Happy Friday! ‘This week in CX’ brings you the latest roundup of industry news.
This week, we are exploring the future of feel-good marketing, the impact of inflation on Americans delaying life goals, and why younger employees are experiencing heightened workplace stress.
We’re also discussing new updates from the World Health Organization, The Wall Street Journal and more.
Key news
- Same climate targets, simpler rules, lower costs: that’s what the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal, presented on Wednesday, sets out to do. The EU reckons it costs companies some €150bn per year to comply with its environmental rules, something the bloc wants to see reduced to €37.5bn by 2029. Under the plans, the EU will invest in homegrown clean tech, spend more than €100bn on clean manufacturing, implement a “Buy European” policy for public procurement and lower the administrative burden for small and medium-sized companies. SMEs will also get more time to adapt to new rules.
- Breast cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise 38% and 68% respectively until 2050, the World Health Organization has said. This will mean one in 20 women will be diagnosed with the disease during their lives. If current trends continue, there will be 3.2m new cases of breast cancer and 1.1m related deaths each year until 2050. Researchers said the increase was due to a variety of factors, such as a growing and aging population, increased detection and diagnoses and a better understanding of risk factors.
- Executives like to depict artificial intelligence data centers as a boon for employment. The reality is more complicated, The Wall Street Journal reports. While the facilities require thousands of workers to build, they need just a fraction of that number to operate, creating a low number of jobs per square foot. In addition, the impact of this disconnect is slated to intensify as companies like OpenAI and Meta race to build facilities across the country to power AI development.
CXM news stories
Here’s the full news stories that CXM have reported on in the past week. Learn all about the latest news about workplace stress, the impact of inflation on employees, and more.
Global tech spending to hit $4.9 trillion in 2025, fuelled by AI and cloud growth
Forrester predicts that global technology spending will rise by 5.6% in 2025, reaching $4.9 trillion, up from $4.7 trillion in 2024. Increasing investments in software, IT services, generative AI (genAI), and cloud technologies drive this acceleration. The Asia Pacific and North American regions will lead this growth.
According to Forrester’s latest forecast, software and IT services will dominate 66% of total global tech spending in 2025, largely due to rising demand for cybersecurity solutions and modernization of outdated systems. Software alone is projected to grow by 10.5% and will account for 60% of tech spending growth by 2029, making it the fastest-expanding sector.
“Over the next five years, technology investments will reshape industries at an unprecedented pace,” said Michael O’Grady, principal forecast analyst at Forrester. “GenAI, cloud technologies, and cybersecurity will take center stage, transforming how businesses operate and deliver value. Companies that prioritize these investments will not only strengthen their competitive edge but also achieve sustainable growth, but it’s important that they also balance their rapid tech investments with ongoing efforts to manage legacy systems and reduce technical debt.”
Generative AI will drive sector-specific investments, particularly in financial services, retail, and media, where AI-powered tools will enhance customer interactions and boost operational efficiency. As businesses ramp up AI adoption, they must restructure their workforce, attract tech talent, and reduce technical debt.