5 Things We Learned in 2025

“What do you think Aetos learned this last year?”

was how I started a recent meeting with our CEO, Connor Offutt.

His response was (as expected) quick and measured: “Do you mean ‘What did we learn about the market?’, or ‘What did we learn about ourselves?’ ”

I knew a fun, reflective conversation was about to unfold. So I hit “Record,” and the recap practically wrote itself.

What follows is a Top-5 List of Things Aetos Learned in 2025.

1. Real-World Data Emerged as the Next Frontier — and Gaussian Splatting Opened the Door

“We’re going to run out of cat videos to train on.”

For years, AI has relied on the near-infinite stream of content scattered across the public internet. But as Connor pointed out during our conversation, there’s only so much content available that has been captured.

Beneath the humor lies a real inflection point.

AI’s future will require something fundamentally different: high-fidelity, real-world data captured from actual places and things, not generic images or scraped text.

This was the year we watched Gaussian splatting move from academic research into real industrial conversations. It's a cutting-edge technology that allows for real-time, photorealistic visualization. Notably, it's also a much easier scanning and processing method than previous iterations of image capture.

The key learning from 2025? The next transformation won’t come from bigger models. It will come from better input and more clarity.

2. Enterprises Are Taking Integration Seriously

“Organizations are tired of duct-taping systems together.”

If industrial folklore were a thing, this would be a sacred text.

For decades, industrial organizations were told that connecting everything to everything else was the path to transformation. In practice, that approach created fragility and silos.

Although custom integrations, duplicated permissions, conflicting data sources, and years of IT effort were spent, it just isn’t enough to keep the spaghetti from collapsing.

2025 marked a turning point. "More customers are seeking a master data architecture (sometimes called a Unified Namespace) in order to keep their information together," remarked Connor.

Instead of direct system-to-system connections, platforms now write into a single source of truth (i.e., Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks) where data is clean, consistent, and controllable. New applications plug into the hub, not into each other.

The future of integration starts at the database.

3. The Myth of the “Non-Technical Operator” Is Gone for Good

“There’s this stereotype that operators don’t like using tech. These guys love technology, and are some of the most engaged and adaptable users we’ve seen.”

For years, the narrative has been that frontline employees resist technology. This year made it overwhelmingly clear: that narrative is outdated.

Today’s experienced operators and supervisors are looking for ways to help their plant and their team. They’re not digitally illiterate. They’re digitally pragmatic, meaning these operators are only going to use technologies if it makes sense for them and their teams.

This implies a crucial learning for companies like Aetos: It is our responsibility to design and develop tools that are truly built for the operator.

4. We’re Helping Solve a “Hidden Data” Problem.

“There were times that the biggest value we delivered was the data that customers didn’t know they had.”

Some of the most transformative moments this year occurred when customers saw their operations rendered visually and holistically for the first time. Over and over, organizations reacted with the same mixture of relief and surprise, stating that they didn’t realize there was hidden data.

Every facility is full of trapped data: knowledge embedded in people, binders, outdated diagrams, or fragmented systems. When Aetos conducts a 3D scan and layers operational data on top of it, that hidden data becomes available and even actionable.

A large manufacturing plant discovered mislabeled assets that had persisted for over a decade. A learning and delivery team uncovered inconsistencies between training materials and reality, leading to updated procedures across their portfolio.

There’s undoubtedly value in visualization, yet there’s also a next layer of data that is uncovered for teams.

5. This Work Saves Lives

Not all lessons are learned in the boardroom. Some arrive with crushing weight.

This year, one of our industrial customers disclosed that they had experienced eleven deaths: a number so staggering it shifted the tone of the conversation instantly.

We will never share details publicly. But the impact internally was profound. It reminded us that our mission isn’t abstract. It isn’t about digital twins for innovation’s sake or VR for novelty. It’s about something deeply human:

Keeping people safe.

If we can remove unnecessary ladder climbs, reduce hazardous exposure, and give teams accurate context before they ever arrive onsite, that is the work that truly matters. Better trained and better prepared teams are a primary goal for our efforts at Aetos.

For those of us who serve the industrial sector, it is our job to create tools that are more than just pretty to look at, and seek to deliver a solution that actively works to enable the boots-on-the-ground technicians to do their work safer.

A Year Marked by Growth

Although Connor and I touched on some cool product launches and new features throughout 2025, our conversation primarily focused on how our customers are experiencing the changing landscape of the digital frontier.

As we step back from 2025, what becomes clear is that these five learnings are all tied to our customer’s experience in their own individual facilities and across portfolios.

Real-world data is maturing at the exact moment enterprises are finally building the architecture to use it as the myth of the “non-technical operator” has been debunked. As such, hidden, trapped data that once slowed entire operations is now surfacing in ways that make work safer, smarter, and more connected.

When viewed together, these five lessons tell a larger story: the industrial world is entering a new phase—one defined by clear data architecture, actionable real-world insights, and, most importantly, a profound commitment to the safety of the human beings on the floor. That's the future Aetos is building, and we can’t wait to be there for our customers in 2026 and beyond.