Reflections from the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 in Orlando

The golden path of AI: when human decision-making returns to the center

The first day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 began with a clear message: artificial intelligence only creates value when guided by human precision.

In the keynote “Walking the Golden Path to Value”, Alicia Mullery and Daryl Plummer presented what they call the “golden path”, ==the journey to find, capture, and sustain value in a scenario where AI evolves faster than organizations can absorb it==. “You need to bring your own accuracy,” said Alicia, reminding the audience that blind trust in models remains a risk.

Among the central topics, AI Agents dominated the discussion. Today, 17% of CIOs have already adopted AI agents, and 42% plan to do so within the next 12 months, yet most still operate in purely conversational tasks. For Gartner, that’s not enough: the future belongs to agents that decide and act, not just respond. This shift marks the transition from reactive automation to autonomous intelligence, ==a change that will require not only new investments but also new performance metrics and ethical parameters.==

The speakers also drew attention to the real cost of transformation. The initial investment in AI averages US$ 1.9 million per company, but expenses grow quickly with training, change management, and additional data. Mullery described this effect as a “transition mortgage”: ==learning never ends, and the pursuit of accuracy must become part of the operational cycle.== The recommendation is to develop an “accuracy survival kit,” with cross-validation between models and a culture of continuous learning.

Finally, Gartner warned about the new geopolitics of artificial intelligence. ==Major providers such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are consolidating themselves as true “digital nations,” controlling data and infrastructure on a global scale.== Choosing an AI vendor, said Plummer, “is like getting married, having triplets, and moving to another country at the same time.” The message is clear: every technology decision today is also a sovereignty decision.

This first day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 showed that the race for artificial intelligence is not about speed, but about direction. ==The companies that will thrive are those that balance technology, accuracy, and purpose, those that understand that AI does not replace humans, but amplifies what they choose to be.==

Key strategic predictions 2026-2030: how ai will redefine decisions, economy, and productivity

The second day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 in Orlando brought a provocative outlook on the future of artificial intelligence and its economic, ethical, and human consequences. In the keynote Top Strategic Predictions for 2026 and Beyond, Daryl Plummer, Gartner Fellow and senior analyst, presented ten trends that describe a world where AI not only supports decisions but begins to make them, shaping entire markets. They are:

1. Test for Skills in the AI Era | 2027
2. A Surge of Lazy Thinking | 2026
3. The Rise of Digital Nation State Platforms | 2027
4. Multiagent AI Entices Customers | 2028
5. AI Infiltrates B2B Procurement | 2028
6. AI-Driven Decision Automation Risks Catastrophic Loss | 2026
7. Money Is the Computer | 2030
8. AI Agents Transcend Processes | 2027
9. AI Governance Might Own You | 2027
10. 35-Year-Old Productivity User-Experience Will End | 2027

Among the main reflections, Gartner warns about the atrophy of critical thinking. ==By 2026, half of global companies will require cognitive skill assessments for their employees, as the massive use of generative AI reduces human analytical capacity==. In parallel, 75% of recruitment processes will include AI proficiency tests by 2027, ==making technological fluency an essential skill and a true competitive differentiator==.

Another striking prediction is the rise of sovereign AI platforms. By 2027, 35% of countries will be locked into regional ecosystems, creating technological blocs controlled by giants like the U.S., China, and the European Union. This fragmentation ushers in a new digital geopolitics, where the choice of an AI provider becomes a sovereignty decision. ==The challenge will be to balance independence, interoperability, and data security.==

Plummer also anticipated the rise of autonomous AI agents—systems capable of negotiating, buying, and learning without human intervention. ==By 2028, these agents are expected to intermediate 80% of B2B transactions, moving over $15 billion in a market entirely mediated by machines==. For companies, this will require rethinking marketing, procurement, and governance processes to ensure that their data and products are “readable” by digital agents.

He also emphasized that > “money will become the computer.” ==By 2030, 20% of financial transactions will be programmable, with rules and conditions embedded into the value itself==. This “programmable money” will transform contracts, compliance, and business models—an advancement that promises efficiency but also introduces new dilemmas of control.

