AI Trends and Innovations

WIPO’s global report on IP filings is out and records are being broken. 2024 saw the highest ever patent filings – 3.7 million worldwide. Design filings also peaked at a record 1.6 mln, while trademark filings stabilized after two years of decline. But within this rich trove of data from nearly 150 IP offices, a few deeper insights stand out. First, emerging and developing countries continue to embrace IP-driven growth and transformation, whether driven by the need to diversify engines of growth, support increasing aspirations of local innovators and entrepreneurs, create more attractive investment environments, or simply seek new sources of growth. For the sixth consecutive year, India posts double-digit growth in patent filings, with Türkiye also up some 15%. Among the top 20 countries of origin, 12 saw increases in trademark filings, led by Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia, and with strong growth in upper middle-income economies like Colombia, South Africa, Thailand and Viet Nam. Design filings tell a similar story, with the fastest growth in India, Morocco and Indonesia. What this means is that many emerging economies are following the path of the world’s established innovation powerhouses in using IP as a strategic lever for economic growth, diversification, development and resilience. The next challenge is commercializing more of these filings, so they become real-world products and services. Second, we’re seeing more domestic, or “resident” filings. In areas like trademarks and designs, resident filings have traditionally made up the vast majority (+70%) as local businesses often register IP to protect brands and designs serving domestic markets. Now, we’re seeing the same dynamics in patents. Resident patent filings grew almost 7% last year, the fastest rise since 2016, to 72% of the total. This growth in domestic filings suggests that innovation ecosystems are maturing (even for high-tech discoveries, inventors typically file at home first before expanding abroad). It may also reflect shifts in global trade flows, with some industries becoming more localized. Third, many of the major trends in recent years continue to accelerate. Just as AI and digital innovation dominate the headlines, computer technology remains the top field for patent activity, with its growth outpacing all others. The gender balance in innovation is also improving. The proportion of women inventors in international patent applications has increased from 11.6% in 2010 to 18% last year. Beyond the individual data points, the value of this report lies in what it reveals about the global state of innovation and the direction it’s heading. This year’s WIPI shows that people everywhere continue to believe in the power of IP to protect ideas and incentivize innovation, and it gives WIPO the energy to continue strengthening IP ecosystems everywhere to give these innovators and creators the tools to protect and commercialize their ideas. 🔗 https://ow.ly/gub150XqnE7

About a year ago, I created a comprehensive graphic comparing the major cloud providers. As I revisit it now, I'm struck by the rapid evolution of the cloud landscape. While each provider's core competencies remain largely unchanged, there have been some significant developments and emerging trends. Let's dive in! 1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱: Increasingly, businesses are adopting a multi-cloud approach, cherry-picking services from different providers to optimize costs, avoid vendor lock-in, and take advantage of each platform's unique offerings. This shift towards a more diverse and flexible cloud strategy is a testament to the growing maturity of the market. 2. 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲: In response to the pressing need for environmental action, the big three cloud providers have all stepped up their sustainability efforts. From renewable energy initiatives to tools that help customers monitor and reduce their carbon footprint, the cloud is becoming greener. 3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜/𝗠𝗟 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺: Artificial intelligence and machine learning have seen explosive growth, with each provider offering an expanding array of AI/ML services. These tools are becoming more user-friendly and accessible, democratizing AI and enabling businesses of all sizes to harness its power.     4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀: Edge computing has come into its own, with Azure Arc, AWS Outposts, and Google Anthos all seeing significant enhancements. This development is crucial for IoT, real-time data processing, and low-latency applications. As the intelligent edge continues to evolve, it's opening up exciting new possibilities. 🚀 5. S𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: Serverless computing has been a game-changer, abstracting away infrastructure management and enabling developers to focus on writing code. Over the past year, serverless offerings have continued to mature, with improved tooling, easier integration, and more robust functionalities. As always, the "best" cloud provider is the one that aligns with your unique requirements, existing infrastructure, and long-term objectives. It's crucial to periodically reassess your cloud strategy to ensure it remains optimized for your evolving needs. I'm curious to hear your thoughts! What notable changes or trends have you observed in the cloud ecosystem recently?

