This is my submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Predicting 2025.

AI exploded in 2024, with ChatGPT and Claude becoming staple tools for many in my industry. Generative AI saw greater integration with existing software, supporting creatives and developers alike by it embedding itself seamlessly within existing processes.

AI is certainly here to stay, and here are my predictions on its continued evolution as we head into 2025:

Hyper-personalisation in marketing will become the norm
AI will enhance personalisation by leveraging real-time data analysis across multiple points, predictive analytics, and advanced customer segmentation to deliver highly tailored experiences.

This will allow for shopping and browsing experiences that feel tailored to you. Expect to see product recommendations that match your preferences perfectly, or discounts and promotions which appeal to your buying habits or emotional state.

This hyper-personalisation could even follow you across multiple touch-points; from online, to in-store, to at the bar.

AI will impact Sustainability Pledges
AI's environmental impact will begin to be reflected in ESG evaluations. As AI becomes even more embedded into business operations, its energy demands and resource-intensive hardware production will draw attention from sustainability accreditations, such as EcoVadis or ISO 14001.

Businesses may soon be required to disclose AI energy use and hardware sourcing (if appropriate), making partnering with green data centers even more vital.

As an example of how much power AI requires, a single response from ChatGPT comsumes approximately 0.0029 kWh of electricity - which is still 10 times the energy required for a typical Google search. By comparison, an image generated by ChatGPT can require up to 0.05kWh - an increase of 1624%!

There's nothing wrong with embracing AI as a tool, but we need to be mindful of its use and get better at prompting so we achieve our desired result as early as possible.

Greater legislation will come into effect
With the European Artificial Intelligence Act entering into force on 1st August 2024, stricter regulations and broader use cases are inevitable.

For example, take AI influencer Aitana who has gained a lot of popularity in recent months. There are currently no regulations to prevent her from taking on brand endorsements, despite her being an AI and therefore incapable of sharing her genuine experience. You could argue that her creators are sharing their experiences through her persona, but when it comes to skincare, or sports nutrition, authenticity and safety are so important. At best it's simply unethical, at worst, it's downright dangerous.

As generative AI gets better and we begin to see more AI-generated video content, distinguishing AI from reality will become impossible. To tackle this, we must demand greater control and legislation, particularly with brand partnerships.