University of Kwazulu-Natal

The Top Artificial Intelligence Stories From 2025 World Economic Forum

Bonisiwe Shabane
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the top artificial intelligence stories from 2025 world economic forum

AI is fundamentally transforming the way we interact with technology. Image: REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh AI has become firmly embedded across industries this year, as trust and acceptance in the technology has accelerated. As adoption continues to grow, so too have the ways companies are using AI across and within different sectors and regions. At the Forum's 2025 Annual Meeting of the New Champions, a panel of experts explored how the adoption of AI is playing out and what the deviations in usage could mean for business collaboration. Watch the full session below.

Keen to learn more about the cross-industry impacts of AI? Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the AI in Action: Beyond Experimentation to Transform Industry Forum report provides a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of emerging AI technologies on industries. Online harms – such as child sexual exploitation, scams, privacy violations and disinformation – are growing both in complexity and volume. The conversation around AI took off at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2025. It wasn’t just another topic—AI was front and center. Many see AI changing entire industries and sparking debates about its influence on social, economic, and ethical fields.

Leaders from governments, businesses, and communities discussed using AI for good while tackling big challenges like data privacy, fairness, and regulation. In this article, we highlight the top AI insights from Davos 2025, the new opportunities, the possible pitfalls, and what lies ahead for industries worldwide. A key takeaway was the remarkable rise in AI investments worldwide. Multiple speakers presented data indicating that overall AI spending will surpass previous predictions by a significant margin, especially for projects related to GenAI. CNBC’s recent interviews with top CEOs highlighted genAI’s importance in reducing production schedules. Smaller businesses and emerging economies, however, expressed concerns about keeping up.

Access to top-tier AI hardware, skilled talent, and reliable data remains unalike. Policymakers highlighted the risk of a “digital gulf” forming between well-resourced nations and those struggling with inadequate infrastructure. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant vision of the future—it’s here, and it’s transforming the way we live, work, and innovate. At the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, our Global Stage panel brought together some of the world’s brightest minds to discuss the profound impact AI could have on global growth, society, and... Our thought-provoking panel discussion, moderated by Becky Anderson, Anchor & Managing Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi, featured Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media; Nadia Calviño, President of the European... They shared unique insights into the opportunities and challenges of the AI revolution.

The Global Stage series is a partnership between GZERO Media and Microsoft presenting conversations about critical global issues at the intersection of technology, politics, and society. We’ve entered a new phase of the AI conversation, moving beyond debates over whether it will save or destroy humanity. Instead, the focus has shifted to the ways this powerful technology, when used correctly and ethically, can enhance human life. From revolutionizing healthcare and expediting scientific breakthroughs to creating infrastructure investment opportunities, AI holds the potential to contribute up to $20 trillion to global GDP over the next five years. Geopolitical competition is also heating up. While the US-China rivalry dominates headlines, the Middle East—particularly the UAE—is emerging as a significant player in the AI space with increasing investments and innovations.

From top left, clockwise: Yejin Choi, Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew Ng, and James Landay at the Stanford HAI Davos reception; Yejin Choi; Alex (Sandy) Pentland; James Landay. | John Werner Stanford HAI faculty joined world leaders and policymakers to discuss AI trends, shifting U.S. policy, the future of diversity efforts, and more. At the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Stanford HAI-affiliated faculty members engaged in critical discussions on the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. From participating in high-profile panels to private conversations with global leaders, they observed a growing interest in how the new Trump administration will shape AI policy, alongside broader concerns about AI’s societal impact and...

While past discussions often centered on the race toward artificial general intelligence, this year’s conversations reflected a notable shift toward “small AI” — specialized models designed for targeted applications. Attending this year were HAI Co-Director James Landay, Stanford Digital Economy Lab Director Erik Brynjolfsson, HAI Center Fellow Alex (Sandy) Pentland, HAI Senior Fellow Yejin Choi, and HAI Affiliate Faculty Andrew Ng. Here Landay, Pentland, and Brynolfsson offer their key takeaways, revealing how policymakers, business leaders, and researchers are navigating these emerging trends and shaping the future of AI. Businesses are increasingly integrating AI into their operations, emphasising the need for collaboration and responsible technology use amid global uncertainties. Businesses across various sectors are increasingly integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) automation into their operations, a trend underscored by significant discussions at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. The event, featuring nearly 3,000 leaders from business, academia, and government, highlighted the collaboration necessary to navigate the complexities of geopolitical and economic disruptions while optimising new technologies for societal benefit.

Amid discussions on global cooperation and responsible technology utilisation, Klaus Schwab, WEF chairman, noted, “The future does not just unfold. The future is shaped by people.” This sentiment resonates with many industry leaders as they strive to leverage AI in ways that not only enhance efficiency but also foster sustainable practices that align with... The mining and metals sector, in particular, is facing numerous uncertainties related to supply chains and decarbonisation efforts. According to Deloitte’s recent report, companies in this field are encouraged to embrace Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). This technology presents opportunities for transforming traditional operational systems, enhancing workplace safety, and fostering a diverse labour force. The report outlines ten trends critical for industry evolution over the next 12 to 18 months, including the need for inclusive leadership and leveraging AI to improve mineral exploration.

