Welcome to the Looking Glass 2025. Unlike many tech trend reports, Thoughtworks’ Looking Glass is not intended to shine a light on the latest buzzwords. Instead, we take a long term look at the technology horizons and explore what that means for businesses. What are the things you need to know about now, and what’s likely to be important in the longer term. The Looking Glass enables you to understand and interpret emerging technologies so you can make sound, strategic choices for your organization.

The relentless speed of technological advancement makes it harder to predict what’s coming and where your investments will pay off the most. Breakthroughs in areas such as agentic AI promise to upend how we think about technology. But how quickly should you prepare to adapt? Here’s where Thoughtworks’ Looking Glass comes in.

In this edition, we explore more than 90 trends through five distinct perspectives that define the evolving tech landscape in business. Some of these trends are already transforming operations, while others remain just over the horizon, sparking interest and debate but still unfolding. For business leaders, keeping a broad, strategic perspective on these developments — both current and future —    is essential. Looking Glass offers exactly that: a framework to gain a comprehensive understanding of key trends. 

The five lenses provide clarity and focus, helping ensure your organization remains adaptable, resilient, and ready to harness or respond to the inevitable shifts in technology that shape our modern world.

Rachel Laycock, Chief Technology Officer, Thoughtworks

每一年，Thoughtworks 的《Looking Glass》报告都会跳出单一技术的视角，审视正在重塑组织构建、运行和演进其技术体系的关键力量。我们的目的并非预测未来，而是帮助领导者理解已经在发生的变化，并判断哪些变化将在实践中产生最重要的影响

今年的趋势反映了一个过渡期的关键时刻。围绕平台、数据、安全与体验设计的长期变革，正与 AI 的快速进展加速汇合。其结果并非某一项颠覆性技术的出现，而是技术在企业范围内创造价值方式的重新配置。系统正变得更加自适应，交互更加以意图为导向，治理也愈发深度地融入日常交付之中。

在《Looking Glass》报告中，我们从具体实践出发，探讨这些变化意味着什么：企业如何重建核心基础，如何重连工作流程以支持更高程度的自主性，以及如何重新构想技术在客户体验、决策制定和运营中的角色。AI 在其中占据重要位置，但始终置于整体语境之中——它是加速变革的多重力量之一，而非孤立存在的解决方案。

一如既往，本报告基于我们与全球客户合作的真实经验，聚焦那些被证明行之有效的实践。它旨在成为一份面向未来一年的实用指南，重点关注能够创造真实且持久价值的技术。

Rachel Laycock
Thoughtworks 首席技术官