Paris, France – In a world driven by the hum of progress, a quiet revolution grows louder: artificial intelligence is rising, swelling its impact to reshape industries, economies, and lives. By 2028, the global AI market will more than double, soaring to a remarkable €1.14 trillion.
It is the quiet storm that humankind has anticipated, a force destined to touch all it encounters. Like the swell of an ocean current, artificial intelligence flows forward, and with it, the hopes, fears, and dreams of an interconnected world. According to Sopra Steria, an influential report forecasts a leap that will see the AI market grow from €485 billion in 2023 to €1.14 trillion in just five years.
The rise is breathtaking, as a tidal wave of change rarely announces itself, yet this one moves with certainty, capturing hearts and industries alike. It will make up a full 10 percent of the global tech market, a notable rise from the 6 percent it held in 2023. The expansion is no small trickle; it’s a surge at a 19 percent annual growth rate, fast outpacing the rest of the technology industry.
A Transformation Rooted in Four Pillars
Sopra Steria paints a picture of an AI world grounded in four key pillars: machines, processes, humans, and software. These arketypes offer businesses a compass—a way to find their footing in this expansive terrain. In their wisdom, the analysts don’t simply predict; they offer strategy, direction, and hope for those ready to embrace this AI-driven future.
Machines are no longer just cold metal and bolts. Instead, they are infused with intelligence, capable of learning, adapting, and becoming more than we ever dreamed. The industrial AI sector is forecast to grow at 13 percent annually, reaching €296 billion by 2028. This is the future of factories, the heart of supply chains beating to the rhythm of 5G and 6G technologies, bolstered by an ever-watchful web of sensors.
And as machines evolve, so too do the processes that drive businesses. In the spaces between tasks, where once there were only routine and repetition, AI introduces elegance and efficiency. The business process AI market will reach €350 billion, marking its space as 31 percent of the global AI landscape.
AI Touches Humanity with Unseen Hands
Yet perhaps the most profound transformation will come in the ways AI touches human lives. Not in the abstract, but in the very real, the everyday moments where technology meets personhood. Virtual assistants grow smarter, generative AI systems more creative, each shaping the future with a quiet intimacy. By 2028, this sector alone will encompass €341 billion, making up 30 percent of the AI market. It is a future where machines speak and listen, where AI can reflect our deepest needs back to us in ways we may not yet understand.
And as we shift to AI in software, we encounter something more familiar yet vastly more complex. Software holds the essence of our modern world, a digital thread weaving through every device, every transaction. With AI, that thread becomes self-aware, able to anticipate, adapt, and improve itself. This sector is predicted to grow, too, reaching €152 billion, claiming 13 percent of the market by 2028.
An Opportunity to Act, A Call to Lead
Alicia Calvo, Director of Sopra Steria Next in Spain, speaks with a voice both hopeful and practical. She sees this time not as a fleeting moment but as a pivotal one—a chance for companies to align their ambitions with the opportunities at hand. “By combining these four pillars, we offer our clients a 360-degree view of how AI can integrate seamlessly with their business goals,” she says, urging companies to move beyond fear and hesitation into a space where technology and strategy coexist harmoniously.
This is not merely about adopting new technologies; it’s about understanding them, weaving them into the fabric of a business’s core so deeply that they become indistinguishable from the company’s vision. And for those bold enough to act now, the reward is accelerated growth, and the ability to ride the wave, not be swept away by it.
The Future at Our Doorstep
The road to 2028 stretches long and unknown, but the signs along the way are clear. AI will be the foundation upon which industries transform, the unseen hand that guides processes, machines, and human interaction into a new era. The AI market will not just grow—it will reshape what we know about technology, work, and life itself.
As the world stands on the brink of this vast change, it is both exciting and humbling. Like the distant echo of a drum, we hear the future coming closer, and with it, a question: will we be ready to embrace it, to rise with it?
In this AI-driven world, the tools for our greatest challenges and achievements are at our fingertips. Whether we use them wisely is up to us. Artificial intelligence is more than just technology; it is the future—our future. And in its rise, we are reminded that even as machines grow smarter, it is the human heart and mind that will ultimately shape their path.
