2025's Power Moves: When Technology Comes Alive
From Agentic AI to Nuclear Power to Humaniods- six forces reshaping tech to wrap your head around
Happy CES week! The real tech story of 2025 is happening beneath the surface: technology isn't just advancing—it's coming alive. For those who don't follow every CES product announcement but want to understand the seismic shifts reshaping tech, this one's for you.
2025 is the year when power moves aren't just about market share—they're about survival. We're witnessing an unprecedented land grab as tech titans race to control the foundations of computing, energy, and intelligence itself. As futurist Amy Webb wrote in her annual letter, we're not just seeing incremental improvements—we're watching the birth of "living intelligence" systems that can sense, learn, and evolve.
What makes this moment different isn't just the pace of change—it's the convergence of multiple breakthrough technologies reaching maturity simultaneously. AI isn't just getting smarter; it's getting physical and ubiquitous. Robots aren't just moving; they're learning. And the tech giants who built their empires on platforms are transforming into compute providers, making their massive infrastructure investments look less like routine upgrades and more like an insurance policy for future relevance—and potentially, future dominance.
Here are the macro shifts we are watching for this year.
Source: carlos lacerda
Macro Watch #1: The Kick-off of Agentic AI
What It Is: The evolution from generative AI to autonomous AI agents marks a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence.
Unlike today’s GenAI models, which respond to specific human prompts, Agentic AI can independently perceive, reason, act and learn, without constant human guidance. WEF
At CES 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declared, "The age of AI Agentics is here," describing a shift from generative AI to agentic AI—a future driven by intelligent AI agents capable of assisting with tasks across industries. Huang called this emerging sector "a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity." Think less chatbot, more digital employee that enables autonomous decision-making, collaboration, and learning almost instantly.
It’s worth noting we are still mainly in the AI Agent world vs the actual Agentic AI world, with the difference being an agentic AI system has independent goal-setting and decision-making capabilities that allow it to operate autonomously in pursuit of objectives. In contrast, an AI agent is typically a more narrowly-scoped program designed to perform specific tasks or actions within a predetermined framework or environment under human direction (e.g., workflow agents).
🤖 POWER PLAY: The Agent Revolution
Microsoft:
80+ new agent-enabled AI workflow products
Nvidia:
Agentic AI platform announcement
Multi-trillion dollar market prediction
OpenAI:
OpenAI's GPT Store is creating a marketplace for specialized AI agents
The GPT platform is a no-code way to make custom AI agents for all sorts of tasks
Why It Matters: This isn't just another technological upgrade—it's a complete reimagining of how work gets done. AI agents will become the new workforce multiplier and eventually Agentic AI, handling everything from routine tasks to complex decision-making processes. Organizations that successfully deploy these agents will exponentially increase their operational capacity, while those that don't risk being left behind in the new agent-powered economy.
Macro Watch #2: The Autonomous Tipping Points
What It Is: Waymo's completion of 5 million autonomous trips (4 million in 2024 alone) signals we've moved beyond testing to adoption. But this isn't just about self-driving cars—it's about the fusion of AI agents, autonomous systems, and urban infrastructure creating entirely new mobility ecosystems.
The regulatory landscape is shifting dramatically. The U.S. government is being pushed to accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment, with industry leaders warning about China's determination to take the lead in AV technology. Under the new administration, there's a push for federal standardization of vehicle design, construction, and performance requirements—a move that could dramatically accelerate adoption.
🚗 POWER PLAY: The Autonomous Race
U.S. Market Leaders:
Waymo (Alphabet):
Coverage of 500+ square miles
$5.6 billion investment from Alphabet
Next-gen vehicles: Reduced from 29 to 13 cameras
Tesla:
Cybercab reveal for 2027 target
Sub-$30,000 price point goal
Push for federal approval process
Employee testing app in Bay Area
Amazon (Zoox):
Night and rain condition capabilities
Expansion to Las Vegas, SF
Strategic talent acquisition
Why It Matters: This isn't just a transportation revolution—it's a fundamental reimagining of urban life and economic value. With the global ride-sharing market projected to grow from $123.08 billion to $480.09 billion by 2032, autonomous vehicles represent the next great technological land grab. The geopolitical stakes are massive, as evidenced by China's aggressive moves in the space and Japan's strategic embrace of autonomy to address its aging population. The convergence of autonomous systems with AI agents is creating entirely new possibilities for transportation as a service, while forcing cities to rethink everything from parking infrastructure to real estate development. As autonomous capabilities become critical infrastructure, similar to semiconductor technology, the companies and countries that master this technology will shape not just transportation, but the very fabric of future urban society.
Macro Watch #3: Nuclear Renaissance
What It Is: The energy demands of AI are reshaping the power industry. ChatGPT uses 10 times more energy than a Google search, and that's just the beginning. Goldman Sach predicts AI is poised to drive a 160% increase in data center power demand. Tech giants are making unprecedented moves into energy production, particularly nuclear power, as they realize that controlling compute means controlling power generation.
“In recent months, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have all signed deals to help boost the development of new reactors and restart decommissioned ones. Their agreements are a huge endorsement for the nuclear industry and a sign that the tide against it may be turning.” Fortune
🔋 POWER PLAY: Big Tech's Nuclear Moves
Amazon
$500+ million investment in small modular nuclear reactor development
Goal: Power AWS's expanding AI infrastructure
Microsoft:
Partnership with X-energy, Microsoft plans on reopening Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant
Target: small modular nuclear reactor deployment by 2028
Goal: Data center power solutions
Google:
Orders six to seven small nuclear reactors from California’s Kairos Power to power AI data centers
Goal: Clean energy for data centers
Why It Matters: This isn't just about sustainability—it's about survival. The companies that control energy will control AI's future. The race for nuclear power isn't just an environmental play; it's a strategic move to secure the lifeblood of future computing. The tech industry is essentially becoming an energy industry, with implications that will ripple through every sector of the economy.
Macro Watch #4: The Humanoid Revolution
What It Is: We're witnessing the birth of a new species of machines. Humanoid robots are moving beyond novelty to necessity, with the market projected to explode from $2.1 billion in 2020 to $7.9 billion in 2025. More than 4.2 million industrial robots now operate in factories worldwide, but the real story is the rise of human-like machines that can adapt, learn, and work alongside us. The convergence of generative AI, advanced sensors, and biomimetic engineering creates robots that don't just automate tasks—they understand and respond to their environments with unprecedented sophistication.
🤖 POWER PLAY: The Humanoid Race
Google DeepMind + Apptronik:
Focus on dynamic environment adaptation
Mercedes-Benz and GXO partnerships
Figure AI's Rapid Rise:
Figure 02 with human-like fingers
OpenAI voice command integration
Industrial automation focus
1X Evolution:
NEO Beta home robot launch
Biologically inspired design
OpenAI backing
Global Competition:
China: 51% of global installations
Japan: Second-largest market
India: 59% growth in robot adoption
U.S.: Focus on next-gen development
Why It Matters: This isn't just another automation wave—it's the emergence of a new category of worker. As labor shortages persist and operational complexity increases, humanoid robots offer a solution that's both practical and transformative. The convergence of AI with human-like dexterity is creating machines that can handle everything from precision manufacturing to elder care. With major tech players like Google DeepMind and OpenAI backing humanoid robotics companies, we're seeing the birth of an entirely new industry that could reshape not just how we work, but how we live. The race to develop these platforms isn't just about automation—it's about creating the next generation of intelligent assistants that can truly understand and adapt to human needs.
Source: HBR/Getty Images
Macro Watch #5: Living Intelligence Revolution
What It Is: Beyond pure AI, we're seeing the convergence of advanced sensors, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence into what Amy Webb calls "living intelligence." These systems don't just compute—they sense, learn, adapt, and evolve, creating a new paradigm in technological capability.
🧬 POWER PLAY: The Sensing Revolution
Advanced Sensors:
Biotechnology Integration:
Convergence Innovations:
Self-evolving and autonomous optimization
81% of executives see AI and automation transforming supply chains through the foreseeable future
Prologis Supply Chain 3.0
Why It Matters: Living intelligence systems represent a leap beyond traditional AI. They're creating self-improving technological ecosystems that continuously evolve to meet changing needs, fundamentally altering how we think about technology's role in business and society.
Source: Eddie Yoon
Macro Watch #6: Video AI Revolution
What It Is: The evolution of AI-generated video has reached a turning point. OpenAI's Sora and Google's Veo 2 have transformed what's possible in video generation, bringing cinema-quality results to AI tools.
🎬 POWER PLAY: The Content Creation Revolution
OpenAI (Sora):
Natural motion and coherent narratives
Cinematic-quality output
Text-to-video breakthrough
Google (Veo 2):
Professional-grade cinematography tools
Advanced physics simulation
Commercial-ready capabilities
Adobe:
Firefly video generation
Creative suite integration
Enterprise deployment focus
Why It Matters: This isn't just about creating videos—it's about democratizing visual storytelling. The implications range from revolutionizing advertising and entertainment to transforming education and corporate communication.
What This Means for 2025
As Webb warns, "In an era of unrelenting change, leaders must resist the temptation to wait for the dust to settle." But this isn't just another wave of innovation—it's a fundamental rewiring of how technology functions in our world. The power moves of 2025 aren't just about who controls what technology; they're about who controls technology that can think, learn, and evolve on its own.
The winners won't just be those who adopt these living systems, but those who understand their interconnections and implications. The future isn't just about artificial intelligence—it's about living intelligence, and the businesses that grasp this distinction will be best positioned to thrive in the Daring 20s.
Top favorites to read more about what’s happening in tech:
Benedict Evan’s “AI Eats The World” 2025 report
Everything Allie K Miller puts out in the world
Everything Kara Swisher
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Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at The Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.
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