From human connection to critical infrastructure and the future of work, these trusted voices at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting explain what leaders need to get right next.
Meg Virag | January 2026
In Davos this year, the most important conversations didn’t center on model upgrades or shiny demos. The throughline was sharper and harder:
Technology is accelerating, and the winners will be the leaders who can govern and integrate it while designing organizations that keep human judgment and trust intact.
Below are highlights from World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 sessions featuring Stern Strategy Group clients. Each offers a practical lens for leaders pressure-testing strategy right now.
As AI increasingly mediates how people connect and understand the world, Sherry Turkle warns that we may trade attention, privacy and discernment for convenience. Her core message: efficiency without agency erodes trust, and leaders must design systems that amplify human connection, rather than fragment it.
MIT CSAIL director Daniela Rus explored “physical AI,” the intelligence embodied in machines that are operating in the real world. As autonomy moves from the cloud into cars, drones, robots and other physical systems, leaders must solve for what should (and shouldn’t) be delegated to autonomous systems. Rus helps decision-makers separate science fiction from near-term reality and frames autonomy as a design and governance challenge.
Erik Brynjolfsson brought data to a question leaders are quietly asking: where is AI already changing jobs? As he points out, jobs are bundles of tasks, and AI is hitting some task-heavy roles first, especially for early-career workers in highly “AI-exposed” occupations. But he also points to a path forward: organizations that use AI to augment people, not just automate work, are more likely to see growth.
Brynjolfsson joined another panel in Davos to zoom in on 2026’s real leadership challenge: ensuring AI-driven productivity doesn’t become jobless growth (growth captured by too few). This session spotlights the choices leaders can make now to ensure adoption translates into broad value creation rather than exclusion.
Former FCC chair and new executive director of the MIT Media Lab, Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized that AI is a dual-edged sword that can enable efficiency, intelligence and automation, but also empower attackers. She highlighted the need for collaborative threat intelligence, real-time monitoring, and governance frameworks that bring defense, including organizational culture and decision-making, into parity with the attacking offense.
In another riveting session, Rosenworcel focused on the fragile infrastructure that keeps modern life functioning, zooming in on everything from undersea cables to orbital systems. As cyberattacks, network congestion and monopoly power rise, she challenges leaders to protect these shared domains before they become arenas of conflict.
Azeem Azhar moderated a session asking “what happens when valuations race toward hundred-billion-dollar heights faster than revenue?” The takeaway for leaders watching the innovation economy: valuation is not robustness, and the next era will reward durable advantage over hype.
As middle-class growth slows and job security concerns rise, Oren Cass tackled the “growth from the middle out” challenge and revealed how AI could reshape labor markets and economic stability. Leaders concerned about long-term social and workforce resilience will recognize the stakes: economic legitimacy and labor-market health are escaping the background to become consequential strategic variables in 2026.
As emerging technology reshapes work, risk and value creation, leaders need practical, trusted guidance from recognized experts to turn insights and ideas into action. Stern Strategy Group connects you with renowned thought leaders whose insights, strategies and management frameworks help organizations fuel growth and disruptive innovation to better compete in a constantly changing world. Let us arrange for these esteemed experts to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting sessions, workshops and keynotes.
