The One Essential Business Skill for 2025

The year 2024 will likely be remembered as the year when promises around artificial intelligence (AI) overshadowed genuine technological breakthroughs.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

Innovation, as we know it, has shifted. Business founder Joe Procopio, writing for Inc., offers his observation:

The business landscape is undergoing a drastic transformation, and whether you're an entrepreneur, technologist, or simply someone innovating within a company, the rules of the game have fundamentally changed. It seems that innovation has taken a backseat to the AI hype.

AI's rise is undeniable, with generative AI, machine learning, and AGI capturing billions in venture capital. This intense focus has drawn resources away from other crucial, though less glamorous, areas of innovation. As VC funds concentrate on AI, many investors from the post-pandemic boom have shifted to safer options, reducing support for diverse tech solutions. The takeaway? Competing directly with AI may not be wise. Instead, innovators can find opportunities by moving beyond the AI trend and focusing on unique, valuable niches.

Procopio suggests that today's innovators need intellectual honesty—a rigorous, evidence-based approach to business. This means evaluating ideas objectively, relying on data, and making fact-based decisions. In a world where AI handles many tasks, intellectual honesty becomes a competitive edge. Therefore, embracing intellectual honesty is going to be a core skill.