Davos ‘Intelligent Age’ Blueprint Highlights B2B Innovation Trajectory

Intelligence abounds in the 2025 B2B landscape. But it still takes some smarts to know how to use it.

Even as the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2025 agenda highlights a transformative framework known as the “Intelligent Age,” certain businesses find themselves hobbled by legacy tech stacks and outdated back-office technologies.

Larry Summers, who served as the 71st U.S. Treasury secretary, said during a Davos discussion Wednesday (Jan. 22) that the world was witnessing “a moment of stunning technological possibility” where emerging artificial intelligence (AI) systems are driving unprecedented innovation.

This is increasingly true across the B2B space as well, as firms look to upgrade their finance functions and payment capabilities with the help of AI to streamline complex and manual tasks.

But as the B2B sector continues to grapple with the consumerization of buyer and supplier expectations, mounting macroeconomic pressures and the need for hypervigilance around digital transformation, certain elements of Intelligent Age could offer a helpful roadmap for navigating these challenges.

Five of the more apparent opportunity areas include the embrace of human-centered AI, real-time supply chains, intelligence operations, workforce transformation and rapid innovation.

The WEF framework for this year champions perpetual adaptability as the cornerstone for business survival amid accelerating technological disruptions and environmental imperatives. For B2B firms, the framework can serve as both a call to action and a blueprint for innovation.

Read more: You Can’t Teach an Old Tech Stack New Payments Tricks

Aligning B2B Payments With the Intelligent Age

AI’s transformative potential lies not in replacing human ingenuity but in amplifying it. In the B2B world, this ethos translates into collaborative intelligence — an approach where humans and AI work in tandem to enhance operational efficiency.

For example, in procurement and logistics, generative AI (GenAI) can analyze vast datasets, offering insights that enable faster, smarter sourcing decisions. Yet, the final call often rests with human expertise, ensuring contextual nuances aren’t overlooked.

Intelligent Age operations are unlocking automation as a growth catalyst, moving the technology from back-office function to a strategic driver of growth by enabling businesses to do more with less.

Consider predictive maintenance, where IoT sensors monitor equipment performance in real time. AI algorithms analyze this data to predict failures before they occur, reducing downtime and extending asset lifecycles. Automation extends to financial operations as well. B2B payments are increasingly driven by AI-powered platforms that streamline invoicing, reconciliation and fraud detection, ensuring faster, more secure transactions.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “CFOs Eye Accounts Receivable as New Direction for AI Investments” found that AI-driven solutions are being adopted to automate invoice approvals and payments, providing operational benefits. Firms that use AI for at least half of their AP processes are 47% less likely to report high levels of operational uncertainty.

Read more: Build, Buy or Partner? CFOs Write Their Own Transformation Playbook

The Davos Blueprint Mirrors Broader B2B Innovation Trends

In an era where technology cycles are shortening, the ability to innovate rapidly is a non-negotiable. For B2B firms, this means rethinking traditional R&D timelines and adopting agile methodologies that emphasize speed and collaboration.

AI-driven platforms are expediting product and service development by automating repetitive tasks and providing actionable insights. This acceleration allows firms to respond to market demands more swiftly, creating differentiated offerings that resonate with clients. Additionally, innovation is no longer confined to products. Payment solutions, for instance, are evolving to integrate with B2B workflows. Embedded finance, which enables real-time payments within platforms like enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, exemplifies this trend.

Another PYMNTS Intelligence report, “The Platform Business Data Readiness Survey: How Real-Time Data Can Drive Growth,” created in collaboration with Fiserv, examines the growing importance of data readiness for businesses aiming to optimize operations and unlock market potential.

At the same time, technology is only as effective as the people who wield it, and the Intelligent Age demands a reimagined workforce. Upskilling employees to harness GenAI, IoT and other advanced tools is paramount for B2B firms aiming to maintain a competitive edge.

In the Intelligent Age, technology isn’t just a tool; it’s a mindset. For B2B companies ready to embrace this vision, the opportunities are boundless — and the journey, transformative.

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