World Economic Forum (video statements) – Page 2

March 27, 2026

These microbes ‘upcycle’ plastic waste into medicine for Parkinson’s disease

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Parkinson’s affects 8.5 million people. Now scientists are using microbes to produce a drug that fights symptoms of #Parkinson’s, in a process that also reduces plastic pollution.

The research took place at C-Loop, a hub led by Edinburgh University, which is using bio-innovation to convert industrial waste into sustainable materials and chemicals.

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress.

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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3Gr4esdvkfw

March 26, 2026

AI can lie, hack and blackmail: Yoshua Bengio on how to tame the “baby tiger” of tech

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

If AIs can think for themselves, what is to stop them doing bad – perhaps really bad – things?
Yoshua Bengio, one of a handful of people considered a "godfather of AI", says AIs are already displaying bad behaviours, including hacking computers and blackmailing humans.
He tells Radio Davos about his work aimed at taming the "cute baby tiger" that is likely to grow up to be a man-eating wild animal if we do nothing now.
Links:
LawZero: https://lawzero.org/en/publication/scientist-ai-safe-design-not-desiring
Ideas on the Move: Yoshua Bengio: https://www.weforum.org/videos/davos_yoshua_bengio/
Annual Meeting 2026 session "Next Phase of Intelligence": https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/next-phase-of-intelligence/
Forum Centre for AI Excellence: https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-ai-excellence/home
Related podcasts:
AI may spark a new era of progress, but that depends on more than just the tech: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/carl-benedikt-frey-ai-work-jobs-economics/
The day after AGI: Two ‘rock stars’ of AI on what it will mean for humanity: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ai-agi-dario-amodei-demis-hassabis/
What is physical AI?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/physical-ai-smart-robotics/
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

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdv3yU1i_R8

March 21, 2026

Pond slime is proving an unlikely weapon in the climate fight

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Pond slime is actually algae – microscopic plant-like organisms – and it’s proving to be an unlikely ally in the fight against climate change.

US-based start-up AirBuild has developed an algae-based system that can filter out pollutants and contaminants from wastewater, at the same time as absorbing excess carbon. Once the algae has done its work, AirBuild turns it into biochar, a soil-improving agent that locks absorbed carbon into the ground for centuries.

Here, AirBuild’s CEO David Gory explains how the process works.

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n2VL-O7cjT4

March 21, 2026

Child Safety Online & 5 Ways to Fight Inequality | WEF | Top Stories of the Week

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:15 – Inequality Is Not Inevitable, Says Oxfam: Globally, billionaire wealth rose by more than 16% in 2025. That’s 3 times the average annual rise over the previous 5 years, according to Oxfam’s latest report on global inequality. Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, suggests 5 ways to fight #inequality – and also shares his reasons to be cheerful, including his faith in Gen Z.

02: 59 – Can Kids Be Safe Online?: Safety breaches for children seem less a bug than a feature of the web – but does it have to be this way? Absolutely not, says Marija Manojlovic, the Executive Director of Safe Online, a global fund that supports online safety projects.

06:34 – The Rise of Small AI Models: What if the way to better AI wasn’t to think bigger, but to think smaller? That’s the route proposed by professor and AI expert Yejin Choi, who argues that the cultural dominance of English in LLMs silences other cultures and shuts whole communities out of AI’s benefits.

09:45 – Pond Slime Fights Climate Change: Pond slime is actually algae – microscopic plant-like organisms – and it’s proving to be an unlikely ally in the fight against climate change. US-based start-up Air Build has developed an algae-based system that can filter out pollutants and contaminants from wastewater, at the same time as absorbing excess carbon. Here, AirBuild’s CEO David Gory explains how the process works.

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#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMCkDbmjs4U

March 19, 2026

“We’ve lived through 3 ice ages – here’s what we learned” – how Indigenous wisdom can help us all

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Indigenous peoples have lived on their lands for countless generations.
But who are they, and what lessons might they have for the rest of us?
We speak to two Indigenous leaders from opposite sides of the world: Deen Sanders of the Warumai Nation from Aboriginal Australia, and Fawn Sharp from the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington State, USA.
Links:
GFC on Natural Capital 2025-26: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-future-council-on-natural-capital/home
World Economic Forum (2023), Embedding Indigenous Knowledge in the Conservation and Restoration of Landscapes: https://www.weforum.org/publications/embedding-indigenous-knowledge-in-the-conservation-and-restoration-of-landscapes/
Quinault Indian Nation: https://www.quinaultindiannation.com/
The Worimi: https://worimiconservationlands.com/the-worimi-warrimay-have-always-been-and-remain-today-the-traditional-custodians-of-a-large-area-of-land-the-worimi-nation-oral-history-passed-down-by-the-elders-record-that-the-w/

