Introduction
The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, concluded with significant reflections on the future of work and leadership, emphasizing the need for concrete actions worldwide. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping employment and leadership, while the lack of preparedness in talent poses risks of unemployment and increased inequality. Simultaneously, companies are modifying their investment and recruitment strategies, potentially impacting labor gaps and gender disparities.
1. Sense of Urgency
Failing to address the widely discussed challenges surrounding the future of work, particularly with AI as a game-changer, puts not only many companies’ continuity at risk but also exacerbates a growing social gap affecting the workforce directly. This impact on reduced demand for products and services, due to potential unemployment increases, and supply, given the limited pool of talent with AI skills, will create greater pressure and an uncertain future for generations entering the workforce without proper preparation. Moreover, experienced talent may become marginalized in a digital world where their expertise isn’t capitalized due to the lack of connections between them.
Organizations play a crucial role in this transformation, as actively training talent and assisting employees nearing retirement will be a “win-win” equation, contributing to public sector efforts on employability.
2. Long-Term Commitment
Inaction or stagnation among companies often results from the inability to execute concrete plans and clearly define starting points or return on investment (ROI) measurement. However, this does not seem to be the case for leading global companies.
According to KPMG’s AI Quarterly Pulse Survey Q4 2025, 67% of organizations plan to continue investing in AI over the next 12 months, even during a potential recession. Furthermore, 59% will invest regardless of their ability to measure ROI, highlighting the strategic long-term commitment to this technology, acknowledging it’s a transformation with no turning back despite uncertainty and limited experience in harnessing its benefits.
3. Leadership Roles for AI
The same KPMG report indicates a shift in the role of AI agents, with 44% of business leaders expecting them to assume leadership positions in specific projects within the next two to three years. This represents a significant change from Q3 2025, when 76% anticipated humans managing and leading AI agents.
AI advancements continue at an unprecedented pace, altering the way AI agents integrate into work teams and adopt roles previously envisioned for humans. This accentuates the uncertainty for talent, as AI’s impact will extend beyond routine and transactional activities to team direction itself.
In this context, 64% of companies have already adjusted their recruitment focus due to AI’s influence, confirming that acquiring new data, automation, and accountability skills is non-negotiable in new hires.
Three Key Actions for Organizations
1. Self-assessment of maturity and readiness to adopt AI as part of the workforce
This starting point will help identify key strengths and areas for improvement within the company, from strategy to current team skills preparation.
- Gain clarity on the current AI adoption status and verify if aspirations are realistic.
- Prioritize investments and resources in high-impact actions.
- Identify critical talent competencies and those lacking, intensifying academic linkage programs promoting learning opportunities for students and experienced employees eager to learn.
2. Purposeful Training
Providing specialized AI workshops and courses to prepare internal teams for a comprehensive understanding of AI adoption—technical, organizational, and cultural perspectives.
- Break the taboo and eliminate fear around discussing AI’s potential impacts by fostering awareness and acceptance of its implications.
- Understand the technical capabilities AI will bring to the team.
- Enable appropriate language and fluency in new concepts, encouraging cross-functional conversation about use cases.
3. Employee Experience (EX) Impact Analysis
Mapping potential process improvements leading to enhanced work well-being will allow:
- Perceive the positive impact of AI adoption.
- Encourage skill development for those leading the transformation.
- Offer growth opportunities to those demonstrating interest in well-being or social responsibility initiatives where AI’s enabling potential was previously unrecognized.
Key Questions and Answers
- What reflections did WEF 2026 leave on your organization? – The WEF 2026 emphasized the urgency to address future work challenges, particularly those related to AI’s impact on talent and leadership.
- Will your next board meeting or interaction with the Human Capital department change due to these reflections? – Organizations should capitalize on the momentum generated by WEF 2026 to take action on previously postponed matters, ensuring competitive advantage and preventing valuable talent from being left behind without proper training and direction.
