February 2025 AI Recap: Key Developments and Trends

February 2025 brought significant developments in AI and data platforms. Let’s recap the key themes and what they mean for practitioners.

Key Themes This Month

1. On-Device AI Maturity

• NPUs becoming standard in new PCs
• Phi-3 and similar SLMs enabling local inference
• Windows AI features expanding

2. Hybrid Search Evolution

• Vector + keyword + sparse becoming standard
• Quantized vectors for cost savings
• Adaptive query routing

3. Streaming AI Patterns

• Real-time inference at scale
• Event-driven AI architectures
• Sub-100ms latency achievable

4. Framework Consolidation

• Semantic Kernel gaining traction
• LangGraph for complex workflows
• AutoGen for multi-agent systems

Looking Ahead to March

Expect focus on:

• Microsoft Build 2025 preparations
• AI governance frameworks
• Enterprise AI adoption patterns
• RAG 2.0 production deployments

Stay tuned for more technical deep-dives in the coming month.