It’s an incredible time to be a leader. No two days are the same with new ideas and challenges coming at you all the time.    Each year, for the last ten years, we’ve spoken to over 1,300 CEOs from across various industries, countries and continents to better understand what drives them, how they are navigating challenges and their views on the greatest risks to growth, as part of our #CEOoutlook survey.    This year’s survey reveals that while confidence in the global economy remains high, it has waned – from 93 percent in 2015 to 72 percent today. Despite this, business leaders continue to show impressive resolve in steering their companies through this era of volatility and transformation. Their strategies and priorities offer a glimpse into the decade ahead.    From the economic and social shockwaves of the pandemic to surging inflation, geopolitical tensions and the rise of AI, leaders have had to adapt to several once-in-a-generation moments happening all at the same time.    The magnitude of these challenges has redefined leadership, requiring CEOs to be more resilient, agile and innovative than ever before.    For me, CEOs navigating the next decade will face four key things: a bold embrace of AI, a renewed commitment to ESG and sustainability as a source of value creation, a deep focus on their people, and an ability to balance competing stakeholder demands.    AI stands at the heart of the current CEO agenda and it’s part of every single conversation I have with our clients. This year’s findings show that 64 percent of CEOs are prioritizing investment in the technology.    However, this optimism is tempered by a sobering view of the immediate impacts. A significant majority (76 percent) of CEOs believe #AI will not fundamentally alter job numbers yet only 38 percent feel their employees are prepared and ready with the skills they need to fully reap the benefits. So, while AI has tremendous transformative potential, its success rests on aligning the rapid technological developments with workforce readiness and ethical considerations.    Another big feature from the last decade has been the rise of #ESG considerations, shifting from a peripheral concern to a central strategic pillar. Nearly a quarter of CEOs see failing to meet ESG targets as a significant competitive disadvantage. Despite the growing politicization of the issues, 76 percent are willing to make tough decisions, such as divesting profitable but reputation-damaging parts of their business to uphold their commitments.   The next decade will, without a doubt, produce its own storms. I believe that the CEOs who set bold strategies and invest in the right technologies to make these plans a reality, will be the ones who deliver sustainable growth for the long-term. https://lnkd.in/gDTiuGUV

Want to know what's dominating CEO conversations? Here is the most recent data for Q3 2025 by Knud Lasse Lueth with IoT Analytics - Hot off the Press! 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: • 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 #𝟏, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧: Mentions of tariffs appeared in 53% of earnings calls, down 28% from Q2. CEOs are no longer reacting in shock, they’re adapting with structured management strategies. • 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 & 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: AI was mentioned in 45% of calls (+23% QoQ). Agentic AI references climbed 40% QoQ, with companies like Goldman Sachs piloting AI agents for software development. MCP (Model Context Protocol) also gained attention, appearing in earnings calls for the first time. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲): Discussions surged back to 15% of calls, with demand outstripping supply. Microsoft and Prysmian noted capacity constraints, while CEOs flagged energy consumption as a major challenge. • 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐬) 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Robotics mentions grew 28% QoQ, with humanoids up 38%. Manufacturing leads the charge, 11% of companies in the sector discussed robotics as a growth engine. • 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬: Mentions of uncertainty dropped 32% QoQ (42% of calls), and recession mentions collapsed by 81% QoQ to their lowest level this year. 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The Q3 CEO agenda reveals a new normal: companies are adapting to tariffs instead of panicking, while AI (especially agentic AI) has shifted from hype to hands-on pilots. Data centers are the backbone of this digital push, but their energy footprint is a growing pain point. Robotics, particularly humanoids, are moving from sci-fi to boardroom reality. The macro storm clouds of uncertainty and recession seem to be clearing…for now. What stands out to me is the speed of adoption, CEOs aren’t waiting for perfect clarity; they’re experimenting in parallel across AI, robotics, and digital infrastructure. That makes governance and ROI tracking more critical than ever, without a clear framework, investments risk becoming fragmented or misaligned. 𝐌𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞: Move quickly, but don’t skip the scaffolding. Build strong governance and ROI gates into your AI and robotics initiatives so you can scale the winners and cut the noise before it burns resources. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eQZAmuVg ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

OpenAI, calm down. I can only type so fast. Let’s cover the new releases and why they matter: Since last Thursday, OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Pulse, Commerce in chat, parental controls, and Sora 2 + Sora app. Here’s the full rundown: → ChatGPT Pulse (preview): Pro users on mobile can now get a daily, proactive research cards based on your chats, feedback, and optional calendar. You can thumbs-up/down and curate what shows next. Why does this matter? AI is getting more proactive! You won’t have to prompt all the dang time! → Commerce in chat: OpenAI rolled out Instant Checkout using the open Agentic Commerce Protocol (built with Stripe). You can already buy from U.S. Etsy sellers inside ChatGPT, with Shopify merchants “coming soon.” Why does this matter? ChatGPT was already being used to shop and browse, now it’s going fully vertical. More “complete” experiences will happen inside ChatGPT. → Parental controls: New teen safety features now let parents link accounts, set limits, and dial down sensitive content. It’s imperfect (and will evolve), but this seems to be the most concrete teen-focused guardrail set we’ve seen from them to date. Why does this matter? AI is becoming more integrated into our personal lives and full families are signing up for it as an app they use together, this was the obvious next step. → Sora 2 + Sora app: A major step-up in physical realism and control, now with synced dialogue/SFX, plus a new (currently) invite-only iOS app that looks and feels like TikTok, but for AI-generated video only. Cameos let friends appear with consent and revocable control. Available in US/Canada first. Why does this matter? Meta and TikTok own a huge part of the commerce chain because of a social-first strategy, OpenAI wants a piece of the pie. Overall: more proactive and personalized systems, more vertical integration, more connections with family and friends, and more weirdness still to come. What say you on these releases? Stay tuned for more. Dev Day is in less than a week 👀

