What are 'elastocalorics' or 'reconfigurable intelligent surfaces'? In a few years' time these emerging technologies may have transformed the way we heat and cool our homes, and how we transmit ever greater amounts of data. They are among the technological innovations identified in the World Economic Forum's annual Top 10 Emerging Technologies report, which picks the tech that could transform the world in the coming years. In this video-podcast, the two lead authors of the report take us...

Wars, trade tensions and elections around the world are testing humanity's ability to tackle climate change. Two experts from the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on the Future of Geopolitics look at the diplomacy and real-world reality of climate change politics and economics, with a particular focus on the global South. This episode is published to coincide with the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, find out more here: ...

"The global economy - it's a complicated picture, in the sense that it's doing better than we expected just six months ago but it's doing much worse than what it was doing six years ago." World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill gives his assessment of the 'glass half-full' global economy. And as the World Economic Forum publishes the latest edition of its Chief Economists Outlook, the Forum's Head of Economic Growth, Revival and Transformation, Aengus Collins, talks us through the...

A new, critically acclaimed documentary follows the fortunes of online investors, including one who made - and lost - $3 million in cryptocurrency. The director of This Is Not Financial Advice hopes his movie will help people understand the risks and potential benefits of investing, and how they can educate themselves. Co-host: Meagan Andrews, Lead, Capital Market Initiatives, World Economic Forum Guest: Chris Temple, Film Director at Optimist Links: Centre for Financial and Monetary...

As investors pour money into companies developing or deploying artificial intelligence, what are the steps they should be taking to ensure that AI is safe and responsible? The Responsible AI Playbook for Investors published by the World Economic Forum and pension fund CPP Investments, sets out real-world examples of how investors can - and must - use their position to promote responsible AI. Guest: Judy Wade, Managing Director, Head of Strategy Execution & Relationship Management, CPP...

How can cities - with ever growing populations - tackle air deadly pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Breathe Cities is a global network of cities sharing data, expertise and experience to do just that. Guest: Jaime Pumarejo, Executive Director of Breathe Cities. Links: Breathe Cities: https://breathecities.org/ GAEA - Giving to Amplify Earth Action: https://initiatives.weforum.org/giving-to-amplify-earth-action/ Alliance for Clean Air:...

Artificial intelligence has the potential to massively improve human health: from developing new drugs to providing more accurate diagnoses and helping people who live with severe disabilities. But AI also has the potential, if used wrongly or governed badly, to make life worse for people dealing with health problems. In this episode, we hear from people on the front lines of the technology. This episode was first published on 29 May, 2024. Radio Davos will resume new weekly podcasts from...

Theatre director Jude Kelly founded the Women of the World (WOW) Festival almost two decades ago to spur conversations about women, men and feminism. WOW is now a global phenomenon, but does the rise of online misogyny pose a threat to progress on gender equality. Jude Kelly, who spoke to Radio Davos on World Women's Day 2024, says why it is vital to include men in the conversations about an issue that affects us all. This episode was first published on 28 March, 2024. Radio Davos will...

What's Dwight from The Office doing in the metaverse? Actor Rainn Wilson joins us in avatar form to check out a virtual world created by the World Economic Forum that aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the Arctic and the rest of the world. We also hear from Gail Whiteman, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, and Executive Director of Arctic Basecamp on her hopes for action to stop the Earth reaching disastrous tipping points. And...

For half a century, Nile Rodgers has been making hit records that have touched people's hearts around the world. The creative force behind disco pioneers Chic, and some of the best known songs of David Bowie, Madonna and Beyoncé, tells us the definition of an artist: someone whose work "speaks to the souls of a million strangers". But what if generative AI can make music that's just as good? Is AI a threat or a blessing to art and human expression? We also hear from the head of the...

Going green - in energy, agriculture, industry and elsewhere - will have costs and benefits, so how can we ensure the poorest don't pay the price or miss out on the opportunities? A new report from the World Economic Forum has defined six 'archetype' countries and looks at the differing challenges across the globe, and what policymakers need to know to achieve an 'equitable transition'. Guest: Tarini Fernando, Lead, Equitable Transition, World Economic Forum Links: Accelerating an...

Incubated at the World Economic Forum, the Global Impact Coalition (GIC) is an organisation that pools the resources of major chemicals companies to develop ways of making their industry more sustainable. We hear from Charlie Tan, CEO of the GIC, and from two technical experts at the GIC's Research and Development Hub at Netherlands-based research centre TNO. Speakers: Jan Harm Urbanus, Lead Scientist Circular Plastics, TNO Hella Koops, Senior Project Manager and Cluster Lead Circular...

