IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Digital Business and AI Transformation 2025 Predictions
This IDC study provides guidance for organizations to mature as digital businesses and transform their AI capabilities in the next five years. It also lays out IDC's vision for the 10 most important shifts that will occur within the digital business and AI transformation landscape in that time frame, helping C-suite leaders drive digital growth."AI is now indispensable for digital business success, driving rapid investment growth and transformation in the face of AI skill gaps and trust challenges." — Craig Powers, research director for Worldwide Digital Business Strategies at IDC
IDC FutureScape Figure
Executive Summary
IDC FutureScape Predictions
Summary of External Drivers
Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
Prediction 1: As Digital Transformation Becomes Core to Strategy, Half of IT Leaders Will Rise as Business Leaders by 2026, Aligning People, Operations, and Business Models with Digital Technologies
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 2: AI Spending Will Grow at 3x the Rate of Overall Digital Technology Spending in the Next Three Years, Generating a Global Economic Impact of over $6.4 Trillion by the End of 2027
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 3: By 2026, 50% of Organizations Will Excel at Measuring ROI of Their Digital Tech Investments, Adopting a Unified, Data-Driven Approach to Assess Key Financial, Operational, Customer, and Ecosystem Metrics
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 4: By 2026, Organizations with an Integrated Digital Business Architecture Will See a 3x Increase in the Value Generated from Their Data and Will Be Able to Improve Time to Outcomes by 20%
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 5: By 2027, 70% of Organizations Will Experience Digital Skills Shortages That Cause Project Delays, Slowing AI Technology Implementations into the Following Year
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 6: By 2026, 75% of AI Digital Natives, Start-Ups, and Scale-Ups Will Implement a Responsible AI Policy to Address Trust Concerns Raised by IT and Business Leaders
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 7: By 2027, Business Executives Will Demand a Minimum 80% Success Rate on Their GenAI Initiatives to Achieve Operational Efficiencies and Drive New Revenue Growth
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 8: By 2026, 40% of Enterprises Will Partner with Technology Companies to Codevelop AI Solutions, Harnessing Shared Data, to Accelerate AI Development and Create Additional Monetization Opportunities
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 9: By 2025, 80% of Enterprises Will Fail to Treat Data as a Product and Put in Place the Discipline to Unlock the Value of Data for All Stakeholders, Delaying Their AI-Fueled Business Models Further
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 10: By 2028, 75% of Enterprises That Establish an AI Platform Strategy Built on a Foundation of Connecting Processes to Broader Business Functions Will Achieve Enhanced Value from Their Investments
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Advice for Technology Buyers
External Drivers: Detail
AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization
The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future
AI-Driven Workplace Transformation — Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today
Regulatory Flux — Navigating Compliance Challenges in a Shifting Policy Landscape
Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats
Responsible and Human-Centric Technology — Ethics in the Enterprise
Battling Against Technical Debt — Overcoming Hurdles to IT Modernization
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