Gartner, Inc. revealed its top strategic predictions for 2025 and beyond. Top Strategic Predictions for 2025 and Beyond: Riding the AI Whirlwind explores how generative AI (GenAI) can evolve and make an impact.
Daryl Plummer, distinguished VP analyst, chief of research, and Gartner fellow, said: "AI is evolving as human use of AI evolves. Before we reach the point where humans can no longer keep up, we must embrace how much better AI can make us."
Predictions
Gartner predicts that by 2026, 20% of organisations will use AI to flatten their organisational structure, eliminating more than half of current middle management positions.
According to Gartner predictions, by 2027, 70% of new employee contracts will include licensing and fair usage clauses for AI representations of their personas, and 70% of healthcare providers will consist of emotional AI-related terms and conditions in technology contracts, which can decrease healthcare workers' workloads, burnout rates, and frustration.
In the same year, predictions from Gartner show that Fortune 500 companies will shift $500 billion from energy opex to microgrids to mitigate chronic energy risks and AI demand.
Projections show that by 2028, digital immersion can cause about one billion people to be affected by digital addiction and social isolation, decreasing productivity and increasing stress, anxiety, and depression. Gartner predicts that the phenomenon will prompt 70% of organisations to implement anti-digital policies.
In the same year, Gartner predicts 30% of S&P companies will use GenAI labeling, such as "xxGPT," to reshape branding and chase new revenue, and 25% of enterprise breaches will be traced back to AI agent abuse from external and malicious internal actors, making new security and risk solutions necessary.
Moreover, Gartner foresees that by 2028 40% of CIOs will demand "Guardian Agents" to autonomously track, oversee, or contain the results of AI agent actions, and 40% of large enterprises will deploy AI to manipulate and measure employee mood and behaviours for a motivated and engaged workforce.
According to Gartner's predictions, by 2029, 10% of global boards will use AI-generated insights to challenge executive decisions to improve business results.