Finally, Gartner predicts the end of an era: ==the productivity experience that dominated the last 35 years will be replaced by AI-shaped tools==. Interfaces, formats, and performance metrics will be reinvented, and companies will need new models of management and collaboration.

The message from Day 2 is clear: the next decade will be defined not just by the advancement of technology but by the human capacity to decide what remains under our own control. ==The future doesn’t belong to machines—it belongs to the organizations that learn to coexist and thrive with them.==

The AI-powered team: rethinking how humans and machines work together

Complementing Daryl Plummer’s predictions, other sessions throughout the day showed how this transformation is already happening inside organizations. Leaders from Agile Inc. and Venturus emphasized that ==the future of work is not about replacing people, but about combining human creativity with machine precision.==

Agile Inc. demonstrated how data and AI insights can help leaders see beyond dashboards, identifying bottlenecks, predicting risks, and focusing efforts on the actions that truly drive impact. Venturus brought a practical perspective from the engineering frontlines: ==while AI tools can accelerate coding, testing, and reviews, true innovation still depends on human judgment, especially in architecture and design.==

Both companies reinforced that AI’s real value emerges when teams learn to trust it as a co-creator, not a shortcut. When applied effectively, this partnership reduces effort, speeds up delivery, and allows organizations to work smarter not just faster.

Key trends in software engineering: the engineering behind the AI revolution

On the same day, analyst Arun Batchu presented the main strategic trends in software engineering for 2025, highlighting how AI is becoming the core of development practices. The focus is on the transition to an ==AI-native software engineering approach, where language models, agents, and generative platforms integrate every stage of the development lifecycle, from design to delivery.==

• Main trends:

• AI-Native Software Engineering: development of applications where artificial intelligence is a structural part of the lifecycle, automating tasks and supporting decision-making at every stage, from design to delivery.

• GenAI Platform Engineering: creation of internal platforms that unify tools, governance, and curation of generative models, ensuring security, ethics, and efficiency.

• LLM-Based Applications and Agents: use of language models as the engines for applications and autonomous agents, capable of executing complex functions and reducing operational time.

• Green Software Engineering: optimization of code, infrastructure, and development practices to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

• Open GenAI Models and Ecosystems: growth of open and interoperable models that lower costs and expand access to AI, while requiring new governance practices.

• Talent Density: smaller, highly qualified, and productive teams, prioritizing impact, innovation, and continuous learning.

• AI-Augmented Development Pipelines: integration of AI tools into development pipelines to accelerate testing, code review, and continuous integration.

• Intelligent Architectures & Observability: use of smart data and metrics to improve the predictability, performance, and reliability of applications.

• Model Governance & Trustworthiness: implementation of robust monitoring and validation policies for AI models in production.

• Experience-Driven and Co-Creation Design: focus on personalized, collaborative, and co-created experiences between humans and machines, with AI acting as a creative partner.

Gartner reinforces that the future of software engineering will be shaped by three pillars: AI-driven innovation, operational efficiency, and technological sustainability. ==The era of “AI-native engineering” has already begun, and companies that integrate agents, platforms, and intelligent governance will lead the way.==

The “wicked problems” of leadership: AI, geopolitics and executive trust

The second day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 concluded with a reflection on the “wicked problems”, complex challenges that intertwine technology, geopolitics, and human behavior. According to Gartner, 80% of CEOs already see AI as the leading force of disruption, yet most organizations still struggle to capture real value, constrained by unrealistic expectations and dependency on large ecosystems.

The 2025 Gartner CEO Confidence Index revealed that 49.6% of CEOs are hesitant to act, reflecting a climate of uncertainty and pressure for rapid results. The session also highlighted how technology sovereignty and the growing link between energy and cloud infrastructure are reshaping global supply chains and creating new centers of digital power.

The rise of the programmable economy, with autonomous agents and smart money, promises to transform transactions and corporate decision-making while the trust gap between CEOs and CIOs continues to widen: only 11% of CEOs trust their CIOs to lead AI initiatives. ==Gartner emphasizes that the next decade will belong to leaders capable of aligning technology, strategy, and human impact.==

Adaptive change management: the new role of leadership in times of continuous disruption

The third day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 reinforced an essential point: ==change is no longer episodic it has become permanent==. According to Gartner, an employee faces an average of more than 20 changes per year, while only 39% of companies are effective at scaling transformation in response to disruption.

