Reflections from
World Economic Forum 2024
At the World Economic Forum annual meeting in January, generative artificial intelligence (AI) and a rapidly changing world were two of the critical topics of discussion. Niclas Mårtensson, CEO at Stena Line, and Carl-Johan Hellner, COO Ports & Terminals and Head of Group Strategy at Stena Line, took part in the event in Davos, Switzerland.
The World Economic Forum’s 54th annual meeting earlier this year gathered nearly 3,000 leaders from government, business, and civil society from more than 125 countries. All committed to the World Economic Forum’s mission: improving the state of the world by shaping global, regional and industry agendas. Niclas Mårtensson and Carl-Johan Hellner came back keen to share valuable insights from the meeting.
“From a macro perspective, given the rapid pace at which the world undergoes political and economic transformations, it’s more important than ever to create a resilient company. We need to always be aware of what’s around the corner and adapt to new circumstances. It’s about finding the resilient way of leading, to always be curious, and recognising that our past decisions may not necessarily align with the optimal choices for the future,” says Niclas Mårtensson. He continues:
“The nationalistic tendencies and the growing lack of trust in democracy make partnerships essential, also in the business world. The World Economic Forum is a great example of that.”
A dominating topic at this year’s meetup in Davos was AI. The discussions around this fast-evolving technology reassured Niclas Mårtensson that Stena AB is on the right track.
“We acknowledge that AI is an important ingredient in terms of understanding what goes on in the world. But of course, we have a long journey ahead of us.”
Carl-Johan Hellner and Niclas Mårtensson
The advance of generative AI also sparked conversations about the necessity for regulatory measures. As businesses strive to comprehend the possible impact of AI, governments around the world are racing to take the lead on governance frameworks. Singapore is one country trying to democratise the development of AI, and their Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo, talked about a new governance framework at the meeting in Davos. Carl-Johan Hellner agrees that governance is crucial since AI is a technology that can aggregate and interpret possibly endless amounts of data.
“The risks of AI can be summarised in the three D:s – disinformation, deep fakes and discrimination. We need to be aware of the potentially enormous impact AI can have on how we view the world. Especially in this historic election year, with more than 2 billion people expected to go to the polls,” he says.
Carl-Johan Hellner emphasises the importance of not getting caught up in the AI hype and to focus on what is relevant, by asking the question: how can we as business leaders make use of AI in a responsible way? All-in-all, the future looks promising.
“Yes, there are plenty of challenges in the world, but it’s not game over. I see AI as a great opportunity and Davos left me with a sense of progressive optimism,” he concludes.
