"AI Agents" Emerges as 2025’s Fastest-Growing Buzzword

The phrase "AI agents" has seen an unprecedented rise in 2025, becoming the fastest-growing business and technology buzzword of the year. 
Compared to its minimal usage at the beginning of the year, it has now reached 2.2 million mentions, reflecting its increasing significance in discussions on artificial intelligence and automation.
 
 
A recent Heepsy study analyzed the most commonly used buzzwords in business, technology, and workplace trends. 
 
The research examined Google searches, published articles, and LinkedIn job postings, ranking over 50 buzzwords based on their visibility across these platforms. 
 
The final rankings highlight the evolving vocabulary of digital transformation and AI-driven innovations.
 
"AI agents" has gained traction with 785.3K global searches, outpacing several higher-ranked terms. 
 
However, "Fast follow", a strategy of quickly replicating competitors' innovations, claims the top spot with 423.3 million mentions, largely fuelled by media coverage.
 
"Big data" ranks second, with 232.1 million mentions, leading all terms with 2,355 LinkedIn job listings, showcasing its continued relevance. 
 
"AI-powered", describing technology enhanced by artificial intelligence, ranks third with 88.3 million mentions, further reinforcing the dominance of AI-related terminology.

 
Other prominent terms include "Internet of Things" (IoT) in fourth place, with 30.5 million mentions and 3.5 million Google searches, indicating strong public curiosity. 
 
"Cloud-first", prioritizing cloud-based solutions, rounds out the top five with 18.6 million mentions, driven mostly by media discussions.
 
Even lower-ranked terms like "AI-driven", listed 19th, remain significant, with 346.2K mentions and 123 job listings, proving their practical market relevance. 
 
The shift towards AI-specific terminology marks a clear transformation in business strategies and workforce priorities.