Lessons from WEF to Harness AI for Sustainable Growth

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum was held under the theme Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. A large focus of the conference was the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and how the promise of this technology will transform our workforce, economies, and global competitiveness.

We listened in to their conversations and outline 3 main themes that are important for African entrepreneurs, innovators, and youth to consider.

1. The AI Power User

Human capital is the foundation of economic growth, and this remains true even in an era dominated by AI and other advancing technologies. Africa’s youthful population, projected to represent 42% of the world’s youth by 2030, poses a risk to the continent if they remain unemployed and excluded from economic opportunities. Investing in skills that enable the advanced use and manipulation of technology (i.e., power users) will empower the continent to drive productivity and wealth creation for the younger generation.

The emphasis on academic education, aimed at creating a high level of expertise within the workforce, is evolving. There is a growing skills gap, where young people continue to invest in these traditional educational paths, pursuing basic and tertiary education, only to discover that their expertise is not in demand in the labour market. This perceived “failure of the system”, explained by the President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam, requires correction through updated pedagogy, allowing understanding to flow fluidly between academics, skills and multidisciplinary thinking.

To address the challenge of jobs, particularly as agentic AI (AI capable of making decisions and working independently) joins the workforce alongside human labour, we must focus on unlocking human potential before young people enter the job market. This involves teaching students how to learn effectively and become power users who are curious and proactive in initiating change, rather than being resistant or victims of disruption.

2. Re-Globalisation

Services are no longer bound by geographic limitations, and trade has greatly benefited from advancements in technology, highlighting expanded opportunities in e-commerce and remote services.

Re-globalisation, as outlined by the World Trade Organization, refers to a strategy aimed at integrating economies and regions previously excluded from globalisation into global supply chains. This shift towards inclusivity in trade encourages trade privileged countries and organisations to invest in supply chains that source materials in ways that support emerging markets in building their manufacturing sectors and creating jobs.

Emerging markets face challenges in coordinating across sectors and institutions. The success of economies in the Global North is driven by equity from pension funds that support start-ups and innovation. Universities collaborate to foster ecosystems of knowledge, as seen in Silicon Valley, while public-private partnerships expand infrastructure and scale innovations for the benefit of the larger population.

In contrast, due to a lack of trust, these vital connections are not yet strong enough in emerging markets to drive inclusive economic growth. Re-globalisation calls for building trust and fostering new, dynamic relationships to enable local and global cooperation for the benefit of marginalised people.

3. Strategic Leadership

Institutions that will thrive and lead in the next era, amidst technological and demographic shifts, will be guided by leaders who are strategic and forward-thinking. A short-term focus on tactical approaches, which prioritise immediate returns and successes, does not guarantee resilience during periods of disruption or crisis.

Forward-looking leaders will view their workforce as an asset to the organisation. As an asset, the workforce requires investment for their continuous upskilling that will boost productivity and organisational competitiveness.

Speaking at a session on social impact, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, explained that business has traditionally emphasised humanity’s selfishness, focusing on personal gain rather than the collective good. But “alleviating suffering is not charity”, he argued, and human nature is equally selfless as it is selfish. A business model centered on making people happy, healthy, and successful can be valuable. This leadership approach will help transition us toward an intelligent age that is both enlightened and sustainable.

What this means for philanthropy

Generative AI has been trained on internet data, which often does not accurately reflect humanity, our values, or the sociocultural expectations we hold for ourselves and each other.

Yejin Choi, a computer science researcher, explains that as AI advances, we realise how little we truly understand about this technology and its potential impact on us. While the private sector has focused on leveraging AI for productivity and replicating human intelligence, there remains a gap in ensuring that AI is trained to understand both the world as it is and the ideal world we aspire to create. AI models that support our human intelligence to build a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future is within the focus of non-profits and philanthropy.

In the African context, our vision for the future and the challenges we face are distinct from those in other parts of the world. It is crucial that we develop our own form of artificial intelligence, one that will empower us to shape and create the future we desire.