WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Advancing AI Transformation: A Roadmap for Business and Governments

By R Anil Kumar

• The World Economic Forum launches a new Industries in the Intelligent Age report series that provides actionable insights into the responsible adoption at scale of AI across critical sectors
• Strong foundational enablers and cross-industry collaboration are critical for effective AI deployment, as are upskilling and other programmes to prepare workforces
• The Forum also launches Frontier MINDS, a programme aimed at spotlighting and scaling high-impact AI solutions to global challenges, with a first cohort to be announced in 2025

Davos, Switzerland, January 21. The World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance launched today, January 21, the Industries in the Intelligent Age report series, providing a comprehensive roadmap for businesses and governments to adopt and scale artificial intelligence (AI).

The nine reports explore industry trends, highlight successful applications and identify key enablers, offering actionable insights to drive innovation, boost competitiveness and promote sustainable growth.

Building on the report series, the Forum also introduced Frontier MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions), a new platform to scale replicable, high-impact AI use cases from across the world.

The programme aims to foster solutions to global challenges such as equitable healthcare access, climate change, the sustainable energy transition, resilient supply chains, and workforce transformation.

As part of this effort, the AI Governance Alliance is working with the Forum’s GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) initiative to advance AI-driven solutions for climate impact and sustainable wealth management.

Nominations for Frontier MINDS are now open, and the first cohort will be announced at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025.

“AI holds transformative potential to address society’s most pressing challenges, but unlocking this requires informed, adaptable and responsible policy-making,” said Cathy Li, Head of AI, Data and the Metaverse, World Economic Forum.

“Our new report series and the Frontier MINDS programme aim to provide industry leaders and policy-makers with the insights needed to develop and scale AI solutions that can drive sustainable societal and economic progress while ensuring no one is left behind.”

The Industries in the Intelligent Age report series includes five reports focused on specific industries and functions and four others exploring broader cross-industry or regional trends, altogether providing a comprehensive view of AI’s transformative potential and how to unlock it.

“Artificial intelligence is a transformative force driving smarter decisions and unlocking new possibilities across industries,” the Report says.

The World Economic Forum’s report series provides essential guidance for deploying AI responsibly, fostering collaboration and solutions that advance business growth while delivering meaningful societal benefits.”

The report series also addresses various challenges posed by AI such as scalability barriers, fragmented infrastructure, limited data access, workforce readiness, ethical concerns, rising energy demands and trust in AI systems.

The related AI Governance Alliance tackles these issues across the full AI value chain, complementing the series with a dedicated focus on governance and regulations to ensure a holistic approach to responsible AI advancement.

The Alliance will build on these insights by addressing systemic challenges raised by AI, bringing together stakeholders to craft collaborative solutions to these and other issues.

“We will see more and more real-world applications of industrial AI transforming manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation or the energy and healthcare sector,” said Roland Busch, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG.

“This technology emerges at a critical time, as industries face skilled labour shortages and productivity is stagnating in most advanced economies.

Unlocking its full potential will require collaboration across industries to ensure AI creates sustainable growth and drives meaningful innovation.”

About the Industries in the Intelligent Age Reports

Cross-industry or regional reports

Cross-Industry highlights AI’s potential to reshape industries and redefine value creation, emphasizing the challenge of scaling AI. It proposes a responsible adoption framework that fosters shared learning and innovation, and addresses key enablers like trust, talent, cybersecurity and cross-industry collaboration.

Cybersecurity research paper outlines best practices for securing AI systems, focusing on a risk-based approach. Recommendations include maintaining an AI inventory, securing both pre-and post-deployment stages, and establishing strong governance with leadership involvement.

Energy explores AI’s impact on energy consumption and net-zero goals, highlighting concerns about AI’s growing electricity demand, but also the opportunities and strategies to use AI for optimizing energy use and supporting decarbonization, while calling for regulatory and financial enablers of sustainable AI deployment.

Sector and function-specific reports

Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains analyses AI’s role in revolutionizing global manufacturing, addressing challenges like labour shortages and sustainability concerns. It highlights the importance of scalable, value-driven tech adoption and strong organizational foundations for near-autonomous operations.

Media, Entertainment and Sport explores generative AI’s impact on creativity, revenue optimization and engagement in media, entertainment and sports. It addresses challenges like misinformation and workforce readiness, recommending transparent leadership, workforce upskilling and multistakeholder collaboration.

Healthcare examines AI’s role in healthcare, improving care delivery and system efficiency. It addresses challenges like slow adoption and governance, recommending public-private alignment, workforce upskilling, data system integration and trust-building.

Financial Services reviews AI in financial services, focusing on data transparency, privacy, cybersecurity and policy gaps. It calls for improved collaboration, governance and workforce upskilling to navigate the AI landscape.

Transport highlights AI’s role in decarbonizing freight logistics, recommending route optimization, capacity utilization and greener transport options. It emphasizes collaboration across the logistics ecosystem and investments in sustainable infrastructure.

About the Annual Meeting 2025

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025, taking place in Davos-Klosters from 20 to 24 January, convenes global leaders under the theme Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. The meeting will foster new partnerships and insights to shape a more sustainable, inclusive future in an era of rapidly advancing technology, focusing on five key areas: Reimagining Growth, Industries in the Intelligent Age, Investing in People, Safeguarding the Planet, and Rebuilding Trust.

(With Inputs from World Economic Forum Report)