents take place, and how best to respond. In the coming year, we will start to see AI help with projects such as identifying optimal locations to cultivate for carbon sequestration and improving land use for more productive farming.

That's the "what", but the "how" is equally important. In 2025, AI safety will remain a central focus, particularly in the UK, Australia, and Europe, as legislation around ethical, trustworthy, and transparent use of AI will crystallise.

4. The next frontier: Agentic AI

As we move into 2025, the topic of Agentic AI is on everyone's lips. Like many others, I think we'll see a shift from AI as a tool to AI as a virtual co-worker, capable of managing tasks autonomously and enabling human workers to focus on strategic and creative tasks.

Over the past year, transitioning from robotic process automation to Generative AI by embracing tools like ChatGPT and Copilot has improved our productivity at CGI and prepared us for this next evolution. Into the coming year, AI agents are going to be able to handle increasingly complex processes, such as new product design tasks, or onboarding new joiners, making organisations more agile and efficient.

Beyond business, Agentic AI has transformative societal potential. In this coming year, we will see agents start to enhance public services, helping us make best use of the stretched public purse. We've already seen AI help drive personal development within our company, and I'm sure it will be used to support individuals in acquiring new skills more broadly, boosting workforce resilience and economic growth.

I hope you found my thoughts interesting and useful. If you’d like to discuss any aspects further, or how we can support your organisation, please get in touch.