How is war reshaping the global economy? 4 chief economists explain

The ongoing war in the Middle East is rapidly emerging as an unprecedented shock to the global economy, sending tremors through energy markets, supply chains and financial systems already strained by years of volatility. This is the full audio from a studio session on March 31, 2026, where four leading chief economists examined those questions and provided insights into what's next for the global economy. Read more about it here: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/chief-economists-global-economic-outlook-march-2026/ Speakers:  Forum Managing Director Saadia Zahidi Saad Rahim, Chief Economist, Trafigura Razia Khan, Chief Economist & Head of Research, Middle East & Africa, Standard Chartered Bank Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Ludovic Subran, Chief Investment Officer of Allianz  Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

AI systems are advancing faster than expected and the next few years could redefine what we mean by intelligence. Will progress continue through scale alone, or are new breakthroughs in algorithms, data and agentic interaction needed to reshape the path ahead? As models begin to learn, plan and act in digital and physical environments, what kind of intelligence are we creating and how will it shape humanity? Speakers: Nicholas Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, The Atlantic Eric Xing, President, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) Yoshua Bengio, Full Professor, University of Montreal   Yuval Noah Harari, Distinguished Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk   Yejin Choi, Professor and Senior Fellow, Stanford University This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/next-phase-of-intelligence/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Global stocks hit record highs in 2025, fuelled by the AI boom and investor optimism in future areas for growth. However, as geoeconomic uncertainty persists, along with perceived over-exuberance for select sectors, is investor optimism justified or are we in a bubble about to burst? Speakers: Mark Benedetti, Executive President, Ardian Gita Gopinath, Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics, Harvard University Jonathan Ferro, Anchor, Bloomberg Bonnie Y Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) Sergio P. Ermotti, Group Chief Executive Officer, UBS Robin Vince, Chief Executive Officer, BNY This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/are-markets-mispricing-the-future/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

As AI reshapes industries, trade tensions deepen and societies adjust to new realities, the new economy inspires both hope and unease.  A conversation with Dara Khosrowshahi, Chief Executive Officer of Uber Technologies, on seeing beyond today's short-term pressures and imagining how the new economy can work for everyone. Speakers: Dara Khosrowshahi, Chief Executive Officer, Uber Technologies Stephanie Flanders, Head, Economics and Government, Bloomberg LP This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/an-honest-conversation-on-the-hopes-and-anxieties-of-the-new-economy/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552    

What choices must we make today to build a future balanced between technological innovation and humanity? Explore and discuss how a history of the future offers lessons for navigating the transformative age of AI. Speakers: Yuval Noah Harari, Distinguished Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/an-honest-conversation-on-ai-and-humanity-ca19ea8c96/   Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Progress is often assumed to be inevitable, yet history tells a different story. Periods of transformation have repeatedly shown how quickly momentum can stall or reverse. Carl-Benedikt Frey, Associate Professor at the Oxford Internet Institute and Director of Future of Work at Oxford Martin School speaks at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026 on why some societies sustain progress over time while others see it stall. You can watch his talk here:  https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/progress-is-not-inevitable/ Coming soon: hear Carl-Benedikt Frey interviewed on our sister podcast, Radio Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/carl-benedikt-frey-AI-work-jobs-economics Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Digital embassies offer an emerging model that allows nations to extend sovereign digital infrastructure beyond their borders while maintaining control over data, compute and governance. However, establishing such arrangements requires political alignment, legal clarity and robust technical and operational safeguards. The Digital Embassy Framework, spearheaded by the World Economic Forum and co-developed with stakeholders, will provide a shared baseline for designing, governing and operating trusted digital embassies worldwide. This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/digital-embassies-for-sovereign-ai/ Speakers: Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia Government Cathy Li, Head, Centre for AI Excellence; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, State Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Leading AI nations are racing to preserve dominance while new contenders rise and others struggle to break dependence on foreign capabilities.  As alliances reshape the balance of power, how is AI redefining the path to economic growth and global influence? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/ai-power-play/ Speakers: Brad Smith, Vice-Chair and President, Microsoft Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Minister of Railways, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

As geopolitical tensions intensify, security considerations are reshaping economic policy, production and fiscal priorities worldwide. This session explores how governments are adapting to an era defined by conflict risk and strategic competition. How can economies meet rising security demands without sacrificing long-term growth and stability? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/geopolitical-risk-outlook-for-2026/ Speakers: Jane Harman, Chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy (USA) Eswar Prasad, Professor, Cornell University Wolfgang Ischinger, President, Munich Security Conference Foundation Council Elizabeth Thurbon, Professor of International Political Economy; Director, Green Energy Statecraft Project, University of New South Wales Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

An unpredictable operating environment is weighting on global growth and traditional engines such as trade are expected to expand by just 0.9% in 2025. With debt-to-GDP reaching a record 95%, there is increasingly limited space for leaders to make drastic policy and operational changes. At the same time, AI is emerging as a key driver of growth in some economies, improving productivity, enabling new business models and accelerating innovation across industries. What will be the new sources of growth and how can we ensure that the benefits are shared broadly? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/how-can-we-unlock-new-sources-of-growth/ Speakers:  Marc Benioff, Chair, CEO & Co-Founder, Salesforce Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer, Alphabet and Google, Google Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mubadala Investment Company Francine Lacqua, Editor-at-Large and Presenter, Bloomberg Television Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552