By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, Janaury 5 2026 - In 2025, artificial intelligence moved decisively from a fringe technology to a backbone infrastructure in many of the world’s largest corporations and fastest-growing ventures.
Companies across sectors, from tech titans and finance to manufacturing and healthcare, introduced and scaled AI systems into everyday operations, fundamentally altering how business is done and setting the stage for deeper economic impacts in 2026.
AI’s role in business became impossible to ignore. Global stock markets in 2025 surged in part due to investor confidence in companies aggressively investing in AI infrastructure such as data centres and advanced computing systems.
Shares of major tech firms tied to AI, Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet, drove a large portion of market gains as their deep involvement in AI development and deployment translated into record revenue contributions.
Behind the headlines, the sheer scale of corporate AI investment, in everything from machine-learning tools for business automation to generative AI products for customer engagement, reshaped operational norms.
By late 2025, surveys and corporate disclosures suggested a majority of firms globally had deployed AI systems in at least one area of their operations, whether in data analysis, customer service automation, or decision-support platforms for example, advanced generative models deployed into SAP business suites or integrated into electronic health systems.
Venture capital and strategic partnerships also underscored the breadth of AI adoption. Startups such as Anthropic completed massive funding rounds and announced major cloud partnerships, including deals to buy significant AI compute capacity from Microsoft’s Azure running on Nvidia GPUs, a clear marker of how next-generation AI workloads became central to scaling enterprise performance.
Beyond Silicon Valley, corporations in industries not traditionally associated with cutting-edge tech accelerated use of AI tools. Financial institutions employed generative models to automate compliance, fraud detection and customer interactions; manufacturing firms tapped AI to enhance supply-chain forecasting and predictive maintenance; and healthcare providers leaned on AI for administrative automation and early diagnostic support.
Independent research shows that by late 2025, AI systems were being used by an overwhelming majority of enterprises to boost managerial decision-making and operational agility, albeit with notable challenges around change management and employee adaptation.
Ventures That Introduced AI in 2025
Several large ventures and partnerships signaled the mainstreaming of AI: Big Tech Hyperscalers like Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta accelerated their AI labs and data centre build-outs, with stock market performance reflecting investor confidence in these long- term AI strategies.
Samsung Electronics committed to doubling AI-powered mobile devices using Google’s Gemini platform to 800 million units in 2026, building on a 2025 base of around 400 million AI-capable devices, a monumental expansion of AI into everyday consumer tech.
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Startups such as Anthropic raised billions in funding and struck major cloud computing deals to ramp up AI compute capacity, positioning themselves as next-generation competitors to established platforms.
Cohere’s partnerships with enterprise platforms like SAP and telecoms groups demonstrated how AI models were being embedded into business software stacks and network infrastructure.
Financial institutions and enterprise users increasingly adopted AI for decision support, compliance, risk assessment and customer service, reflecting broad AI integration beyond tech giants.
These ventures represent just the visible tip of a much larger wave. A recent industry snapshot indicated that by late 2025, roughly 78% of global companies were using AI in some form, with even more exploring pilots or planning integration.
Inflation, Investment and Markets
As the world ushered in 2026, investors and economists identified a new risk emerging from AI’s rapid spread, the possibility of AI-driven inflation. With corporations pouring vast sums into data centres, advanced chips, electricity and talent, some analysts warned that these cost pressures, if mirrored across global markets, could contribute to inflationary trends.
An analysis suggested inflation might remain elevated through the end of 2027 due partly to heavy corporate AI spending together with government stimulus, despite central banks’ efforts to manage monetary policy.
The discussion isn’t just about price rises. The scale of AI deployment in 2025, from consumer devices to enterprise infrastructure, means 2026 could see: Wider operational automation, potentially changing labour dynamics and productivity patterns, with AI agents taking over complex workflows in professional services and administrative work.
Shifts in labour demand, as companies balance AI efficiency gains with workforce restructuring, possibly redefining jobs and prompting new regulatory responses.
Revised investment strategies, with some fund managers hedging against inflation risk, reducing exposure to speculative tech and favouring inflation-protected assets. Chip and energy supply constraints, as AI compute demand exerts pressure on semiconductor markets and electricity infrastructure, highlight the material impact of AI beyond software. In essence, the evolution of AI in 2025 set the stage for a transformative and at times challenging 2026.
Where once AI was a competitive advantage, it has become a structural economic factor — influencing investment flows, inflation expectations, labour markets and the costs of doing business. The coming year is likely to be defined not just by what AI can do, but by how economies absorb, regulate and integrate this technology into the broader fiscal and social fabric.
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