The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, showcased key global challenges and opportunities shaping the future of industries and societies. Discussions focused on the transformative potential of AI and quantum computing as we transition into the “Intelligence Age,” alongside critical issues such as cybersecurity risks, geopolitical tensions, and climate commitments. With themes ranging from AI advancements and cryptocurrency to supply chain resilience and geopolitical shifts, this year’s meeting provided a compelling look into how leaders are navigating a rapidly evolving global landscape. Our EVP and Head of Client Services, Christa Conte put together a recap of some of the larger takeaways from the 5 day conference.

The Focus

• As leaders continue evolving and future-proofing their businesses coming out of the “Information Age” and into the “Intelligence Age,” AI and quantum computing have become the primary drivers of “change and disruption” across a variety of industries and sectors.
• Maintaining customer trust is more critical than ever before as businesses face increasing advancements in cyber threats. “Some 75% of organizations report an erosion of customer trust following a cyber incident, with damaging effects on business performance and brand reputation.”
• “Escalating geopolitical tensions and the rapid adoption of emerging technologies” has brought added complexity to the cyber landscape and exacerbated inequities.

Themes to Consider for 2025 Communications Strategies

Global leaders respond to the new administration in the U.S. | There continues to be a sense of “cautious optimism” among the world’s largest political and business leaders. Having experienced President Trump in office once before, leaders know a bit of what to expect and are bracing for other changes to come, especially early in the year as Trump looks to take early action.

European leaders hold strong on global climate pact | Despite President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, Europe has committed to “stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming.” With 2024 recorded as the hottest year to date, the Paris accord will stick to its mission of limiting global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Banking on Bitcoin | Under a Trump administration, banking leaders including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong discussed the inherent attention that the new administration will draw towards crypto. Armstrong backed his argument on bitcoin’s staying power by stating how the “impact of pro-crypto groups in the US showed ‘democracy working.’”

“AI mania takes over Davos” | As expected, AI was front and center in both on-stage discussions as well as dominating local digital signage and branding across the town of Davos (from Intel, Salesforce and Workday, to name a few). Conversations related to the topic centered around advances in AI technology including AI agents; the dangers around misinformation and a lack of security; and AGI – artificial general intelligence, described as “AI systems that are smarter than humans.” A study released from Accenture on Monday, January 20 showed that “58% of execs expect generative AI solutions to be adopted at scale within organizations in 2025.”

Supply chain challenges are the #1 cyber risk for organizations | Increased integration of and dependence on more complex supply chains is leading to a more opaque and unpredictable risk landscape. Of large organizations, 54% identified supply chain challenges as the biggest barrier to achieving cyber resilience. The increasing complexity of supply chains, coupled with a lack of visibility and oversight into the security levels of suppliers, has emerged as the leading cybersecurity risk for organizations. Key concerns include software vulnerabilities introduced by third parties and the propagation of cyberattacks throughout the ecosystem.

Pace of tech in the Intelligent Age | While AI adoption has been leading headlines, there is a clear differentiation in the maturation in which certain industries or sectors have been able to use those technologies at scale and sustainably. With technology moving at an accelerated pace, several tech leaders emphasized the challenges of keeping up with the incessant change. According to Davos leaders, “industries have had to adapt their business strategies to account not only for these major technological shifts, but also seismic geo-economic shifts.”