Insights

Artificial intelligence (AI) can either replace or empower humans, and the debate on which future will prevail was discussed at a conference in San Francisco. Erik Brynjolfsson of Stanford argues for a human-centric AI that complements human capabilities rather than mimicking them. Other economists highlight the need for more education and training for individuals to fully leverage AI's potential. Research suggests that for every dollar spent on machine learning technology, companies may need to spend nine dollars on human capital.
Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Us or Empower Us?
Saudi Arabia is concerned about Donald Trump's second term as it could jeopardize its ongoing transformation under the "Vision 2030" development agenda. Trump's Middle East policy, confrontational stance towards China, and plans to increase domestic oil production conflict with Saudi Arabia's goals. This presents opportunities for Germany and European partners to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia and advance their own strategic interests. However, the implementation of "Vision 2030" is dependent on regional stability and high government revenues, which could be threatened by Trump's policies.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ and Trump’s Second Term
The 2024 European Parliament elections resulted in a majority for right-leaning political groups. While there has historically been a lack of unity among the far right and reluctance from the center-right to cooperate with them, there is now a trend towards normalizing far-right ideas and increasing cooperation between the center-right and far right. The potential areas of alliance between these groups include cultural, security, climate, and economic issues. The study finds that 9% of votes in the previous parliament had agreement among all right-leaning party groups, indicating majority support for the right.
What unites the right in the European Parliament?
Collaboration between humans and AI in the workplace can unlock up to $15.7 trillion in economic value by 2030. To enhance this collaboration, four key imperatives should be followed: defining human and AI roles, identifying skill gaps and blind spots, preparing for the future of work, and ensuring ethical and effective AI deployment. Clarity in roles is crucial to determine which tasks are best suited for humans and AI, regular assessments of skills are needed to avoid over-reliance on AI and leverage human strengths, and preparation for the evolving nature of work is essential. Skill measurement is the foundation for successful human-AI collaboration in the Intelligent Age.
4 ways to enhance human-AI collaboration in the workplace
AI teammates, a new class of software personae, are being developed to work alongside humans, freeing up their time, enhancing productivity, and boosting creativity. These AI teammates represent a $6 trillion global opportunity and could revolutionize how companies find and deploy talent, making work more flexible and engaging. To fully realize the potential of human-AI collaboration, individuals in different roles need to adapt their thinking, workflows, and management styles. Knowledge workers should identify tasks to offload to AI and use AI as a coach to develop new skills. Managers should address talent shortages with AI and embrace hybrid teams. Leaders should foster a culture of innovation and empower teams to work bottom-up. Overall, embracing AI as teammates rather than rivals can lead to a better future.
Why AI should be a teammate – not a tool – to build a better future
Greater Asia is becoming a major player in the global energy transition, with growing independence from external actors like the EU and the US. Key trends include monopolization of critical raw materials, new alliances, and adoption of innovative technologies. Geopolitical tensions and crises have the potential to reshape the region and its energy transition. Germany and the EU must engage constructively to remain relevant in Asia. The region's significance extends beyond its geostrategic importance, with internal dynamism and growing autonomy in shaping climate policies, driving energy trade, and providing cutting-edge technologies.
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom | Financial services
The Geopolitics of the Energy Transition in Greater Asia
Electrification could achieve more than 50% of the necessary GHG emission reductions for reaching net-zero. Artificial intelligence (AI) can optimize electricity infrastructure, but its own energy footprint must be addressed. Human ingenuity is essential for successfully deploying AI technology. Electrifying different sectors and industries can significantly reduce GHG emissions, with the potential for electrification to account for up to 60% of total reductions by 2050. Digital technologies like the internet of things and AI can revolutionize the energy industry and enable smarter decision-making. However, there is a paradox, as the growing demand for energy-intensive data centers driven by AI must be addressed sustainably. Strategies include optimizing energy usage, leveraging renewable energy, and designing energy-efficient facilities. Human expertise and ethical considerations are crucial for responsible and successful AI implementation, ensuring explainability, unbiased algorithms, and a focus on human well-being.
Electrification could be the key to net zero. And AI can boost the transition
Belgian trade unions are protesting against austerity measures and advocating for social justice. The ongoing negotiations for regional and federal governments are influencing labor law and social security policies. The proposed reforms include tax reform, pension reform, and labor market reform, which are likely to reduce social progress and worker protections. Trade unions have scheduled mobilization and action days to evaluate further actions. The unions are emphasizing the need for decent pensions and good working conditions, and are calling for genuine social dialogue and a fairer society. The Belgian trade unions are affiliated with the European Trade Union Confederation, which opposes austerity and advocates for a hopeful Europe.
Belgium
Belgian workers against austerity and for social justice
Global trade is crucial for sustained economic growth, but it faces challenges such as geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and the lingering effects of COVID-19. However, despite these obstacles, international trade remains resilient. To strengthen global trade, strategies such as sustainable logistics, technology adoption, digitization, and realistic trade policies are needed. Sustainable practices and environmentally-friendly technologies should be embraced to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. The use of technology, including digital platforms and automation, increases the resilience of trade. Digitization can also help overcome trade barriers by streamlining customs processes. Pragmatic and targeted bilateral trade agreements may be necessary in the current geopolitical landscape.
Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Finland, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sweden | Financial services
Future-proofing global trade is key to sustained growth. Here's why
The World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, produced in collaboration with Accenture, highlights the cybersecurity trends that will impact economies and societies in the near future. The report emphasizes the complexity of the cybersecurity landscape, which is influenced by geopolitical tensions, emerging technologies, supply chain interdependencies, and the increasing sophistication of cybercrime.
Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025
The cyberspace is increasingly complex due to factors such as geopolitical tensions, rapid adoption of AI, cyber skills gap, supply chain interdependencies, cybercrime sophistication, and regulatory requirements. According to the World Economic Forum, these complexities pose significant risks to organizations and individuals. The report emphasizes the need for collaboration, training, and reskilling to address the growing cyber skills gap and facilitate cybersecurity in the future.
Financial services
The cyberspace is increasingly complex. Here are 6 reasons why
Chinese investments in the electric vehicle (EV) sector in Mexico are at risk due to the potential imposition of tariffs by the United States. The US has already imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs and is considering taxing vehicles manufactured in Mexico with Chinese components. This could disrupt the supply chains and sales of automakers in Mexico, Canada, and the US, and may lead to job losses. The uncertainty surrounding these tariffs has caused several companies to pause their production plans in Mexico. Chinese EV makers have been using Mexico as a platform to access the US market, raising concerns in the US about protecting its own industry.
Mexico
Q&A: ‘Tariffs could kill Chinese investments in EVs in Mexico’
Public libraries in the Netherlands offer e-health courses to vulnerable groups, aimed at improving their digital health skills. However, there is limited knowledge on whether these courses effectively reach and support those in need. This study interviewed trainers of the e-health course to explore their perspectives on the challenges, successes, and potential improvements in digital health skill education in a library setting. The study identified three themes: trainers' services and expertise, the libraries' reach, and collaborations with healthcare, welfare, and community organizations. Trainers recognized various vulnerable groups in need of support, but there were challenges in accessibility, reaching the target groups, and clients' personal barriers. Collaborations with other organizations were seen as essential in improving reach to those most in need.
Netherlands | Education, Financial services
Support in digital health skill development for vulnerable groups in a public library setting: perspectives of trainers
The technological race in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has extended to the development of global AI governance frameworks. The United States, the European Union, and China are pursuing different regulatory approaches and trying to influence other countries, especially those in the Global South. International forums like the G7 have an important role to play in fostering dialogue and shaping global governance for AI. The economic impact of AI on the global market and the geopolitical implications of different regulatory approaches are key considerations in this process.
Italy
AI Governance and Geopolitical Challenges: What’s Next after Italy’s G7 Presidency?
The beginning of the year represents a social ritual of togetherness and hope for improvement. In the context of a law-based polity, a specific date may denote the validity of a contractual agreement or mark a celebration of life. However, in the language of post-Christian globalized-populist culture, "dates" have taken on a different meaning as hallmarks of sex and sports. On a broader scale, a historic date can represent positive identity or infamy. In Lebanon, recent January 1 dates have been challenging, but there is hope for improvement. The outlook for 2025 is one of resilience and determination, informed by the challenges of war and migration. This perspective is seen in the historic context of the post-conflict decades in the region. The Middle East is currently in a state of power shifts and uncertainty, affecting every country in the MENA region. It is unrealistic to expect a peaceful and prosperous new status quo to emerge in the near future.
Lebanon
2025 comment piece/leader
Government funding should support collaborative efforts to create and share large, high-quality datasets in the life sciences. This would involve nonprofit research organizations working with scientific communities to identify valuable data types, set quality control standards, and automate data collection. The resulting open data would be subsidized and secured, providing incentives for researchers to contribute and benefit from these datasets.
Kickstarting Collaborative, AI-Ready Datasets in the Life Sciences with Government-funded Projects
Private equity firms can enhance exit strategies by leveraging AI to prepare portfolio companies (portcos) for sale, ultimately maximizing returns. AI tools facilitate faster and more thorough preparation, helping to identify prospects, resolve issues, and showcase growth opportunities. Effective applications include analyzing customer data for revenue growth potential, rapid buyer analysis for synergy identification, and managing technology debt, which is crucial during due diligence. Using AI for code optimization can also significantly reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. By aligning their preparations with buyer expectations, sellers can achieve better sale outcomes.
A Better Exit: How Private Equity Can Utilize AI to Sell Portcos More Effectively
Denmark's presence on the UN Security Council presents an important opportunity to address the challenges currently facing peacekeeping. The termination of flagship missions in Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised doubts about the effectiveness of peacekeeping in promoting peace. The lack of engagement from Secretary-General António Guterres and the growing difficulty in reaching consensus among Security Council members further highlight the uncertain future of peacekeeping. It is crucial to establish clear principles and garner support from member states to ensure the success of future peacekeeping missions. Initiatives such as the Pact for the Future and the upcoming Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin aim to revitalize peacekeeping and reaffirm its role as a valuable conflict management tool. Reforms should include revisiting and refining foundational peacekeeping principles, leveraging the expertise of veteran staff, and promoting innovation through dedicated funding and support for new approaches.
Future-proofing peacekeeping - World
The ITU AI/ML in 5G Challenge hosted 13 competitions in 2024, attracting 4,196 participants and generating over 30,000 submissions, with prizes exceeding 50,000 CHF. Key challenges included optimizing energy consumption in telecommunications, developing large language models for the sector, and traffic forecasting at beam level. Notable winners emerged from various countries, with a significant participation rate from Africa and Asia. The challenges aimed to harness AI/ML technologies for real-world telecommunications problems, promoting innovation and inclusivity in addressing Sustainable Development Goals.
The 5th edition of the ITU AI/ML in 5G Challenge: A year of competitions in review
The banking and financial services sector is investing heavily in AI and technology, leading to increased demand for skilled workers in technical roles. To bridge the skills gap, banks are focusing on reskilling and partnering with educators. Collaboration between education, industry, and government is crucial for success. While new technologies like AI offer great potential for personalized service, the human touch and personal connection with customers remain essential in the industry. A comprehensive approach to workforce planning and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship are also important aspects of navigating the rapid changes in the sector.
Education, Financial services
Investing in people: The power of human capital in banking’s AI era

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