KubeCon NA 2025: Three Core Kubernetes Trends and a Calico Feature You Should Use Now

🤖 Trend 1: Kubernetes is Central to AI Workload Orchestration 🌐 Trend 2: Growth in Edge Deployments Increases Complexity 🛠️ Trend 3: Platform Teams Seek Consolidation to Combat Tool Fatigue You Might Be Missing Key Calico Features 💡 🎉 Community & Engagement Highlights Your KubeCon Recap Reel 🤝 Stay Connected: Join the Calico Community! The Tigera team recently returned from KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America and CalicoCon 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was great, as always, to attend these events, feel the energy of our community, and hold in-depth discussions at the booth and in our dedicated sessions that revealed specific, critical shifts shaping the future of cloud-native platforms. We pulled together observations from our Tigera engineers and product experts in attendance to identify three key trends that are directly influencing how organizations manage Kubernetes today. A frequent and significant topic of conversation was the role of Kubernetes in supporting Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) infrastructure. The consensus is clear: Kubernetes is becoming the standard orchestration layer for these specialized workloads. This requires careful consideration of networking and security policies tailored to high-demand environments. Observations from the Tigera team indicated a consistent focus on positioning Kubernetes as the essential orchestration layer for AI workloads. This trend underscores the need for robust, high-performance CNI solutions designed for the future of specialized computing. Conversations pointed to a growing and tangible expansion of Kubernetes beyond central data centers and core clouds. Organizations are actively deploying lightweight clusters in highly distributed locations, or “the edge. ” This growth covers a wide variety of environments—from retail sites and branch offices to factory floors. Various discussions highlighted that Kubernetes at the edge is becoming popular.