WORLD — The World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified five key signals emerging from the 2026 Global Shapers Annual Summit, reflecting young people’s perspectives on the technological, economic and climate-related transformations reshaping societies and the labour market.
Held in Geneva, the summit brought together nearly 500 young leaders under the age of 30 from more than 120 countries and territories. Discussions focused on technology, entrepreneurship, climate action and leadership, as well as ways to navigate growing global uncertainty.
1. Intergenerational collaboration can strengthen leadership
Discussions at the summit highlighted that involving young people in leadership should not be viewed simply as a matter of representation, but as an opportunity to combine knowledge and experience across generations and improve decision-making.
Lynn Malkawi, a member of the Global Shapers Community from the Amman Hub, emphasized that effective intergenerational leadership requires “true partnership rather than tokenization”, allowing each generation to benefit from the expertise and skills of the other.
According to the Forum, age diversity within organizations can improve performance and productivity by combining the accumulated experience of older generations with the skills and knowledge of younger people.
2. Turning anxiety into agency
Amid growing concerns over climate change and global challenges, young leaders called for anxiety to be transformed into agency and action through partnerships, volunteer mobilization, experimentation and learning from failure.
Kiara Winona Sweeney, a Global Shaper from the Munich Hub, stressed that young people are not merely leaders of the future, but leaders today, emphasizing the importance of providing them with the resources and space needed to turn concerns into practical action.
A global study involving 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 across 10 countries found that 59% were very or extremely worried about climate change, while more than 45% said these feelings negatively affected their daily lives.
3. AI is both accelerating opportunities and reshaping the labour market
For young people, artificial intelligence represents an opportunity to accelerate innovation and launch new ventures, while simultaneously reshaping the nature of work and employment, particularly at the early stages of their careers.
According to a recent World Economic Forum report, more than one-third of young workers globally are employed in occupations with medium-to-high exposure to AI-driven changes in tasks.
At the same time, young people participating in the summit said AI tools have lowered some barriers to launching businesses and initiatives, encouraging more of them to pursue entrepreneurship and create their own opportunities.
4. Redefining career ambition
The discussions also highlighted how economic uncertainty and technological change are prompting young people to reconsider traditional definitions of professional success and career progression.
The conventional path of education, followed by an entry-level job, promotions and eventually a leadership position, is no longer the only option for younger generations. Instead, entrepreneurship, multiple income streams, flexibility, continuous learning and purpose-driven work are gaining importance.
Data from LinkedIn indicates that nearly three-quarters of Gen Z entrepreneurs have multiple income streams, while global research by Deloitte found that only 6% of Gen Z and millennials consider reaching a leadership position their primary career goal.
These trends do not necessarily indicate declining ambition among young people. Rather, they suggest that the meaning of ambition itself is changing, with greater emphasis on autonomy, flexibility, learning and personal purpose.
5. Young people offer early insight into emerging trends
The Forum concluded that listening to young people should extend beyond ensuring their representation in decision-making. Their experiences can provide early signals of emerging social, technological and economic shifts.
Young people are often among the earliest adopters of new technologies, while they will also live longer with the consequences of decisions being made today. This makes their experiences an important source of insight into emerging risks and opportunities.
In 2026, nearly 5,000 young people across almost 500 locations participated in the World Economic Forum’s Youth Pulse initiative, sharing their views on artificial intelligence, economic security, climate change and institutions.
The Forum argues that listening to young people is not only about representation. It can help institutions identify emerging trends, ask more informed questions and make decisions that are better prepared for the future.
