Reality Labs Q2 2025 Trend Filter

A quick guide to what’s Signal, what’s Static, and what’s just Noise

Reality Labs Q2 2025 AI Trend Playbook

25 Trends. What to Move On, Watch, or Mute.

This is a quarterly trend compass for leaders who want to think clearly, act strategically, and future well. It blends signal sensing, strategic framing, and leadership discernment. Updated every 90 days.

Positioning Statement:

This guide isn’t about trends for trend’s sake. It’s a tool for thinking well, filtering hype, and building clarity under pressure. Future-readiness isn’t a posture—it’s a practice.

Claim Reality Check + Verdict Leadership Question
1. AI will replace coding AI speeds up routine development, but it can’t design systems or reason through complexity. Coding isn't going away—it's evolving. 🟥 Noise What part of engineering needs a human—and what doesn't anymore?
2. Every company needs a Chief AI Officer CAIOs can help, but the real value comes from distributed AI fluency. Titles don’t build capability—systems do. 🟥 Noise Who actually owns AI usage and outcomes on your team?
3. AI will kill PowerPoint AI helps with slide creation, but clarity of message still depends on the human. It's a content aid, not a communication strategy. 🟨 Static Can AI help us clarify our thinking before we present it?
4. Prompts are the new coding Prompting is a reflection of clarity—not a substitute for deep understanding. It’s a tool, not a profession. 🟨 Static Are we building better thinkers—or just prompt tinkerers?
5. Agents will run our companies Agents are real and gaining traction, but they still need human oversight, context, and accountability. 🟩 Signal Which workflows could you safely hand off to an agent?
6. Deepfakes will ruin trust The bigger threat is human misuse of AI tools, not the technology itself. Trust is built through leadership, not fear. 🟨 Static How are we modeling transparency and ethical AI use?
7. AI is changing everything—and fast This isn’t the end of the hype cycle—it’s the beginning of the infrastructure era. Most teams are still underbuilding. 🟩 Signal Are you treating AI like a core capability—or a passing trend?
8. Everyone’s already using AI Most people are dabbling. Very few are building lasting workflows or business value. 🟥 Noise Are we measuring AI curiosity—or actual capability?
9. AI is dangerous because it makes mistakes AI does make mistakes—but the danger is treating it like an oracle. Review loops and human judgment are the guardrails. 🟨 Static Have you built a feedback system around your AI use?
10. AI will know what’s best AI can generate options, but it doesn’t understand your mission, context, or values. 🟥 Noise Are you using AI to avoid the hard call—or make it clearer?
11. Your company needs an AI policy before anyone uses it Guardrails are good—but policy without usage creates paralysis. Start small, then refine. 🟨 Static Can you lead behavior before writing rules?
12. You need a custom LLM to stay competitive Building a model isn't the same as using one well. Most orgs should start with better use of existing tools. 🟨 Static Are we building for edge cases—or scaling smart defaults?
13. AI will fix meetings It can help summarize and track—but it can’t create alignment, safety, or clarity. 🟨 Static Are we redesigning conversations—or just capturing them better?
14. Everyone needs AI literacy training right now Leading orgs are embedding AI fluency into daily tools and conversations. Literacy is now a leadership expectation—not a side program. 🟩 Signal How are we embedding AI fluency into real workflows?
15. If we integrate AI, people will use it Without clear use cases, integrated AI often becomes invisible AI. 🟨 Static Are we solving pain points—or just launching features?
16. AI will reduce bias in hiring It can help—but only if it’s built, audited, and adjusted with care. Otherwise, it scales existing bias. 🟨 Static Who's testing the assumptions behind our tools?
17. AI is better than humans at communication It can help with speed and tone—but it lacks emotional intelligence and intuition. 🟨 Static Where can AI support your voice—not replace it?
18. Every team should build its own GPT Internal GPTs are powerful—but without standards, they can fragment your ecosystem. 🟨 Static What’s worth customizing—and what’s better shared?
19. Voice assistants will replace most interfaces Voice has potential—but it’s still clunky for complex workflows and not used widely at scale. 🟥 Noise Where does voice reduce friction—and where does it create confusion?
20. We need an AI Center of Excellence Often becomes a bottleneck. Strategy is important, but culture and distributed capability move faster. 🟥 Noise Are we empowering teams—or slowing down innovation?
21. AI is helping leaders make better decisions Already in use to clarify tradeoffs, synthesize inputs, and test thinking. 🟩 Signal How are you using AI to think better—not just work faster?
22. Real-time AI summaries are changing team alignment The ability to reflect back key themes after a meeting in 30 seconds is a gamechanger. 🟩 Signal What if clarity wasn’t delayed until the next meeting?
23. AI is becoming a coaching tool, not just a writer Leaders are using it to prep for 1:1s, reflect on decisions, and build better habits. 🟩 Signal Where could you use AI to think out loud—before you lead out loud?
24. Custom GPTs are replacing internal knowledge silos Companies are building internal GPTs to onboard faster and scale knowledge. 🟩 Signal What knowledge are you tired of repeating that could be codified?
25. AI is becoming a second brain—not a second guess Smart leaders are using AI for reflection, reframing, and pressure-testing—not answers. 🟩 Signal What could you build if you stopped thinking alone?

Reality Labs Q2 2025 Trend Filter: Expert Insights & Citations