| Forum Stories | | Your weekly curated analysis of the top global issues |
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Welcome to Forum Stories!- In the spotlight this week: the Forum at the AI action summit in Paris, industry transformation and the race for AI supremacy.
- We’re also looking at geopolitics and trade – and putting people at the heart of industry.
- Throughout the newsletter, you’ll find the best of the rest of the week’s content across blogs, podcasts and video, from the Forum.
This week’s newsletter is 872 words, a 3-minute read. |
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| Feel free to forward the Forum Stories newsletter to a friend or colleague. Our editorial team hand-picks the most relevant stories for you every week. You can also read today’s edition in your browser. |
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| Spotlight: Shaping AI for all |  | | World leaders from 60 countries pledged to make AI ‘sustainable and inclusive’ at the Paris AI Action Summit — though the US and UK did not. Why it matters: As the race for AI supremacy continues and investments build, discussions around the development of safe and responsible AI cannot be limited to advanced economies. Only through enabling equitable access to the technology, can we ensure it benefits the entire world.
Zoom in: - One of the buzzwords at the summit was ‘public AI infrastructure’. Wired’s former editor-in-chief Gideon Lichfield explains what that means and what it could look like.
- Besides its potential to widen inequalities, AI is supercharging cybercrime. Watch Neal Jetton, Interpol’s Director for Cybercrime explain the threat and the best response from businesses.
- The space sector is also being transformed by AI, with AI-driven active debris removal systems potentially removing up to 5-10 large debris objects per year per space vehicle.
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| 2. Tariffs, trade and economic turbulence | | Tariffs are still dominating headlines this week – here’s what to know.- Isolationism is not the path to economic growth, Harvard economist Dani Rodrik told Radio Davos. Hear his take on ‘hyper-globalization’, Trump’s tariffs and threats to democracy.
- Still confused about what tariffs are and how they work? Watch our explainer video.
- In January, we published our latest Global Cooperation Barometer, which found global cooperation had flatlined – with trade and capital as one of the five core pillars assessed across global cooperation.
Why it matters: US tariffs on trade partners are setting off waves of retaliatory measures, fueling uncertainty in global trade. These disruptions may diversify trade relationships as businesses and governments explore new markets searching for cooperation and resilience.
Zoom in:- At our Annual Meeting at Davos in January, we hosted a session devoted to ‘Debating Tariffs’. WTO’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the European Commission’s Valdis Dombrovskis discussed what tariffs could mean for consumers, businesses and governments.
- Full-on fragmentation, with all its uncertainty, is now a real risk as countries split into competing groups. AXA’s Chief Economist, Gilles Moëc, argues for a hybrid model of traditional globalization to mitigate against full fragmentation.
- Resilience provides a framework for navigating geopolitical tensions and shifting priorities. Find out how this is helping businesses stay on track with their climate commitments.
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| 3. Putting people first in industry | | As the world continues to grapple with growing talent scarcity concerns, putting talent at the centre of investment decisions is key. - The manufacturing industry is at a turning point. Faced with rapid transformation and growing workforce challenges, this latest report from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey explores how businesses are rethinking how they invest in talent.
- Following the launch of the Future of Jobs Report 2025, which explored how jobs and skills will evolve over the next five years, the Jobs Initiative is shaping inclusive job creation and transitions.
- The challenge of developing the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow was a key theme at this year’s Annual Meeting. Kiva Allgood, Head of Centre for Advanced Manufacturing & Supply Chains at the Forum, explores what is needed to make manufacturing careers more attractive to young talent.
Why it matters: It has never been harder to attract, retain and engage workers than it is today. However, leading organizations are shifting their approach and driving results by prioritizing frontline talent – seeing their talent as an investment, in the same way they think of capital.
Zoom in:- Fields like AI, data science and cybersecurity are seeing skyrocketing demand, but the talent pipeline isn’t keeping up. Nada AlSaeed explains how GCC countries are turning this challenge into opportunity.
- It’s not just about filling these fields with talent, but also about filling them equitably. Using reskilling to bridge the gender gap in STEM is critical to addressing the global talent shortage, explains Limak Holding’s Ebru Özdemir.
- While the workforce talent shortage remains a barrier to the digital transformation of manufacturing, there are success stories. In this video, Chindarat Ninnama, shares how data and digital tools transformed her factory job into a career filled with new opportunities.
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