In the opening session at the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), called on leaders to prepare for the “intelligent age” and use technology to create a more human-centric and inclusive world.

Klaus laid out three goals that governments should work to achieve amid the rapid technological transformation.

Schwab said the first goal was to use technology in making the world more sustainable, resilient, humane and inclusive.

He urged world leaders, as a second goal, to engage their populations in the transition to an “intelligent age”, as “people fear this fast speed of change which they have to digest,” he said.

As for the third goal, Schwab emphasised the need to establish ethical frameworks to regulate AI and ensure it is used for good, not for malicious purposes.

“If we look forward, we don’t want to move into using the Fourth Industrial Revolution into a cold bureaucracy. We don’t want to move into a technocracy. We want to move towards what I would call a “humanocracy,” a world where we use technology to use all our human potential and to create even a better world,” Schwab said.

Schwab touched on the integration of big data, quantum computing and AI. He added, “We have to be ready for a world where we combine all of these together to get the greatest possible benefit to serve humanity.”

He noted that “we are witnessing a future driven by the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; we see the dawn of a new era for human civilization. This vision will unleash potential for societies, where the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence are available.”

Schwab pointed out that technology in the new era of AI will not be just a tool or an extension of humanity’s capabilities, but rather a partner in shaping the world.

"In the ‘new era’, human well-being will be prioritized through robotics and AI. At the core of this transformation, there is commitment to ensuring that the benefits of technological advancement are equally shared to bridge the digital gap within societies," he said, stressing that the human being should be the core of this vision for the new era.

Highlighting the potential of the ‘intelligent age’, he pointed out that the ‘intelligent era’ will contribute to the development of healthcare and improved telehealth technology, so it can help whoever needs it anywhere in the world.

“The future isn’t happening, but government leaders are shaping the future. We want to move into a human-technological world to use all our technological potential,” he added.

“This new civilisation is within reach and is not something that will happen with the next generation. The speed of this transformation is very great, and we have to prepare with all our forces for this new type of intelligent age,” he concluded.

The WGS 2024, hosts over 25 heads of state and governments, over 85 international organisations, 140 governments, thought leaders and experts, to discuss major global future trends in 110 interactive dialogues with over 200 prominent speakers. The summit will host 23 ministerial meetings and executive sessions welcoming over 300 ministers.