July 2025
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 As we saw the rise of these kinds of agents, simple "co-pilots" quickly began feeling outdated.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 6 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. 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. 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?’
A great way to begin is by looking at where you can make your company antifragile. It’s about building a business that doesn't just withstand shocks and volatility, but gets stronger because of them. 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!
WPM