Futurist Predicts AI Agents Will Advance Significantly in 2025

Futurist Predicts Major Leap for AI Agents in 2025

During a recent visit to Singapore, renowned futurist and scenario planner Peter Schwartz experienced firsthand the growing capabilities of artificial intelligence in everyday life. When the Singapore Airlines app failed to assist him in changing his return flight, Schwartz turned to the airline’s AI-powered digital agent. Within seconds, the agent successfully updated his reservation, completed the booking, and issued his boarding pass. This encounter underscored the rapid advancements in AI technology that Schwartz has witnessed over decades.

The Rise of Agentic AI

Peter Schwartz, 78, has been engaged with artificial intelligence since the 1970s, contributing to the field through books and even movie scripts. Currently serving as Chief Futures Officer at Salesforce, he is a prominent advocate for what he terms “agentic AI”—intelligent agents that function like virtual humans, capable of making and executing complex decisions autonomously. Schwartz forecasts that 2025 will be a pivotal year for these AI agents as they become deeply embedded in both daily life and business operations.

However, Schwartz emphasizes that this progress will necessitate a fundamental redesign of digital platforms. “The web was built for humans, not machines,” he explained, highlighting the urgent need for machine-native architectures that can support AI agents making hundreds of decisions on behalf of users each day. This shift will be essential to fully harness the potential of agentic AI.

Industry Response and Workplace Transformation

The anticipated surge in AI agent capabilities is already driving significant investments from major human resources technology companies such as Workday, Oracle, and ADP. These firms are competing to develop increasingly sophisticated digital assistants. At the same time, market players are pursuing a strategy of specialization, creating hyperspecific agents tailored to precise tasks. Retool exemplifies this approach by focusing on agents designed for highly specialized functions.

The workplace is expected to be a primary arena for the impact of AI agents. Technology giants like Microsoft and GitHub have introduced coding agents aimed at automating routine and time-consuming programming tasks. This development signals a broader trend toward AI-driven automation of repetitive roles, potentially reshaping labor dynamics across industries.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the promise of enhanced efficiency and convenience, Schwartz and other experts caution that the transition to agentic AI will present significant challenges. Ensuring that digital infrastructure can support the seamless operation of these agents while safeguarding security and maintaining user trust will be critical. Businesses and consumers alike will need to adapt to a future in which AI agents assume an increasingly prominent role.

Schwartz’s own travel experience illustrates that the era of AI agents is already underway. As 2025 approaches, these virtual assistants are poised to become integral to how people interact with technology, marking a new chapter in the evolution of artificial intelligence.