AI agents could reshape business but raise urgent governance concerns

As AI agents gain momentum in Forrester’s 2025 technology forecast, companies face a complex balance between capturing competitive advantage and managing unpredictable autonomous systems. The emergence of these self-operating AI tools represents both a significant business opportunity and a substantial governance challenge, with mainstream adoption likely requiring several more years of development to ensure safety and reliability.

The big picture: Forrester’s newly released Top 10 Technologies for 2025 report positions AI agents as a transformative technology trend poised to reshape business operations, while simultaneously flagging significant risks associated with their autonomous capabilities.

• Clear governance frameworks must evolve alongside the technology, according to Brian Hopkins, vice president of Forrester’s Emerging Tech portfolio.
• Despite recent introductions of agent systems by major tech companies, Forrester predicts mainstream adoption is still at least two years away from achieving necessary safety and dependability standards.

Beyond agents: The report identifies several other AI-powered technologies set to impact businesses within varying timeframes.

• Image and video-generating AI tools, which have developed more slowly than text generators, are expected to significantly influence marketing and retail industries over the next five years.
• Humanoid robots, a new addition to Forrester’s emerging technologies list, could revolutionize business operations despite current constraints from high R&D costs.

Near-term priorities: Some technologies in the report offer more immediate business value within the next two years.

• Internet of Things security and synthetic data were highlighted as trends that can deliver benefits to businesses in the shorter term.
• Across all identified technologies, AI in its various forms remains the most socially impactful technological force.

What they’re saying: Forrester’s leadership emphasizes the need for strategic technology adoption despite global uncertainty.

• “As AI becomes ubiquitous, business and technology leaders should prioritize investments that will deliver the greatest impact for their organizations in terms of driving business growth, innovation, and competitive advantage,” said Sharyn Leaver, Forrester’s chief research officer.
• Leaver further noted that “enterprises that strategically balance AI innovation with risk mitigation will be ones that successfully thrive and achieve sustainable growth.”