At Lumivero, we believe real breakthroughs happen when innovation meets reflection – when we learn from the past to shape a better future.
Research and decision-making drive progress, enabling academic institutions to make groundbreaking discoveries and businesses to revolutionize industries. Now, with the emergence of AI, the potential impact of these processes has grown exponentially. AI allows us to explore more complex and diverse datasets, adding breadth and context to our research. It empowers us to integrate vast amounts of data and research together, analyze it comprehensively, and predict potential outcomes – helping us make more informed and impactful decisions.
We’re excited about the possibilities that emerge when combining new AI-enabled capabilities with time-tested, human-developed methodologies. Together, they create the groundwork for a new era of innovation. To help you prepare for what’s ahead, here are five predictions for how AI will change research and decision-making in 2025:
1. AI adoption: moving past the hype
AI adoption in research and decision making has matured. In 2025, the focus will shift from the “shininess” of generative AI to its practical applications. However, this expansion raises concerns about ensuring quality and reliability. While AI offers unprecedented capabilities – such as reducing qualitative data analysis time by up to 70%, according to McKinsey Global Institute – ethics conversations loom large on the horizon.
Key Insight: In 2025, expect a dual narrative: organizations leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and others scrutinizing these tools for bias, accuracy, and ethical compliance.
Market Projection: The generative AI market is set to grow at an astounding 42% CAGR, becoming a $1.3 trillion market by 2032, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
2. The evolution of knowledge gathering
Unstructured data accounts for 80–90% of global data and is expected to grow exponentially by 2025, according to MIT Sloan. This data explosion is revolutionizing how researchers gather knowledge. With AI enabling faster searches and more importantly deeper insights, reliance on data analysis tools is growing. However, this also means it is harder than ever to discern quality.
Key Insight: AI’s role in simplifying data curation will grow, but quality control will remain paramount. Decision-makers will increasingly depend on robust data analytics platforms, making data-driven approaches more accessible across industries.
3. The video revolution in research
2025 marks the acceleration of the "TikTokification" of content delivery, and this rise of short-form video content is reshaping how research findings are communicated. The days of lengthy academic articles may be numbered as concise, 3-minute videos take center stage.
Key Insight: Cisco Visual Networking Index projects video to account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2025, expect research dissemination and analysis to pivot heavily toward video platforms.
4. The rise of learning organizations
This year, we’ll see organizations embracing a culture of continuous learning, transitioning from research and data analysis as a static outcome to a dynamic learning activity. Companies will aim to integrate research expertise in-house – empowering professionals such as UX designers, market researchers, and product leaders to leverage analytics tools to curate insights from their data.
Key Insight: DOIT Software reports 80% of business leaders attributing improved decision-making to data access. The democratization of data analysis is empowering more individuals, even non-experts, to engage deeply with research. This rise of "citizen data scientists" will redefine how organizations leverage insights.
5. Real-time data and visualization
The demand for real-time data collection, analysis, and visualization will continue to shape how decisions are made. Executives increasingly rely on real-time insights to track trends and remain competitive. According to a McKinsey study, 70% of leaders believe real-time data enhances decision-making. Emerging technologies allow stakeholders to see results incrementally, without waiting for the completion of data collection. If new data comes in after a decision is made, it can immediately update the results, enabling dynamic course corrections in response to changing conditions.
Complementing this shift is the growing emphasis on data visualization and storytelling. Research by Deloitte shows that organizations using data visualization tools improve their data-driven decision-making by up to 28%. When combined with storytelling, visualization can increase message retention by 22x compared to plain statistic, according to Stanford University. We expect to see an increase in data visualization and real-time data in dashboards in 2025.
Key Insight: In 2025, the demand for tools that integrate real-time analytics with impactful visualization will surge. These technologies not only improve decision-making by up to 28%, but also provide the agility to pivot quickly as data evolves.
Looking ahead
2025 promises to be a transformative year for research and decision-making. From AI-driven efficiencies to navigating ethical considerations, the trends outlined above highlight the dual challenges and opportunities awaiting researchers and decision-makers. Organizations that proactively embrace these shifts will position themselves as leaders in their respective fields.
As you navigate these transformative trends, Lumivero is here to guide you through the next year with confidence and clarity. Our approach to integrating AI into our research and decision-making software is designed to enhance your processes, not replace them. By providing tools that streamline workflows and make complex tasks more accessible, we help you follow your established research methodologies with greater efficiency.
At Lumivero, we’re committed to helping you tap into this new era by creating tools that make AI work seamlessly alongside human expertise. Together, we'll unlock fresh opportunities, spark innovation, and create more breakthroughs in 2025.
David Danielson, Sr. Director of Product Strategy at Lumivero
David Danielson is a relentless innovator in the world of software and technology. For decades, he’s driven seismic shifts at Altiris, Symantec, Control4, and Henry Schein—elevating products, services, and teams to unprecedented success. Now, as Senior Director of Product Strategy at Lumivero, David channels his passion into empowering organizations to leverage research-driven insights that spark transformative decisions. Armed with an MBA from Brigham Young University and a solid educational foundation from Utah Valley University, David brings a blend of visionary leadership and deep technical expertise that pushes boundaries, inspires growth, and changes how we think about what’s possible.