Analyst Shawn Murphy presented the concept of Adaptive Change Management, an approach inspired by agile methodologies and the “plan-as-you-go” philosophy, used by NASA in missions such as the Mars rover. ==The method proposes planning change in short 30-day cycles (“change sprints”), continuously monitoring resistance signals, and adjusting strategies in real time.==

The session also highlighted that 33% of leaders consider employee resistance the biggest challenge to successful change, often caused by negative transformation histories and emotional overload. Murphy emphasized that the key is to cultivate “change reflexes” ==skills that help people understand and regulate their emotions in the face of transformation.==

Among the reflexes mentioned are ==identifying losses associated with change, redefining one’s identity in the face of the new, volunteering for new experiences, and sensing adaptation signals==. Companies that train these competencies increase the likelihood of healthy change adoption by up to 1.7x.

Cases such as Sanofi and Novartis illustrated how treating change as an “evolving product”, with sprints, continuous feedback, and engagement metrics, helps preserve trust and reduce emotional impact during major transformations.

==The takeaway was clear: it’s not enough to plan for change, you must learn to change continuously.==

Why ERP projects fail and what sets successful ones apart

Still on the third day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, Gartner presented a detailed analysis of the ==high risks involved in ERP modernization and the factors that differentiate successful projects from those that fail==. Gartner reinforced that ERP initiatives are the largest and most complex programs most CIOs will lead in their careers, requiring a business-oriented mindset rather than a purely technological one.

According to the analysts, ==25% of projects result in catastrophic failures, leading to bankruptcies, customer loss, stock drops, and operational shutdowns==. The most common causes include overstated benefits, underestimated TCO, excessive customization, forced timelines, and insufficient testing. The central recommendation is clear: ERP is a business transformation, not an IT one. Executive sponsorship should come from the CEO, CFO, or COO, with the CIO acting as a facilitator and technical guardian.

Gartner emphasized that the most critical mistake is confusing “go-live” with success. True success is measured by adoption and realization of business objectives, guided by SMART metrics: specific, measurable, and achievable. Examples include goals such as “closing the books within five consecutive days, including a quarter-end.”

Key success factors include:

• Active executive sponsorship and alignment between business and IT;

• Robust organizational change management and super users fully dedicated to the project;

• “Three-in-the-box” governance model, aligning client, system integrator, and ERP vendor under shared accountability;

• Focus on configuration over customization, especially in foundational system layers (~65% of scope);

• Cutover and hypercare planning from day one, with focus on business outcomes rather than fixed deadlines.

The cases analyzed showed that failures rarely stem from a single cause, but from the sum of poor strategic decisions and rushed execution. Successful examples — such as major manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that treated change as a living product, with sprints, continuous feedback, and shared governance — confirmed that preparation and cultural alignment are as critical as the technology itself.

==The final message: “By failing to prepare, we are preparing to pay.” ERP success is not measured by going live, but by the ability to transform the business.==

Strategic storytelling: how narratives drive organizational change

Closing the third day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, the session Driving Organizational Change Through Storytelling highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of corporate transformation: ==change only endures when people understand the “why” behind it.==

Gartner emphasized that in an era of constant disruption, data and rational arguments alone are not enough to mobilize people. Effective leaders craft narratives that combine logic and emotion, translating technical goals into human meaning. ==A powerful story creates context, evokes empathy, and connects teams to a greater purpose.==

According to the speaker, Jose Ramirez, ==the most memorable stories blend facts and feelings, allowing the audience to engage both intellectually and emotionally.== This is what distinguishes informative communication from transformative communication. ==By explaining the “why” of a change — not just the “what” or “when” — leaders can reduce resistance, strengthen trust, and build a sense of belonging.==

Real-world examples illustrated how the right narrative can overcome resistance and accelerate adoption. In the U.S. Army, for instance, soldiers initially rejected new lightweight boots out of attachment to tradition. Only when the story shifted from “efficiency” to “survival” did adoption occur. The same principle applies to technology adoption in organizations: translating features into tangible benefits—such as safety, collaboration, and time savings—is what turns data into decision.

