If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that technology is advancing fast. As we adapt to these innovations, at 24.com we’re excited about what the new year will bring. So, we asked some of our team members who are at the forefront of the key areas in our industry to share the trends they’ll be keeping a close eye on in 2025.
Trend 1: The impact of AI and machine learning integration on productivity
Data engineer Shivesh Ramlall says companies will keep integrating AI into the products they offer, with productivity being a key area in which we’ll see the impact of this. “In 2025, we’ll likely see more specialised tools aimed at improving efficiency for both developers and businesses.”
He says that 24.com already uses tools such as Toqan and GitHub Copilot to enhance productivity as well as to build custom tools tailored to the needs of our teams – by automating routine processes, for example. “This ensures that divisions like our editorial team can concentrate on creating impactful content while mundane tasks are handled efficiently.”
Head of UX Roxanne Williams says her team is also using AI to keep things efficient. “We use AI to handle repetitive tasks like design research and gaining deeper insights into our users. This frees up our team to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of design.”
Product Team Lead Sven Schoof agrees, highlighting our internal gen AI assistant, Toqan, as a tool we use to make our work lives easier and more efficient.
Trend 2: More affordable and accessible AI tools
Shivesh adds that affordability will drive the use of AI to enhance productivity even further, as more accessible tools become available to suit both budget-conscious and high-powered use cases.
Charlene Rolls, Project Head: AI Head: Accelerated AI Adoption, says that currently “it feels like every other day there’s a ChatGPT-killer or the best AI product-ever launched. This hype will slow as companies and consumers become more educated about what artificial intelligence tools they really need.”
As people become more educated and as they realise the benefits of AI on efficiency and productivity, they will start to use AI tools with or without permission. Charlene says generative AI, in particular, will become “a crucial part of the toolkit for any knowledge worker – even in organisations where it’s been banned or discouraged”.
Trend 3: Personalised experiences and data insights
Sven believes that products will increasingly incorporate AI and machine learning to provide personalised experiences, streamline operations and generate insights from vast amounts of data.
Roxanne agrees, sharing: “At 24.com, we're fully embracing this shift. We're using AI-driven content recommendations and exploring more ways to personalise the user experience so our news fits perfectly with what our readers love and need. This personal touch leads to more engaged users and happier readers.”
Shivesh adds that it will allow us to improve search functionality and enhance customer engagement. He also highlights the role of data engineers and data scientists when it comes to machine learning. “Data engineers play a critical role in building and optimising the infrastructure and pipelines that enable these capabilities, while data scientists focus on developing and refining the machine learning models that bring them to life. Advancements in natural language processing (NLP), for example, help us better match readers with the articles they’re most likely to enjoy, while enhanced search algorithms, supported by robust data engineering, make information easier to find.”
Trend 4: Focus on practical AI use
Despite these advancements in AI, Charlene says many organisations are still battling to figure out AI use cases that add value, have a positive effect on productivity or efficiency, or show a real impact on the bottom line. But she believes this will change in 2025. “These use cases will become more defined and business leaders will seek a proper return on investment for their AI-related spend. That said, experimentation will remain critical to find new uses as the technology evolves.
“AI agents (systems that think about what to do next without your input) will become more prevalent – but only those who’ve grasped how to use them well in their environments will leverage opportunities.”
The 24.com engineering and product team already use AI in daily operations and our data science and engineering teams have developed – and continue to develop – products using generative AI models and systems.
Trend 5: Human-centric design and UX
“There will be an increased focus on user experience and ergonomic design,” Sven says. “Products will be developed through a human-centred approach that considers diverse needs and preferences.”
This is a trend that 24.com is already embracing, with our product and UX designs team focusing on a user-centric perspective when analysing data, conducting user or market research, and when doing user testing. “We base our UX/UI on an internal design system, which offers a robust and flexible theming system,” Sven explains.
Roxanne also highlights the importance of keeping the end user in mind when designing new platforms. “It's essential that our platforms work seamlessly on any device, which is why we're committed to a flexible design strategy that ensures smooth and intuitive navigation for all users, regardless of how they access us. We continuously monitor how our audience interacts with our sites, using this data to improve and update our designs regularly.”
Trend 6: Ethical technology and privacy concerns
As technology advances and becomes a core part of our lives, it’s natural that concerns around privacy, data security and the ethical use of data will arise. Factors such as transparency and the protection of user interests will shape the development of products, Sven says.
At 24.com, we’re already guided by a “security and privacy by design” approach. “We have put in place administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect our users’ personal information and to prevent loss, damage or unauthorised access to or disclosure of their information,” he shares.
Charlene adds: “We’re mindful of risks related to using AI tools in media and will continue to experiment with ideas for internal and external use in a responsible, considered way. We’re preparing to ramp up output in line with our business and audience needs. Watch this space!”
