We recently explored the latest Technology Vision 2025 report by Accenture - a report that stands out not only for its strategic perspective, but for its clarity on how AI is evolving far beyond automation. In a landscape flooded with AI hype, this one offers a grounded, insightful look at what’s really changing - and why it matters.

So we’ve broken down its key themes and added a few thoughts of our own.

The big picture: generalisation, not just AGI

While the world debates artificial general intelligence (AGI), Accenture warns that the real disruption is already here: the generalisation of AI. Instead of AGI’s sci-fi future, today’s organisations are already dealing with highly autonomous systems that learn, plan, and adapt. In their words: “AI is diffusing into every dimension of our lives - instantly accessible, always there.”

📊 Only 36% of executives have scaled GenAI solutions

📊 Just 13% have seen significant enterprise-wide impact

Yet expectations are high. Accenture predicts a 20% productivity gain for organisations leading the AI race.

Cognitive digital brains: a new enterprise DNA

Accenture introduces the idea of cognitive digital brains - AI systems that become the "central nervous system" of an enterprise. These systems go beyond automation and evolve into orchestrators of workflows, decision-making, and even brand identity. They’re composed of four layers:

1. Knowledge – built on knowledge graphs and vector databases
2. Models – generative and classical ML to extract insights
3. Agents – capable of learning and acting independently
4. Architecture – scalable infrastructure to enable and govern all the above

These aren’t just buzzwords - they’re already powering real-world applications. Take Insilico Medicine, which used AI to bring a new drug to clinical trials in half the typical time. Or Adobe, whose Firefly engine turns natural language into fully editable visuals.

The trust imperative

Here’s the twist: Autonomy doesn’t come without risk. Accenture identifies trust as the critical foundation for scaling AI. That includes:

• Transparency in decision-making
• Explainability of outputs
• Clear governance structures
• Strong cybersecurity (e.g. zero trust architecture)

Without trust, autonomy is a liability - not an asset.

So where does Ulla fit?

In an ecosystem increasingly shaped by agentic AI, secure autonomy, and decentralised intelligence, Ulla serves a very real and practical purpose: helping humans remember, reflect and act - without giving up control.

Her structure already mirrors Accenture’s digital brain model:

• She builds knowledge through summarised and searchable records
• Her internal models streamline insights from complex meetings
• Her agentic chatbot allows natural interaction, in multiple languages
• And she can run on-premises, offering the kind of data sovereignty and trust that many sectors - especially legal, public, and healthcare - demand.

Ulla might not be building robotic agents (yet), but she’s very much part of this new world - quietly empowering teams, one conversation at a time.

📄 You can read the full Accenture report here.