Another key point was the balance between data and emotion. While metrics validate outcomes, stories give them meaning. As Gartner reminded the audience: ==“Data lights up parts of the brain; stories light up the whole thing.”== This fusion of reason and emotion is what drives behavior and solidifies cultural transformation.

==The final message was clear: leaders who master the art of storytelling make transformation understandable, human, and memorable.==

Redefining Modernization: New Value Stories Driving Change

On the fourth day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, Howard Dodd brought to the stage a powerful provocation: modernization is not just about updating technology, it’s about rethinking how companies create value.

In a fast-changing environment, Dodd believes the key lies in re-evaluating what to build, how to build, and how fast to adapt, placing artificial intelligence and team collaboration at the center of this transformation.

Gartner highlights three value stories that are redefining this journey:

• AI-powered analysis: artificial intelligence tools enable business experts to collaborate with developers to create faster, more accurate, and strategically aligned specifications.

• Composable platforms: the orchestration of reusable components accelerates delivery and reduces technical debt, fostering continuous innovation between IT and business teams.

• Dynamic learning: transforming hidden knowledge into shared intelligence ensures faster and more consistent decision-making, while maintaining essential human oversight.

Dodd reinforces that “business as usual is riskier than taking action”, staying in the traditional model is more dangerous than exploring new paths. Speed, collaboration, and integrated intelligence thus become the pillars of value-driven modernization.

As organizations rethink their architectures and processes, the challenge is no longer purely technical, it is strategic and human. ==Modernization gains new meaning when it connects people, data, and technology to generate continuous value and it is in this convergence that the future of business will be built.==

Catalysts for Change: The Impact of Emerging Technologies on Industries

In the final panel of the fourth day of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, Mandi Bishop presented the session “Catalysts for Change: Future Impact of Emerging Technologies on Industries”, highlighting how emerging technologies are reshaping the way industries operate, compete, and evolve.

Bishop compared technological advancement to waves in the ocean: some gentle, others towering and generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a true tsunami. Each industry, she explained, sails through different seas: while regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance face “regulatory storms,” areas like retail and education navigate calmer waters filled with hidden currents.

To help leaders steer through this environment, Gartner introduced the EdEffects Framework, which evaluates the potential of emerging technologies along two axes:

• Suitability: how much value the technology adds to the industry.

• Complexity: the level of difficulty for adoption and integration.

From this combination, the model defines four quadrants, Adoptable, Adaptable, Situational, and Marginal, that guide strategic decisions on where to invest, when to accelerate, and what to approach with caution.

Among the most promising technologies, Generative AI stands out as the leading catalyst, with 83% of organizations having implemented or planning to implement solutions by the end of 2025, an 11% increase compared to the previous year. It is followed by Agentic AI, which turns productivity gains into tangible financial outcomes; by knowledge graphs, which connect data and context intelligently; and by domain-specific language models (DSLMs), which reduce hallucinations and enhance the precision of autonomous agents.

Bishop also highlighted concrete examples of adoption, such as virtual assistants powered by Generative AI, which are already optimizing customer service in insurance companies, reducing average response time from 10 minutes to 1 minute and cutting complaints by 20%. In parallel, predictive cybersecurity platforms are emerging to anticipate increasingly sophisticated attacks, including deepfake catalysts.

The expert reinforced that not every technology deserves immediate investment. Innovations like quantum computing and tokenization still face barriers of cost, maturity, and broad applicability and should be monitored rather than accelerated.

The session closed with a message of direction and responsibility: ==continuously evaluate, invest with purpose, and turn innovation into measurable results==. In a sea of possibilities, companies that understand their boat, their ocean, and their waves will be better prepared to reach the future safely.

INSI’s commitment to the future of Artificial Intelligence

By closely following the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025, INSI reaffirms its commitment to promoting digital evolution with a human purpose. More than just keeping up with trends, we seek to turn knowledge into action, helping companies apply artificial intelligence in a strategic, ethical, and results-oriented way.

We believe that the future of AI is not only about automation, but about creating sustainable value connecting people, data, and technology to drive business growth and strengthen trust in digital relationships.