Our Technology Industry Team thought leaders have pulled together their top predictions for the new year so that employers can get a running start to 2025.
AI Accountability Becomes a Legal Requirement
The era of deploying AI tools without oversight will come to a crashing halt in 2025. New state laws will mandate transparency in AI hiring tools, requiring employers to prove their algorithms are free from bias and meet equal employment opportunity standards – and AI developers will be on the hook as well. Expect increased litigation and regulatory investigations targeting tech companies accused of using AI tools that lead to discriminatory hiring or employment practices. Now’s the time to conduct an AI audit to identify and fix risks before regulators come knocking.
Tech-Sector Unionization Will Surge
Don’t expect unionization efforts in the tech sector to slow down in 2025. We predict that high-profile organizing campaigns at tech giants will embolden workers across the industry – from coders to gig workers – to push for collective bargaining rights. Employers should assess potential vulnerabilities and update their strategies while ensuring they don’t run afoul of evolving labor laws.
Increased Use of Independent Contractors
Despite the selection of a union advocate for the top spot at the Department of Labor, the Trump administration will support policies to make it easier for businesses to classify workers as contractors rather than employees at the federal level. This is especially beneficial in the tech sector, where flexibility is key.
Reduced Antitrust Concerns
The new-look FTC will be less aggressive in policing tech mergers for antitrust concerns, opening the doors for free-flowing transactions between innovative companies.
Trouble for Foreign Workforces
The impending immigration crackdown helmed by incoming Border Czar Tom Homan won’t just target unauthorized workers and criminals – the tech sector will get swept up in the coming turbulence. Under the Trump administration, visa programs like the H-1B will face increased restrictions, higher costs, and stricter eligibility requirements – even after they received a much-needed overhaul late in the Biden era. You’ll need to provide support for current visa holders, such as legal assistance or career development opportunities, to shore up your workforce and improve retention. At the same time, you may need to diversify talent acquisition strategies by investing in domestic upskilling or outsourcing roles to regions with more favorable immigration policies.
AVs Will Get the OK
The federal government will create additional incentives and ease regulations for those businesses developing fully autonomous vehicles. We’ll see an increasing number of them on the road by the end of 2025.
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