Western Pallet Magazine July 2025

June 2025

{"data":"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","generatedBy":"Crater Editor: Layers Edition"}

July 2025

Double-click to add text

Hey Industry Trailblazers! Just like that, six months of 2025 are gone—almost 200 days passed in a flash. It’s a powerful moment to pause, breathe, and ask: How did we spend that time? It’s so easy to look back with 'what-ifs,' yet hesitate to embrace the changes that are right in front of us now.

But here's the good news: it's never too late. While countless technologies have seen remarkable progress, it's increasingly clear that artificial intelligence provides the bedrock upon which much of this innovation rests. So, let's take a look at the field we're playing on, where we’ve been, and more importantly, where we're going.

Part 1: The First Six Months – From Abstract Power to Practical Reality

The first half of 2025 marked a significant maturation of the AI ecosystem. For anyone who hasn’t been following the day-to-day developments, it might seem like AI is at the same level of capability—the same "IQ"—as it was back in January. This couldn't be further from the truth.

In January, AI was like a brilliant student who had just become fluent in a new language. You could have an intelligent conversation with them, and they would do a fantastic job. By July, that same student isn't just fluent; they are now writing prize-winning poetry and leading international diplomatic negotiations. The core skill is the same, but the level of execution, autonomy, and capability is in a completely different league.

That’s the kind of progress we’ve witnessed! We started the year marveling at AI as a "digital assistant," but the conversation has rocketed towards agentic AI—autonomous systems that manage entire workflows. This was driven by a crucial development: the move from simple "prompt engineering" to the more sophisticated discipline of Context Engineering. It’s the difference between giving a new assistant a vague instruction versus giving them a well-organized briefing folder; the latter provides the necessary context to ensure success.

This new way of building with context has given us a much clearer vision of the AI-driven workplace. Imagine an AI office manager that doesn't just file a report when you ask, but can be tasked to autonomously find data every Friday, summarize the key updates, draft an email to leadership, and even delegate to a specialized "Finance Agent" to pull the latest expense report for the summary—all without your direct involvement. As we saw the rise of these kinds of agents, simple "co-pilots" quickly began feeling outdated.

This rapid technological shift also meant the industry itself began to grapple with reality. We saw big tech players like Apple reportedly looking to acquire proven AI startups like Perplexity, while major labs like Anthropic launched formal programs to study the "economic fallout" of AI, a sure sign of a maturing industry facing its own profound consequences.

Part 2: The Next Six Months – What to Expect by Year-End

Based on these trends, the velocity of change is only set to increase. But how "smart" will AI be by the end of this year?

It’s less about a specific IQ score and more about a leap in autonomous capability. Let’s use another analogy: if the AI of the last six months was a brilliant intern who could execute any task you assigned perfectly with the right context, the AI we'll see by year-end will be operating like a new junior partner. It won't just follow instructions; it will start to anticipate needs, manage complex projects from start to finish with little oversight, and even begin to propose its own strategies.

First, expect a proliferation of "micro-agents" in business, built by colleagues in every department to automate their own workflows. Alongside this, the "skills gap" will become a critical business priority. Think of it like this: imagine an auto shop in the 1980s full of mechanics who are experts at rebuilding carburetors. Suddenly, new cars all have electronic fuel injection. The jobs are still there (fixing cars), but the required skills have fundamentally changed. Expect companies to aggressively address this with new upskilling programs.

As businesses face these internal changes, regulatory debates will intensify and solidify, making proactive involvement a necessity. Finally, the technological race in the coming months will be defined by context. The AI products that win will be those that are best at using specific, real-time information to be genuinely useful and reliable.

The first half of 2025 laid the practical groundwork. The second half will be about building on that foundation at speed and scale. The real question isn't what the technology will do, but what we will do with it. It’s time to ask ourselves: 'What would happen if I gave it everything?’

This is the moment to be proactive. A great way to begin is by looking at where you can make your company antifragile. This idea goes beyond mere resilience; it’s about building a business that doesn't just withstand shocks and volatility, but actually gets stronger because of them. When your company is antifragile, the rapid advancements in AI become opportunities for growth, not just threats to be managed.

I’ll leave you with a timeless piece of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin that feels especially relevant at this halfway point of the year: "You may delay, but time will not."

Until next time, keep looking ahead, keep taking action, and keep Bridging the Gap!

The AI Revolution's Mid-Year Checkpoint

July 2025

Western Pallet Magazine July 2025 | Seite 21