Every year, McKinsey publishes its Technology Trends Outlook, offering a comprehensive view of the forces shaping industries and economies. The 2025 edition spans more than 100 pages, yet three themes stand out for me with particular urgency for executives and policymakers.
👉 Read the full McKinsey report here
1. Agentic AI: From Tools to “Virtual Coworkers”
This year’s report highlights Agentic AI as a new and fast-emerging field. Unlike traditional AI systems that only generate outputs, agentic AI can autonomously plan and execute multistep workflows — effectively acting as a “virtual coworker.”
For organizations, this is not a futuristic concept. It signals a fundamental shift in how business processes, customer interactions, and even decision-making will be orchestrated. The companies that integrate agentic AI early will gain exponential efficiency and responsiveness.
2. National Competition and Technological Self-Sufficiency
Another notable trend is the intensification of national and regional competition around critical technologies. Governments and corporations are doubling down on sovereign infrastructure, localized chip fabrication, and funding for quantum laboratories.
This is more than industrial policy: it is a response to geopolitical risk. By investing in self-sufficiency, nations seek to reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains and capture the next wave of value creation. For executives, the implication is clear: technology strategy is now inseparable from geopolitics.
3. The Skills Gap: Demand Far Outpaces Supply
Perhaps the most sobering insight is the widening gap between the demand for advanced technology skills and the availability of qualified talent.
According to McKinsey’s data:
- Python and machine learning are among the most requested skills, but supply lags significantly.
- Cloud expertise, particularly on platforms like AWS, is in critically short supply.
For organizations, this means two things: first, a war for talent in areas like AI, cloud, and data engineering; second, an urgent need for reskilling and workforce transformation.
Why This Matters
These three themes — agentic AI, national competition, and the skills gap — are not isolated. Together, they define a new strategic context where technology adoption, talent strategy, and geopolitical positioning are interdependent.
Executives cannot treat them as “IT issues.” They are board-level priorities that will determine resilience, competitiveness, and growth.
The future will not wait. Leaders who embrace agentic AI, anticipate geopolitical shifts, and invest in closing the skills gap will set the pace. Those who delay risk being left behind in a world where technology is no longer optional — it is the very fabric of strategy.