AI adoption

Willis (WTW) reports a shift toward stability and buyer opportunity in the commercial insurance market (Oct 3, 2025). Driven by industry surplus capital exceeding $1 trillion and reinsurance capacity over $725 billion, property renewals fell 5.5% (Q1) and 8% (Q2). Workers’ Compensation benefits from a $16 billion reserve surplus. AI adoption is accelerating underwriting. However, annual insured catastrophe losses > $100 billion and systemic risks like cyber or climate events could reverse these gains.

Google’s Kent Walker urged the EU to adopt a more strategic regulatory approach to AI to effectively compete globally, especially with China. He cited China’s high AI adoption rates compared to the EU’s lower rates, attributing this to significant government investment and less burdensome regulations. Walker proposed a three-pronged strategy: smart policy focused on real-world AI effects, workforce development for AI skills, and scaling up beyond basic applications to embrace scientific breakthroughs. He emphasized removing regulatory hurdles, fostering research, and broadly implementing AI to stimulate EU growth.

A BCG study reveals a widening AI adoption gap: only 5% of companies significantly benefit financially, while 60% see marginal gains. These leaders, termed “future-built,” experience higher revenue growth and EBIT margins. They reinvest AI gains, prioritizing core business function reinvention and agentic AI adoption. Success hinges on executive-led strategy, business-IT collaboration, and workforce upskilling. Laggards face a “vicious cycle” due to leadership gaps and lack of focus, emphasizing the need for organizational change to avoid falling behind.

Netskope reports near-universal (95%) generative AI adoption in retail, up sharply from 73% last year, driven by competitive pressures. While usage of company-approved AI tools rises (from 21% to 52%), security risks escalate, with source code (47%) and regulated data (39%) commonly exposed. Companies are banning risky apps like ZeroGPT, and increasingly using enterprise platforms like OpenAI via Azure and Amazon Bedrock (16% each). Concerns extend to API connections (63%) and broader cloud security vulnerabilities, including malware via OneDrive and GitHub. Strict data protection and visibility are crucial.

Dell Technologies is focusing on helping enterprises scale AI projects into production with its AI Factory, AI Data Platform, and Data Lakehouse. Collaborations with NVIDIA and others provide infrastructure and data management for seamless AI integration. Key features include an unstructured data engine (powered by Elastic and GPU-accelerated PowerEdge servers), addressing data gravity with federated queries, and prioritizing on-premise solutions for data-sensitive industries. Dell emphasizes governance, security, and a unified ecosystem to accelerate AI adoption across various environments, including personal devices.

A new OpenAI study analyzes ChatGPT’s usage patterns based on 1.5 million conversations. Findings reveal a significant rise in non-work-related interactions, reaching 73% by June 2025, suggesting ChatGPT is becoming integrated into daily life beyond productivity tasks. Users primarily utilize it for practical guidance, information seeking, and writing, with “asking” comprising half of all messages, indicating its value as an advisor. The user base represents 10% of the global adult population, with increasing adoption in low-income countries, signaling broader access to AI.

OpenAI is aggressively expanding in India, its second-largest market, driven by ChatGPT’s popularity with over 111 million downloads. While downloads are high, monetization lags U.S. figures, prompting OpenAI to introduce a cheaper subscription plan. The company is also planning a data center and local office, while launching education programs. Challenges include competition from local AI startups, geopolitical factors, and copyright disputes. Success depends on localization, navigating regulations, and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.

Microsoft secured a deal with the U.S. GSA, promising $3.1 billion in savings on cloud services for federal agencies. This aligns with the “OneGov” initiative, aimed at reducing government costs. The deal covers Office, Azure, Dynamics 365, and Sentinel, and includes free Copilot access for some users. GSA Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum cited seamless price switching and Microsoft’s desire to partner on AI adoption and gain market share from rivals like Amazon and Google. This agreement highlights Microsoft’s crucial role as a technology partner for the U.S. government.

Agentic AI, software that autonomously decides, acts, and refines strategy, is poised to disrupt industries. Capgemini projects $450 billion in potential economic value by 2028, yet only 2% of organizations have scaled its use. A survey of 1,500 executives highlights the importance of human oversight, with most believing in the value of human involvement in AI workflows. IT operations are emerging as a practical entry point, with measurable benefits in data classification, storage optimization, and cybersecurity. Success hinges on data quality, new skills, and striking a balance between autonomy and accountability.

Google’s “Gemini for Government” agreement with the GSA offers U.S. federal agencies access to a comprehensive AI suite, including tools like NotebookLM and Veo, at a remarkably low price of $0.47 per agency through 2026. This deal, leveraging Google’s FedRamp High authorized cloud infrastructure, aims to transform government operations. While strategically positioning Google against competitors, the pricing model and potential for vendor lock-in raise concerns about long-term sustainability and market distortion. The success hinges on implementation details and safeguards.