Trend KPMG macro scan: digital sovereignty, AI-linked finance, agentic work and a computing arms race

Summary

Alongside its own analysis, the plan summarizes a June 2025 KPMG future report as a four-part macro scan. In politics, rivalry over AI, quantum and semiconductors is joined by the rise of digital sovereignty over data and infrastructure. In the economy, financial markets are becoming more sophisticated through links with AI and blockchain, which expands investment in advanced technology. In society, the shift of AI toward agents that work alongside people requires the roles of humans and labour to be readjusted. In technology, convergence between technologies is combined with a computational arms race among states and companies.