Business technology is advancing in 2025. But is it still going at the rate that it was in the first half of the 2020s? That remains to be seen. Many predictions are currently being made, but the business reality is likely to be quite different as the situation continues to evolve. Much of what occurs in the next few years will be contingent on AI and what happens there.

AI Automation

AI automation is something that might continue to expand in the years to come. While the pace of change could be slowing down according to some commentators, the overall picture now seems to be one of incremental improvements that could add up substantially before the end of the decade.

The most likely change will be agentic systems. These will be able to set their own plans instead of requiring human prompts.

AI-powered tools will also help in things like decision-making. Companies will input a set of variables and then get answers on what they should do next.

Advanced Analytics

At the same time, this new AI is likely to lead to improved analytics. The ability of firms to determine how they are currently performing and what they should do next will be considerably higher going forward.

Real-time data will allow businesses to adjust on the fly. Meanwhile, natural language processing will let non-technical staff provide these systems with instructions to get the results they want.

Ultimately, advances in analytics will allow companies to become more agile. Firms will gain the capacity to respond to changes in the marketplace, allowing them to deal with shifts in consumer tastes and preferences that would be hard to predict and respond to otherwise.

Integrated Supply Chains

Another innovation before 2030 will be integrated supply chains, as long as the global market continues to function as it does today.

Global supply chains will provide all sorts of perks for the companies using them. Lower costs and more timely deliveries will be just a small part of the story. Enhanced security will also play a role.

Better Payment Options

We are also likely to see better payment options available to businesses before 2030. Companies will have the capability to do much more than they already are with a conventional point of sale system.

For example, companies are already working on and implementing cloud-based solutions that fit on conventional devices. These allow businesses to take payments from people’s phones.

Payments are also now possible through the use of wearable devices. These are perhaps even more exciting as it makes the ability to pay more discreet, and reduces many of the risks associated with carrying around conventional wallets.

Quantum Computing

Finally, we could be looking at an era where quantum computing really takes off. When these machines solve business problems, they will improve routing and supply chains, and may even give AI more of an edge than it already has.

The industries likely to benefit the most are logistics and pharmaceuticals, though there are others that could also see a boost.