How Thoughtworks Sees AI Maturing Beyond Hype in 2025

In this episode of AI at Work, I sit down with Mike Mason, Chief AI Officer at Thoughtworks, to explore what happens when the generative AI hype starts to settle and businesses begin asking the real questions. What’s working, what’s not, and what does mature adoption actually look like in 2025?Mike brings a practical, deeply informed view of the AI landscape. We talk about how intelligent agents are evolving well beyond basic chatbots and starting to act as collaborative teammates inside real workflows. From customer support to software development, these agents are now reasoning, adapting, and in some cases, working alongside other agents to get things done.We also explore the growing shift toward open source AI. Mike explains why some companies, especially in regulated sectors like financial services, are leaning into in-house or fine-tuned small models for better control, data security, and flexibility. We unpack what’s driving the rise of small language models and why in many cases, smaller, more nimble models are outperforming their larger counterparts in speed, privacy, and efficiency.One of the most thought-provoking parts of our chat was about the diverging paths organizations are taking with GenAI. Mike shares insights from Thoughtworks’ upcoming global survey, which shows that while some are embedding bias detection and strong governance into their strategies, others are focused purely on quick wins and interpretability. That divide is shaping not just how projects are executed but how companies are thinking about long-term AI maturity.If you're navigating the tension between speed and safety or trying to decide whether to build, fine-tune, or adopt off-the-shelf models, this conversation offers real perspective. We cover explainability, regulation, open ecosystems, and what tech leaders should be planning for next as AI becomes part of everyday business.This isn’t about future hype. It’s about how AI is actually getting to work.

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