Gartner has released its 2025 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, highlighting innovations it says will shape the so-called autonomous business era. The research, presented ahead of the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in Barcelona from 10 to 13 November, identifies technologies including machine customers, AI agents, decision intelligence and programmable money as areas to watch in the coming decade.
The Hype Cycle is Gartner’s annual framework that tracks the maturity and adoption of emerging technologies. According to the firm, the analysis consolidates insights from more than 2,000 technologies and frameworks profiled each year, identifying those expected to deliver business impact within two to ten years.
Machine customers are described as nonhuman actors that can make purchases on behalf of individuals or organisations. Gartner estimates the current number of connected machines able to operate in this way at three billion, with growth projected to reach eight billion by 2030. Use cases include smart appliances, connected vehicles and IoT-enabled industrial equipment.
AI agents, another highlighted area, are defined as systems capable of perceiving, deciding and acting within digital or physical environments. Gartner noted that organisations are deploying such tools for applications ranging from consumer services and logistics to data analysis and content creation. The firm cautioned, however, that trust remains limited due to concerns about accuracy and oversight.
Decision intelligence was presented as an emerging discipline aimed at modelling and improving decision processes through digitisation and feedback systems. Gartner said demand for such approaches has increased as organisations seek to combine speed, compliance and cost-effectiveness in decision-making processes.
Programmable money was also identified as an area of growth. Defined as digital currency that can be programmed with algorithmic rules, it often relies on blockchain-based tokenisation and smart contracts. Gartner said organisations will need to engage with programmable money to transact with machine customers, employees and business partners, while financial services providers are expected to explore new models for value exchange and asset trading.
Analysts at the event emphasised that these technologies are advancing in parallel with broader automation trends, which are expected to affect competition, operations and customer engagement strategies in the years
ahead.