This year, robotics start-ups have already raised more than $6 billion. That says a lot about where the next wave is heading! Fun fact- before racing, I'd been accepted to study aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London. I've always been interested in how people and data can work together to optimise performance. That's why I'm finding robotics such an interesting topic today! At Rosberg Ventures, we focus on sectors like climate tech, mobility, AI, blockchain, fintech, and enterprise- essentially where the next decade's breakthrough companies are being built. And robotics is fast becoming the next big wave of transformation. What excites me is the combination of AI and robotics. AI has already revolutionised computer work. Now, AI machines not only calculate, but also learn, understand, and make autonomous decisions. An example of this in practice is one of my personal investments, Sereact. Thanks to their AI, robots can pick damaged products out of a box, just by voice command. It's already up and running today, in a warehouse in Stuttgart. They’ve also just launched their Cortex Model (one AI model that can run different robot types and pick up new tasks from day one). These systems are already achieving 600 picks per hour, with 30-minute order-to-route times and plans for 100+ robots across Europe. That's massive scalability. And on the intralogistics side, in my role as an ambassador for Jungheinrich AG, I'm seeing how things are evolving there too. Their autonomous mobile robots (such as the Arculee M) navigate freely within defined areas. They can detect obstacles and handle loads up to 1,300 kg on pallets. Last year, the arculee M range was awarded at the Red Dot Awards in the 'Robotics' category. And more recently, Jungheinrich automated material flow at Picanol in Belgium using six arculee M AMRs on a 230-metre route across 50 stations, moving loads up to 1,300 kg and improving flexibility and speed. How do you see the balance evolving between what humans do best and what machines can now handle? Let me know in the comments... 

🔥 Why DeepSeek's AI Breakthrough May Be the Most Crucial One Yet. I finally had a chance to dive into DeepSeek's recent r1 model innovations, and it’s hard to overstate the implications. This isn't just a technical achievement - it's democratization of AI technology. Let me explain why this matters for everyone in tech, not just AI teams. 🎯 The Big Picture: Traditional model development has been like building a skyscraper - you need massive resources, billions in funding, and years of work. DeepSeek just showed you can build the same thing for 5% of the cost, in a fraction of the time. Here's what they achieved: • Matched GPT-4 level performance • Cut training costs from $100M+ to $5M • Reduced GPU requirements by 98% • Made models run on consumer hardware • Released everything as open source 🤔 Why This Matters: 1. For Business Leaders: - model development & AI implementation costs could drop dramatically - Smaller companies can now compete with tech giants - ROI calculations for AI projects need complete revision - Infrastructure planning can possibly be drastically simplified 2. For Developers & Technical Teams: - Advanced AI becomes accessible without massive compute - Development cycles can be dramatically shortened - Testing and iteration become much more feasible - Open source access to state-of-the-art techniques 3. For Product Managers: - Features previously considered "too expensive" become viable - Faster prototyping and development cycles - More realistic budgets for AI implementation - Better performance metrics for existing solutions 💡 The Innovation Breakdown: What makes this special isn't just one breakthrough - it's five clever innovations working together: • Smart number storage (reducing memory needs by 75%) • Parallel processing improvements (2x speed increase) • Efficient memory management (massive scale improvements) • Better resource utilization (near 100% GPU efficiency) • Specialist AI system (only using what's needed, when needed) 🌟 Real-World Impact: Imagine running ChatGPT-level AI on your gaming computer instead of a data center. That's not science fiction anymore - that's what DeepSeek achieved. 🔄 Industry Implications: This could reshape the entire AI industry: - Hardware manufacturers (looking at you, Nvidia) may need to rethink business models - Cloud providers might need to revise their pricing - Startups can now compete with tech giants - Enterprise AI becomes much more accessible 📈 What's Next: I expect we'll see: 1. Rapid adoption of these techniques by major players 2. New startups leveraging this more efficient approach 3. Dropping costs for AI implementation 4. More innovative applications as barriers lower 🎯 Key Takeaway: The AI playing field is being leveled. What required billions and massive data centers might now be possible with a fraction of the resources. This isn't just a technical achievement - it's a democratization of AI technology.

