Pitching for a stronger global corporation to ready the world for an intelligent age, World Economic Forum Founder and Chairman Klaus Schwab on Tuesday said the trust on our society must be restored while cynicism and negativity must be replaced by practical steps. In his opening remarks welcoming the world leaders at the WEF Annual Meeting, Schwab said they are coming together at a moment when the world faces critical challenges.
He cited the WEF's latest annual Global Risk Report 2025 that identifies the foremost risks, such as armed conflicts, extreme weather events, misinformation and disinformation, increasing divisions within societies, cyber espionage and warfare, and many more.
Simultaneously, we stand at the brink of the Intelligent Age, where Artificial Intelligence and other groundbreaking technological innovations will fundamentally transform our economic systems, business models, and personal lives, he said.
Schwab said the transition from the Industrial to the Intelligent Age is occurring at an exponential pace, carrying unprecedented risks for humanity as we strive to prepare and adapt for its complexities.
"Yet, it also offers significant opportunities to transcend our current challenges and spark a new renaissance -- one defined by advancements in knowledge, health, culture, and societal welfare," he said.
Schwab said the foundation of such a renaissance lies in collaboration, which he termed the reason for the theme for this Annual Meeting being 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'.
Calling for commitment and engagement of all stakeholders of the global society, the WEF founder told nearly 3,000 decision makers present here from politics, business, civil society, academia, young professionals, and the media that they bring different perspectives and diverse expertise to collectively mitigate risks and navigate ethical challenges.
He called for realising the promise of a 21st century renaissance leveraging the Intelligent Age where human wisdom harmonises with technology to create a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.
"Yet we also meet today amidst an erosion of trust in our society.
"We all must work to regain that trust in order to progress: locally, nationally, and globally.
"This can only be achieved if we genuinely address the existential fears of the many: the fears of the marginalised, the fears of those who are afraid of accelerating environmental degradation, and the fears of those who worry about being left behind in the transition to the Intelligent Age," be noted.
Schwab said the mission that has guided the Forum since its founding 54 years ago has been of "Committed to Improving the State of the World", particularly in a world which is in search of a new balance between national and global interests.
He pitched for working together with constructive optimism.
"Throughout history, humanity has been driven by the aspiration to create a better future for ourselves and the generations to come. If this narrative falters, we risk descending into self-serving and short-sighted behaviours that undermine collective progress and lead to profound societal and political shifts," he said.
Schwab said that to counter the erosion of hope and confidence in our future, we must go beyond reacting to crises.
We must focus on proactively shaping the future in strategic, innovative, and constructive ways -- despite the intense, short-term pressures we feel. It is not cynicism or negativity which brings us forward, but practical steps to address real world challenges," he said.
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Simultaneously, we stand at the brink of the Intelligent Age, where Artificial Intelligence and other groundbreaking technological innovations will fundamentally transform our economic systems, business models, and personal lives, he said.
Schwab said the transition from the Industrial to the Intelligent Age is occurring at an exponential pace, carrying unprecedented risks for humanity as we strive to prepare and adapt for its complexities.
"Yet, it also offers significant opportunities to transcend our current challenges and spark a new renaissance -- one defined by advancements in knowledge, health, culture, and societal welfare," he said.
Schwab said the foundation of such a renaissance lies in collaboration, which he termed the reason for the theme for this Annual Meeting being 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'.
Calling for commitment and engagement of all stakeholders of the global society, the WEF founder told nearly 3,000 decision makers present here from politics, business, civil society, academia, young professionals, and the media that they bring different perspectives and diverse expertise to collectively mitigate risks and navigate ethical challenges.
He called for realising the promise of a 21st century renaissance leveraging the Intelligent Age where human wisdom harmonises with technology to create a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.
"Yet we also meet today amidst an erosion of trust in our society.
"We all must work to regain that trust in order to progress: locally, nationally, and globally.
"This can only be achieved if we genuinely address the existential fears of the many: the fears of the marginalised, the fears of those who are afraid of accelerating environmental degradation, and the fears of those who worry about being left behind in the transition to the Intelligent Age," be noted.
Schwab said the mission that has guided the Forum since its founding 54 years ago has been of "Committed to Improving the State of the World", particularly in a world which is in search of a new balance between national and global interests.
He pitched for working together with constructive optimism.
"Throughout history, humanity has been driven by the aspiration to create a better future for ourselves and the generations to come. If this narrative falters, we risk descending into self-serving and short-sighted behaviours that undermine collective progress and lead to profound societal and political shifts," he said.
Schwab said that to counter the erosion of hope and confidence in our future, we must go beyond reacting to crises.
We must focus on proactively shaping the future in strategic, innovative, and constructive ways -- despite the intense, short-term pressures we feel. It is not cynicism or negativity which brings us forward, but practical steps to address real world challenges," he said.
