In 2025, productivity tools are everywhere. But real leverage comes from systems designed for scale, reliability, and human advancement. Let’s explore three pivotal developments shaping this space.
1. Titan’s AI-Backed IT Transformation
General Catalyst’s US$74 million investment in Titan signals a strategic shift in service industries. Titan, with just ten core employees, plans to automate 30% of IT support tasks through AI agents. The result? Consultants shift from routine problem-solving to value-driven strategy, accelerating effects through acquisitions. It’s not just efficiency, it’s a new operational blueprint. Sun LifeThe Wall Street Journal
2. Iris at Sun Life: Agentic AI for Real Gains
Sun Life’s Iris is more than an AI assistant, it’s a productivity cornerstone. Handling over 10,000 internal queries while saving 24,000+ hours per year, Iris reduced resolution times by 83%. Integrated into existing workflows, it is creating a reusable, scalable model for client-facing AI services. Efficiency without disruption, results without hype.
3. Infrastructure: The Silent AI Bottleneck
Despite heavy usage of tools like Copilot, only 39% of organisations have built the necessary infrastructure to support scalable AI. Outages, compliance gaps, and bureaucratic friction are undermining the potential of these technologies. If the support structure fails, even the brightest agents falter.
How to Build Productivity that Scales
A. Embed AI Within Resilient Workflows
Tools should be treated like infrastructure. Define failure points, recovery protocols, and communication flows, and make sure agents fit into them.
B. Prioritise Scalable Use Cases, Like IT and Support
Sun Life and Titan capitalised on monotonous, high-touch tasks ripe for automation. Start small, prove value, then expand.
C. Pair Productivity with Observability
Measure uptime, success rates, satisfaction – not just adoption. Use metrics to refine, not just report.
D. Design for Liberation, Not Replacement
Empower people by automating the repetitive. As Sun Life shows, free time doesn’t mean downsizing, it means higher-order contribution.
Why Today’s Approach Wins
You’ve heard “work smarter, not harder.” Here’s the deeper truth: smart tools alone aren’t enough. You need smart systems, scalable, reliable, human-centric. When infrastructure and intent align, AI becomes both foundation and accelerator.
Whether that’s reimagining IT with Titan, reshaping service desks like Iris, or building adaptive AI frameworks, the payoff is lasting, not just fast.