Q3 2025: 𝐀 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 The latest quarterly results from the leaders in factory automation reveal some interesting trends: 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐆 saw orders jump 28% to €24.7 billion, with revenue up 5% to €19.4 billion, though margins slipped to 14.9%, reflecting pressure in traditional industrial segments even as demand for digital and automation solutions grows. 𝐀𝐁𝐁 delivered 11% revenue growth, with comparable growth at 9%, maintaining a strong operating margin of 19.2%. Its book-to-bill ratio sits slightly above 1, signaling steady demand, although the robotics and discrete automation divisions continue to face headwinds. 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 reached $2.14 billion in revenue, up 5% from the previous year, and reported EPS of $2.82, exceeding expectations. Free cash flow more than doubled to $489 million, and the company raised its full-year EPS guidance to $9.80–$10.20. These results reflect solid execution, steady organic growth, and progress in autonomous manufacturing solutions. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 posted 9% organic revenue growth to €9.72 billion, surpassing forecasts, with strong contributions from data-center and infrastructure segments, which now account for nearly a quarter of total revenue. While the company’s guidance remains conservative, Schneider continues to benefit from electrification and automation tailwinds. Across these results, one thing is clear: industrial automation is shifting from cyclical to structural. AI, digital controls, and smarter infrastructure are reshaping factories, and companies that combine software-driven innovation with strong execution are leading the way. Margins may fluctuate, but the direction is clear: factories of the future will be smarter, more connected, and increasingly autonomous.

CEOs don’t realize that when they ask for AI agents, what they’re really asking for is: ✅ Data To Information Transformation ✅ Infrastructure Upgrades For Model Training & Inference Serving ✅ Comprehensive Information & AI Governance Guardrails ✅ Organizational Transformation ✅ Internal Training & Upskilling ✅ Process, Workflow, & Product Reinvention I have worked with large enterprise clients for 13 years, and I haven’t had one start AI-ready yet, but they all think they are. When internal voices try to tell C-level leaders the truth, it doesn’t go well, and here’s why. Data platform vendors have been selling AI-ready for years, but in reality, they’ve been getting customers BI-ready. BI-first platforms have made cosmetic changes and rebranded themselves as AI-ready. Consultants have been transforming businesses to be BI-first with an AI-first price tag. It’s the same playbook, except every mention of data and analytics is replaced with AI. It’s all sales and marketing without the functional substance to support a completely new paradigm. Enterprises truly believe they are AI-ready and can’t understand why their technical teams can’t make AI magic happen the same way they see it work in the demos or customer use cases presented at conferences. Dear CEOs, When you see a ‘simple drag and drop’ agentic interface, ask about the foundational pieces required to make it look easy. When internal technical voices raise concerns or discuss the need for foundational components, trust them. When you see dancing robots on stage or video demos of them folding laundry, be skeptical. Read the fine print and have technical voices in the room asking tough questions about what’s really going on. Opportunities hide in the hype. AI, agents, robots, and all our new tech waves don’t work perfectly and don’t deploy easily. But there’s still massive value to be had, both short-term and long-term. Be aware of what they don’t do so you can refocus on what they are capable of today. Value doesn’t have to take years to materialize. Foundational steps can deliver immediate value while setting up for the future. Be a pragmatic futurist. Identify the disruption to reveal the opportunities and customers that help define high-value products. Foundational work amplifies the value of long-term initiatives & those bigger bets amplify the returns of foundational investments. Think in terms of flywheels, not get-rich-quick schemes, and you’ll be far more successful with AI.

One thing is clear in Accenture’s latest report on building an AI‑ready cloud foundation; organizations aren’t just modernizing their tech stacks; they’re redefining how they create value.     What we’re seeing now is a shift from cloud as an efficiency play to cloud as the backbone of continuous reinvention. AI is accelerating that shift, but AI can only deliver its full potential when the underlying architecture is ready for it.      The companies pulling ahead are the ones treating cloud, data, and AI as one integrated system, not separate investments. They’re simplifying core operations, creating flexible digital foundations, and empowering their people with the skills and tools to move with speed and confidence.     This isn’t about chasing every new technology. It’s about building the resilience and adaptability to keep reinventing, again and again as the environment changes. At its core, an AI‑ready cloud foundation is about preparing the enterprise for what’s next, not just optimizing for today. The leaders who understand this will set the pace for their industries.    https://lnkd.in/gvrX4rqp    Andy Tay, Lan Guan, Jason Dess Jefferson Wang, Shalabh Kumar Singh