As populists are on the rise in many countries, how should the moderates respond? We hear from Yair Zivan, the author of a new book called "The Centre Must Hold", who argues that centrism is more than just the mid-point between two extremes, and can be a radical force for good. Links: “The Centre Must Hold: Why Centrism is the Answer to Extremism and Polarisation,” edited by Yair Zivan: https://eandtbooks.com/books/the-centre-must-hold/ Essay by World Economic Forum President Borge Brende: ...

Climate change is an extremely serious issue, but can comedy help us cope with - and communicate about - it? We hear from the University of Colorado, Boulder where students can take a course in ‘climate comedy’ that ends in them performing on stage in a comedy club. And we unpack the power of cartoons from the World Economic Forum’s climate ‘cartoonathon’. Thumbnail image: Wade Kimbrough (with the help of A.I.) The caption reads: "Changing paths? That's not in this quarter's budget." ...

What’s the health condition that affects us all, but is often seen as an add-on for healthcare - and how much is this neglect costing the economy? Oral diseases affect half the world's population and, according to a new report, have knock-on costs to the economy worth $710 billion every year. Marko Vujicic of the American Dental Association joins us to discuss 'The Economic Rationale for a Global Commitment to Invest in Oral Health'. Links: The Economic Rationale for a Global Commitment to...

Deglobalization, reglobalization, decoupling, de-risking, reshoring friend-shoring, export bans, tariffs and sanctions - is global trade going into reverse, or simply into a new phase? As the World Economic Forum hosts the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China, we ask an expert about the state of global trade and where it might be heading. Guest: Simon Evenett, founder of the St. Gallen Endowment for Prosperity Through Trade. Links: Annual Meeting of the New Champions - Next...

As the World Economic Forum convenes the 'Annual Meeting of the New Champions' in China, this expert helps us better understand how the Asian powerhouse sees its place in the world. With Markus Herrmann, the Swiss-Chinese co-founder of the China Macro Group consultancy. Links: Annual Meeting of the New Champions - Next Frontiers for Growth, 25–27 June 2024: wef.ch/amnc24 Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics: https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-regions-trade-and-geopolitics/ ...

The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006. Forum Managing Director Saadia Zahidi talks us through the main finding of the Global Gender Gap Report...

Climate 'tipping points' are the dangerous phenomena that could suddenly make climate change even worse than it is already: melting ice sheets that could change ocean currents, thawing permafrost that releases vast amounts of methane, or rainforests turning into dry savannah - events that could completely destabilise the global environment and would be hard or impossible to reverse. But, according to a growing number of climate scientists, there is also the prospect of ‘positive tipping...

Artificial intelligence has the potential to massively improve human health: from developing new drugs to providing more accurate diagnoses and helping people who live with severe disabilities. But AI also has the potential, if used wrongly or governed badly, to make life worse for people dealing with health problems. In this episode, we hear from people on the front lines of the technology. Speakers: Victor Pineda, president and founder of the Victor Pineda Foundation/World ENABLED ...

With the pandemic well behind us, international travel has bounced back. The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index, a major survey of the state of the sector, gives a clear picture of how things look around the world. Maksim Soshkim, who leads much of the Forum’s work on the issue tells us the headlines, and Jacqueline Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure magazine, gives her take on the state of the travel scene. One of the key areas the TTDI looks at is...

The Netflix documentary 'The Tinder Swindler' is a mind-boggling case of so-called 'romance fraud' in which a charming, handsome - and apparently very rich - man meets women on a dating app - gets them to fall in love with him - and then cons them out of lots of money. Cecilie Fjellhøy is the Norwegian woman at the centre of the documentary whose life was torn apart by the actions of a conman. A survivor of romance fraud on a grand scale, she now advocates for the rights of, and support for,...

'Spatial computing', 'blended reality', 'the metaverse'. For those of us who still use screens and keyboards to access the digital world, those phrases might not mean very much. But many experts believe the '2D' internet will soon be a thing of the past, and we will all be, one way or another, in a 3D metaverse. With Apple's Vision Pro headset renewing interest in virtual reality, we speak to two proponents of the metaverse who see both huge opportunities and significant risks. Guests:...

Mining is an industry that many of us probably rarely think about, but one that provides the raw materials for so many of the things we use, not least the modern technologies such as smart phones and electric vehicles that require certain minerals that are not always in abundant supply. The International Energy Agency predicts that the demand for minerals will double by 2040. So how can we meet that demand in the most energy efficient and sustainable way? UpLink, the open innovation...