“Companies should look to evolve in order to succeed amidst economic, social, and environmental changes,” Deloitte states, emphasising that adapting to these transformations requires innovative use of technology. As organisations aim for net-zero emissions, integrating AI capabilities into their operations plays a pivotal role. Strategies centred around scaling progress toward sustainability are increasingly seen as critical for maintaining operational legitimacy and profitability. One of the five key themes of the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) focuses on how companies can balance short-term goals and long-term imperatives as they transform. This year, that transformation, for most, is about the impact of artificial intelligence on business practices – and indeed on everyday life. AI technology is advancing at an extraordinary pace, with Agentic AI now pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and artificial general intelligence potentially just around the corner.

Here are just five ways AI is already revolutionizing business: 1. Automating routine tasks: AI can automate repetitive and mundane tasks, freeing up employees to focus on strategic activities. For example, chatbots can now handle customer service inquiries, while AI algorithms can manage inventory and supply chain logistics. 2. Enhanced decision-making: AI can analyze vast amounts of data quickly, identifying patterns not immediately obvious to humans.

This allows businesses to make data-driven decisions, improving strategies in areas like marketing, finance, and operations. Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox every day, and stay up-to-date for free 🧠📈 Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox every day, and stay up-to-date for free 🧠📈 Meet the tech pioneers driving innovation in 2025 These companies reflect a global surge in emerging technologies, from smart robotics and spatial AI to scalable quantum solutions. What do Google, Dropbox, PayPal and SoundCloud have in common?

Apart from being technology companies that have disrupted industries with products and services millions of people now rely on, they are also all alumni of the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers programme. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the community helps early-stage start-ups with technologies that can positively shape our future to grow. Since 2000, the initiative has recognized more than 1,200 companies, many of which have gone on to shape industries. In 2025, the Forum has selected 100 start-ups from 28 countries to join the community. The cohort reflects wider shifts in the innovation landscape with many of the companies using artificial intelligence (AI) to scale using fewer resources. And it stands out for its concentration of companies working to address global challenges by developing breakthrough technologies, including advanced robotics, spatial AI and more accessible quantum computing applications.

"There has never been a more exciting time to dive headfirst into tech innovation," says Verena Kuhn, Head of Innovator Communities at the Forum. "But no one gets far alone - you need a community to move your mission forward." The following companies offer a glimpse of the innovative solutions among the 2025 cohort, and some of the... Whether it's emissions or food waste, reducing the amount created is vital to addressing our impact on the climate. Companies in this year's cohort are developing solutions to help deal with what's left. Rubi Laboratories uses enzymes to capture CO2 and convert it into cellulose, which can be used for textiles. Hyfé is helping food producers get more value from crops with a refining process that releases chemicals from food waste to create products that can be sold in industries; these include chemicals and personal...

AI is transforming sectors from agriculture to healthcare and finance to manufacturing, and it is helping many of the start-ups in this year's cohort create sophisticated products and services more efficiently. At the same time, AI-enabled tools are predicted to increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyberattacks. Cutting-edge start-ups are working to stem the tide, including BforeAI, a company founded by a former Formula 3 driver that uses predictive analysis to detect unusual behaviour and block malicious campaigns. Reality Defender, meanwhile, is addressing the growing issue of deepfakes, which are being used to exploit people and technology, by securing communication channels against deepfake impersonations in real-time. Balancing food security and access to safe drinking water with the food sector's impact is a global challenge - food is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and more than 70%... Rice, for example, supplies around half the global population with food but accounts for about 48% of GHG emissions from croplands - and is a water-intensive crop.

Rize has created a data-driven platform to help farmers in Southeast Asia switch to more sustainable practices, such as letting rice fields dry before re-flooding rather than keeping them submerged. This cuts water use by 30% while reducing methane emissions. Fermata is using data science to automatically detect pests and diseases in crops, helping farmers reduce losses and increase yields. While clean energy innovation is advancing rapidly, meeting climate targets demands it moves faster, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Many of 2025's Technology Pioneers are working on solutions in this area. Exowatt has created modular energy systems, which can be rapidly deployed, that capture solar energy as high-temperature heat which is stored and converted on demand.

Sweetch Energy is creating round-the-clock clean power from osmotic energy - which harnesses the energy released when freshwater mixes with salt water. The company says osmotic power, which is available in deltas and estuaries but can also be generated from industrial resources, has the potential to supply more than 15% of global electricity demand. Quantum computing has the potential to solve complex statistical problems that are beyond the capabilities of computers today, completing tasks that once might have taken long periods of time millions of times faster. EleQtron develops quantum computing hardware that traps ions and manipulates them with microwaves. Haiqu, meanwhile, is developing software for quantum computers. With the space economy forecast to continue to grow rapidly, many start-ups are exploring the potential of looking out of this world to help solve some of our most pressing issues.

Starcloud is addressing the increasing space and power demand of data centres by putting them in space. The company says that, as costs fall, space-based data centres will benefit from 24/7 solar energy and could be rapidly deployed to gigawatt scale. Agnikul is 3D-printing rockets to fulfil its stated mission of bringing space within everyone's reach. Its launch vehicles will be capable of taking micro and nanosatellites to low-earth orbit. Astroforge, meanwhile, is building rockets that can mine asteroids to make critical minerals more accessible to humanity. The 2025 cohort will contribute cutting-edge insights and expertise to the Forum's global initiatives over the next two years and help scale their impact.

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