The annual Big Picture Reports are out and they span the breadth and depth of our research areas, including capital markets, commodities, commercial real estate, emerging technology, M&A and supply chain. Analysts Melissa Incera and Iuri Struta join host Eric Hanselman to talk about what they reveal and the strong interconnections across them all. A core driver is the rapid adoption of AI. It's affecting capital markets, increasing energy demand and exacerbating water stress in some regions. The commodity insights report looks at datacenter growth and the effects on utility grids. That growth is a bright spot in commercial real estate. The technology adoption behind it is not all smooth sailing, though. Enterprises are struggling with a number of challenges in achieving the promised value of AI.

The levels of capital spending for AI are concerning the markets and raising questions about when these massive investments will bear fruit. It's a situation where strategic investors feel they have to compete to gain access to a critical technology. It's also one where potential changes in the U.S. FTC posture could shift M&A thinking, if concerns about aggressive action are lifted. The reports cover all of this and much more!

See the Big Picture for 2025

More S&P Global Content:

• Powering AI – Opportunities, tensions in datacenter and energy markets
• Generative AI Digest: The debate over open-source vs. closed-source models
• Big Tech ramps up capex as 1st signs of AI returns emerge
• GenAI funding on track to set new record in 2024
• Calling all private equity, venture capital and limited partner professionals to participate in our 2025 Private Equity and Venture Capital Outlook survey! Share your thoughts on private markets sentiment and trends you anticipate over the next 12 months across deal activity, investment strategies, fundraising conditions, technology adoption and more. Results will be available via our outlook report published in Q1 of 2025. Take the survey now: Annual Private Equity and Venture Capital Outlook Survey

Research subscribers can access additional content, including:

• Moving from hype to ROI: Tracking success and value in AI initiatives
• Generative AI Digest 19: A roundup of latest breakthroughs and developments

Credits:

• Host/Author: Eric Hanselman
• Guests: Melissa Incera, Iuri Struta
• Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan
• Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith