oday we stand at the crossroads of a new era where AI is not just any other technology, but a global force changing how we work and live. China’s DeepSeek and a generation of AI “super agents” are driving a transformation that can feel overwhelming in its pace and scope. Yet technology isn’t all that will direct this transformation. Leaders will have a profound impact on the direction of AI transformation through how they guide their organizations and sectors.
Competition around AI is heating up around the globe. While the U.S. is dialing back on regulation, the startling pace of China’s AI growth illustrates the need for shared governance norms. The World Economic Forum has also surfaced mis– and disinformation as one of the critical top risks further amplifying the need for trust and resiliency in a highly contested digital ecosystem.
Leaders everywhere will need to work to build new frameworks and foundations toward the effective, fair adoption of AI. Good leadership here means prioritizing trust, transparency, and addressing the socio–economic divide. No less important is increasing AI literacy and constant reskilling so that workers can respond to new demands while ensuring that the enabling power of AI works for all.
More than just another emerging technology, AI signifies a crucial evolution in the way we work and create value. To ensure that its benefits are harnessed to the fullest, leaders must invest in their employees, help them evolve, and enable new career paths while improving organizational performance. By concentrating on human-centered leadership transformation based on ever–changing organizational learning systems, leaders can always go beyond mere technological change in the workforce, creating robust competitive advantage.
This new era also needs new innovative creative partnerships. Businesses can collaborate with governments, civil society, and academia. This partnership should involve sharing information, developing and co–creating new foundations that will make effective and efficient systems possible, and implementing AI changes that provide sustainable work.
In the end, the intelligence age will thrive on leaders who elevate people, promote innovation, and build resilient organizations. The leaders that can act as catalysts for a future where human creativity and technology thrive together to spur growth and provide customer value will be those that embrace strong AI literacy and undertake enterprising reskilling initiatives that embed ethics in every AI effort. And in doing so, they empower everyone to take an active part of building the future together.
a global affairs media network
Building a new foundation for the intelligent age
March 21, 2025
AI will change how we work and live—and while geopolitical competition will shape some of what the future looks like, so too will leaders of organizations and sectors, writes Tarja Stephens.
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oday we stand at the crossroads of a new era where AI is not just any other technology, but a global force changing how we work and live. China’s DeepSeek and a generation of AI “super agents” are driving a transformation that can feel overwhelming in its pace and scope. Yet technology isn’t all that will direct this transformation. Leaders will have a profound impact on the direction of AI transformation through how they guide their organizations and sectors.
Competition around AI is heating up around the globe. While the U.S. is dialing back on regulation, the startling pace of China’s AI growth illustrates the need for shared governance norms. The World Economic Forum has also surfaced mis– and disinformation as one of the critical top risks further amplifying the need for trust and resiliency in a highly contested digital ecosystem.
Leaders everywhere will need to work to build new frameworks and foundations toward the effective, fair adoption of AI. Good leadership here means prioritizing trust, transparency, and addressing the socio–economic divide. No less important is increasing AI literacy and constant reskilling so that workers can respond to new demands while ensuring that the enabling power of AI works for all.
More than just another emerging technology, AI signifies a crucial evolution in the way we work and create value. To ensure that its benefits are harnessed to the fullest, leaders must invest in their employees, help them evolve, and enable new career paths while improving organizational performance. By concentrating on human-centered leadership transformation based on ever–changing organizational learning systems, leaders can always go beyond mere technological change in the workforce, creating robust competitive advantage.
This new era also needs new innovative creative partnerships. Businesses can collaborate with governments, civil society, and academia. This partnership should involve sharing information, developing and co–creating new foundations that will make effective and efficient systems possible, and implementing AI changes that provide sustainable work.
In the end, the intelligence age will thrive on leaders who elevate people, promote innovation, and build resilient organizations. The leaders that can act as catalysts for a future where human creativity and technology thrive together to spur growth and provide customer value will be those that embrace strong AI literacy and undertake enterprising reskilling initiatives that embed ethics in every AI effort. And in doing so, they empower everyone to take an active part of building the future together.
