AI Isn’t the Biggest Risk - Human Adoption Is.

I have been watching several sessions from Davos 2026.

One panel — “A Coming Jobs Challenge in Emerging Markets?” — genuinely shifted my thinking and the future of organisational change management’s role in rolling out AI into organisations.

The Speakers were:

• Tharman Shanmugaratnam — President of Republic of Singapore• Ajay Banga — President, World Bank Group

•  Nandan Nilekani — Co-Founder & Chairman, Infosys

•  Harini Amarasuriya — Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

• Tengku Muhammad Taufik — President & Group CEO, PETRONAS

•  Adebayo Olawale Edun – Minister of Finance Nigeria

The session was hosted and moderated by Saadia Zahidi (Managing Director, WEF) and Stephanie Flanders (Head of Economics and Government, Bloomberg LP). 

The numbers are confronting:

• 1.2 billion young people entering the workforce in emerging economies by 2035

• 400 million jobs expected to be created in emerging economies over the next decade

• An estimated gap of 800 million jobs in emerging markets by 2035.

However, what struck me was not just the scale of the situation it was how it was framed.

This was not a debate about AI capability; it was a debate about human stability.

They focused on:

• Workforce readiness

• Skills transitions

• Manufacturing as dignity-creating employment

• Micro-enterprise as an economic stabiliser

• Reliable, affordable electricity as foundational infrastructure

• Human capital investment beginning before birth

Communicating and addressing the concerns on:

• Career security in an AI-driven economy

• Dignity of labour, regardless of role or skill level

• Ability to grow over a lifetime, not just early career

• Security for older workers approaching retirement

This was not a technology conversation; it was a social contract conversation.

And it reinforced something I have been thinking for some time:  The future of work is not about how many jobs AI creates or destroys, it is about whether we preserve dignity, opportunity, and security during structural change.

Which raises a harder question:

Are organisations treating AI as a technology rollout when it is actually a human transition program?

If people feel economically disposable, professionally sidelined, or insecure about their future, no AI strategy will deliver sustainable value.

Trust will erode before productivity improves.

Change management is no longer a support function, it becomes stewardship.

The next decade will not test our ability to deploy AI; it will test our ability to lead human transition responsibly.

In summary:

Change management will be at a societal and organisational scale, as adoption of new ways of working will include the impact on human dignity, social stability, and the economic sustainability.

Are you ready to collaborate with your staff and Board, and address what the future workplace will look like? 

With over 30 years’ experience in executive and organisational change management, Wendy from Robcorp Business Solutions is more than able to assist you in your journey.

Contact Wendy at www.robcorpbusinesssolutions.com.au to discuss how to  make it happen.

For more details or to watch the full discussion, you can find the official session recording on the World Economic Forum website.