Here are three AI trends we envision will be worth watching next year:

1. Data security will be at the heart of GenAI adoption

Companies that can offer robust data security measures will gain a competitive edge, fostering greater trust among users and partners. This trust can translate into market share, as businesses and consumers are more likely to engage with AI solutions that prioritize data protection, aligning with stringent regulations.

Data security, therefore, is not just a hurdle for GenAI; it is becoming the driving force. As businesses and consumers alike demand more from AI in terms of capability and security, GenAI’s future looks increasingly intertwined with advancements in data protection.

By 2025, we predict that data security will not only be a benchmark for success in the AI industry, but a deciding factor for trust and broad-scale AI adoption by industry and consumers.

2. A wave of AI agents will increase cyber resilience — and introduce new risks

According to Forbes online, the emerging agentic AI market shows endless potential, especially for organizations that use the cloud to scale computing power and storage capacity to train and deploy complex AI models.

Agentic AI also has the potential to help businesses keep their data and cloud apps more secure: Imagine a future where AI agents automate threat detection while enhancing the speed of response and resilience. However, if not implemented cautiously, agentic AI will also risk sensitive data in the cloud.

As AI agents become more sophisticated and interconnected, they will likely lead to more security vulnerabilities and accidental data leaks. Savvy business and IT leaders will not let this hold them back from adopting agentic AI, but rather, drive the agents to establish guardrails, set up stringent data access policies, and clearly communicate organizational best practices.

3. Ransomware will continue to evolve and create havoc

If 2024 taught us anything, it is that ransomware threats are not going away, and will continue to be a favorite of bad actors.

With the evolution of AI and more data moving to Cloud and SaaS-based platforms, attackers can automate and refine their attack strategies, making ransomware even more effective in 2025.

But it gets worse. We expect Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) to expand beyond malware, offering initial access brokering, data exfiltration, and negotiation services. Next year, RaaS platforms will also continue to lower the technical threshold for launching ransomware attacks, which means more individuals or less technically skilled groups can engage in ransomware activities and contribute to increases in the volume of attacks.