As artificial intelligence and technology as a whole evolve at breakneck speed, it can feel daunting to stay up to date and decipher what is simply the latest trend and what will have a real impact on your industry. Since you’re busy enough with your current job to undertake sifting through the onslaught of AI and tech “breaking news,” we reached out to the experts to hear what they believe will be the most impactful shifts in the tech landscape in 2025. These insights from industry leaders can illuminate our path forward and help you focus on what really matters. 

Our keynote speakers and technology experts, Kate O’Neill, Rana el Kaliouby, Ken Hughes, and Zack Kass, are visionaries pushing the frontiers of technology to ensure it serves humanity. Their perspectives on purpose-driven tech, diversity in AI, enhancing customer experience, and effective AI implementation are vital as we navigate this evolving landscape. So let’s hear what they have to say about the future of tech. 

Infusing Purpose and Human-Centricity into Technology

The Power of Purpose

Human-first tech expert Kate O’Neill has a positive on the future of technology and business. She’s spent her career creating better, more human-centric processes for tech companies like Netflix and Toshiba and continues to guide organizations as the CEO of her company KO Insights. She emphasizes that defining a clear organizational purpose in the age of AI and automation is more important than ever. While the term "purpose" may seem to have lost its true meaning from overuse, she encourages companies to buckle down on the real intent behind defining a purpose — to guide every action the company takes. She believes that with the ever-adapting landscape of tech, a strong purpose is a critical foundation for scaling in a meaningful way and will prevent you from veering off course due to shiny penny syndrome. A well-defined purpose not only aligns teams and streamlines decision-making but also enhances customer experiences and boosts loyalty.

Not unlike other tech experts, O’Neill argues and emphasizes that technological advancements must go hand-in-hand with human advancement. To create a future that benefits all, we must integrate hope, equality, and empathy into the machines we build. As we navigate a data-driven world, we must remember that behind every data point are real people with unique needs and aspirations. Creating a human-centric approach to business is intrinsically linked to defining a strong purpose because it ensures that all organizational actions align with the values and needs of the people they serve—both employees and customers

Bridging the Gender Gap in Tech

An Untapped Talent Pool: Women in Tech

As we move into the next generation of technology, we are seeing that the industry is falling into old patterns — first comes the excitement around tech, then comes the boy’s club, and finally the women's breakthrough after originally being ignored and denied access to the space. A pioneering AI scientist, Rana el Kaliouby, brings to light the stark gender disparity in the tech industry, particularly in AI. She highlights that despite significant investments — over $17.9 billion in Q3 2023 alone — women are underrepresented. Reports show that from 2012 to 2022, all-male teams secured 80% of VC funding for AI, while female-led teams raised just 0.3%. Although the percentage of funding for AI startups with at least one woman founder has increased slightly, it still lags behind. 

Globally, only 22% of AI professionals are women, and at major tech firms, women hold just 20% of technical roles. The average funding for female-founded AI companies is drastically lower — four times less than all-male teams. This lack of diversity stifles innovation and perpetuates economic inequality, as women face not only pay gaps but also significant disparities in equity ownership.

El Kaliouby stresses the importance of encouraging young girls to pursue careers in tech and fostering supportive networks for women. She highlights the need for mentorship and visibility of female leaders to change the narrative within the industry. While challenges remain, a growing community of women in AI is igniting hope for a more equitable future. El Kaliouby believes that collaboration and innovative ideas are essential to reshaping the tech landscape — and it’s in everyone’s best interest. 

To get ahead of the tech curve in 2025, look to the women. Their underrepresentation doesn’t reflect the quality of their ideas and instead should indicate to companies that there is a massive hole in the field waiting to be filled. So, if you’re investing or searching for what’s next in tech, look to a woman in 2025. 

Enhancing Customer Experience Through AI

Prioritizing Genuine Interaction

Renowned customer experience strategist Ken Hughes critiques the common misconception that AI should solely alleviate a company’s pain points. Instead, he argues for a paradigm shift: technology should enhance customer experiences, not the company’s experience. Companies have been viewing it all wrong. Since the introduction of chatbots in the early 2000s, we have been seeking out AI and tech that can streamline the company’s processes, alleviate our own struggles, and simplify our lives. But where does that leave the customer? Struggling to get their needs met while working with a chatbot that’s – let’s face it — most of the time is not fully up to par for the task. 

Hughes recently shared an example of Jumbo, a Dutch supermarket, that’s doing the exact opposite. In the midst of grocery store self-checkouts and an overhaul of automatization, Jumbo created a ‘Chat Checkout’ lane where customers can take their time and chat with the cashier. They are encouraging human interaction and proving that genuine connections are an invaluable part of the customer experience.

As automation advances, the need for authentic human experiences becomes more pronounced. Hughes insists that technology should serve to make lives easier, not replace the human touch that customers crave. By prioritizing meaningful interactions with AI and tech developments, companies can foster deeper connections with their customers, even in this digital age.

Successfully Implementing AI in Organizations

Creating a Culture of Adaptability

Former head of Go to Market for OpenAI Zack Kass discusses the complexities of integrating AI into business operations, highlighting the necessity of a culture that embraces learning and adaptability. He points out that the success of AI implementation hinges on employees' willingness to engage with new technologies. And most importantly, it’s up to the company to foster this mindset. Instead of throwing your team into the deep end with AI, training, and curriculum around best uses, navigation, and ethics is imperative. Kass believes so deeply in AI, that he thinks the intuitive nature of AI tools can be used to help you create these curriculums and trainings, not to mention, significantly streamline onboarding processes and enhance customer communication.

Kass advocates for using AI to reduce administrative burdens, particularly in fields like property management and healthcare that are heavily impacted by administrative red tape. However, he cautions that sensitive topics should still be addressed through personal interactions. By prioritizing human-centric skills — qualities that AI cannot replicate — organizations can future-proof their businesses while streamlining processes in an AI-driven world.

A Vision for Tomorrow

The insights shared by O’Neill, el Kaliouby, Hughes, and Kass provide a roadmap for navigating the future of technology. By infusing purpose into our technological advancements, fostering diversity, prioritizing genuine customer interactions, and embracing a culture of adaptability, we can create a tech landscape that not only drives innovation but also enriches the human experiences in 2025. 

As these thought leaders continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, their collective vision offers hope and direction for a future where technology and humanity coexist harmoniously. Embracing these principles will help you cut through the noise when it comes to AI and tech and ensure you harness the full potential of technology for the greater good, paving the way for a brighter tomorrow.