Last week, the 2025 HR Tech Conference brought together over 400 vendors and more than 6,000 international participants in Las Vegas. Providers launched product innovations, explored partnerships, presented practical use cases, and briefed industry analysts.

HR’s use of GenAI and agentic AI continues to evolve, providing autonomous, intelligent digital workers capable of setting goals, retrieving knowledge, and handling workforce tasks. Several key insights from this year's conference include:

• The large number of start-up companies and niche players offering highly specialized products, some competing with the commoditization of GenAI-enabled specialty tools like analytics-as-a-service (AaaS) and compliance-as-a-service (CaaS) from larger vendors
• Vendors are strengthening their marketing messaging, refining product strategies, and honing value propositions to attract targeted prospects and establish clear boundaries with competitors
• GenAI and agentic AI applications are operating in client production environments, demonstrating measurable and verifiable results, well-defined roadmap projects, and reflecting AI applications becoming mainstream.

Product Commoditization

After briefings with more than three dozen vendors at the conference, it's clear that GenAI is driving the growth of independent technology vendors. Founded in 2021, one such company is VirgilHR, a cloud-based HR compliance software company designed to address the technological gap in compliance that emerged in response to the rise of multi-state and remote workforces during the pandemic.

GenAI is also leading to the commoditization of HR products by established firms offering broader services and technology. For example, Employer of Record (EOR) provider Multiplier maintains a strong product roadmap that includes the expanded use of agentic AI and GenAI. It now offers standalone services that were previously bundled within an EOR engagement, such as CaaS products and payroll services. These offerings will support their ongoing growth and competitiveness in the market.

Branding Focus

Ongoing economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflicts, and crowded industry segments are prompting vendors to reassess their product strategies and go-to-market messaging to attract high-probability prospects. One organization that recently rebranded itself is Velocity Global, which relaunched as Pebl just before the HR Tech conference. Its rebranding efforts align with the company’s vision of creating a foundation for compliant global expansion, with expanded GenAI integration, an enriched platform, and broader service offerings serving as stepping stones for broader HR efficiencies and insights.

The PeopleInsight platform by HireRoad offers HR and talent acquisition analytics. The company recognizes the fierce competition from other people analytics providers; however, its GenAI-enabled products and targeting strategies are tailored specifically for mid-market organizations with 300 to 3,000 employees. PeopleInsight’s pricing models are tailored to meet client requirements, depending on their stage in the analytics outsourcing journey.

Emergence and Evolving Maturity of GenAI

G-P Gia is G-P’s global HR AI agent. Launched in 2024, G-P Gia continues to evolve by using agentic AI to provide tailored HR and legal guidance, along with actionable documents, in ~50 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Focused on compliance, G-P Gia manages the complexity of national laws, regional regulations, international standards, industry-specific rules, and company policies. It offers compliance advice through patent-pending AI that combines over ten years of proprietary expertise, more than 100,000 legally vetted articles, and over 1,500 government sources that are constantly validated and updated by G-P verified sources.

NXTThingRPO recently launched its AI platform, Personegy, for front-line, hourly, and high-volume recruiting. The product was developed in response to compelling talent acquisition data, including that 96% of candidates quit tedious application forms, 60% of employers cite low-quality applicants as a key recruiting challenge, and the average time to hire for in-demand hourly roles is 31 days. Personegy automates repetitive tasks such as scheduling to boost recruiting efficiency. The platform keeps candidates engaged through text and email contact points, reducing ghosting and drop-offs.

Predictions

• Commoditization of GenAI-enabled products will influence build, buy, partner, or acquire choices within established vendor companies looking to expand specialty offerings and internal skills
• Value proposition refinement will become dominant as vendors clearly articulate their vision, mission statement, and technology philosophies, such as AI-first, service-first, or tech-enabled and human when needed
• Client and prospect education about GenAI use and application will become widespread during early procurement stages, boosting buyer understanding and confidence in a vendor’s ethical practices, verified results, and data sources.