World Economic Forum (2025), Mainstreaming Natural Capital: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Mainstreaming_Natural_Capital_2025.pdf
Related articles:
This Indigenous principle could transform how we invest in nature: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/09/indigenous-principle-invest-in-nature/
What centring Indigenous knowledge really means when it comes to nature-based solutions: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/04/what-centring-indigenous-knowledge-really-means-when-it-comes-to-nature-based-solutions/
Indigenous leadership is the key to unlocking value in nature-based solutions: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/04/what-centring-indigenous-knowledge-really-means-when-it-comes-to-nature-based-solutions/

Representation matters, but it’s knowledge input that really matters: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/03/representation-knowledge-sharing-indigenous/
Related podcasts:
Why our future must be ‘nature positive’: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/nature-positive-marco-lambertini/
Ocean: how David Attenborough’s new film will transform how you see Earth: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/ocean-david-attenborough-colin-butfield/
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

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4_n-vwy_0

March 17, 2026

Here are 5 ways to tackle inequality, according to the head of Oxfam

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Globally, billionaire wealth rose by more than 16% in 2025. That’s 3 times the average annual rise over the previous 5 years, according to Oxfam’s latest report on global inequality.

Here, Amitabh Behar, the Executive Director of Oxfam International, suggests 5 ways to fight #inequality – and also shares his reasons to be cheerful, including his faith in Gen Z.

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i3Oc_9JRCec

March 16, 2026

Matt Damon and Gary White: Why the Global Water Crisis Is Really a Finance Problem

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Solving this problem will take more than charity – it will take innovation and a new approach to scaling partnerships, building awareness and raising funding. In this episode, Water.org’s co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White share key efforts to fix the ‘financial plumbing’ connecting people and capital, helping to bridge the water gap for 85 million around the world, including: Water Credit (a specialized microfinance solution funding safe water and sanitation solutions) and Water Equity (an asset manager mobilizing private investment in water and sanitation). The two explain why creating an economic flywheel for change can bring truly sustainable solutions. They also share what they’ve learned about scale and from each other in a partnership that has now spanned 17 years and the role a new campaign for the public, Get Blue, can play.

This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2026.

About this episode:
Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/matt-damon-water-crisis-gary-white-finance-innovation

About this week’s guests:
Water.org
Get Blue campaign: https://getblue.water.org/

Related session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos
Water in the balance
https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/water-in-the-balance/

Related episodes:
IRC’s David Miliband: How leaders can meet the moment in an increasingly disordered world
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABadygYvsZ0&t=16s
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42hzpvvm
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3vk4723b

What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker
Watch here – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4r69a5pr
Read here – Transcript:: https://tinyurl.com/3smrwev9

Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why one CEO sets ‘non -goals’ – and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness
Watch here – YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7
Read here – Listen: https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95kccQuFUk

March 14, 2026

The Air Quality Data Gap & How Booth Design Impacts Voting | WEF | Top Stories of the Week

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:14 – The Air Quality Data Gap: ‘If somebody handed you a glass of dirty water you wouldn’t drink it,’ says Jane Burston, CEO of the Clean Air Fund. ‘But none of us can avoid breathing the dirty air that surrounds us.’ Globally, 8 million premature deaths annually are attributed to air pollution. But given that almost all the planet breathes unsafe air, how can we tackle this rising health threat?

03:47 – Artist JR on the Impact of Public Art: Photographic murals celebrating women in places riven by conflict. Vast portraits of elderly people in cities healing from trauma. These are just two of the projects by the French artist JR, across a daring career championing the marginalized in huge, striking works of public art. In this interview, JR discusses why art is of such vital importance, and the role that it can play in reminding political and business leaders with stories they may have forgotten.

06:07 – How Booth Design Impacts Voting: Michael Bruter is a professor at London School of Economics and an expert in electoral psychology. Here, he explains how key aspects of the voting process can subtly influence #voting intention. He also speaks passionately about the need to engage younger voters and make sure their first experience of an #election is a positive one.

08:48 – Fighting for Clean Air: Ulaanbaatar is one the most polluted cities in the world. In February, the Mongolian capital clocked levels of particulate matter 133 times the recommended limits. Enkhuun Byambadorj took a look at the situation around her and knew she needed to act. She was just 18 when she co-founded Breathe Mongolia, an organization dedicated to environmental justice and clean air.

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#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7G0EXf1dEU

March 13, 2026

How Indigenous data combined with new technology is protecting the Amazon

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

‘Indigenous knowledge is observation over long periods of time. We just held our data sets differently.’

Ancient knowledge and modern technology are often seen as being in opposition – but there’s no reason that should be the case, says ‘Aulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, which supports Indigenous Peoples’ guardianship of their homelands and waters.

And the benefits to the planet when these two spheres join forces can be enormous, she argues.

‘Aulani Wilhelm was speaking at Davos.

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FJAn5l4ErAU

March 13, 2026

Suleika Jaouad: Harnessing Creativity and Curiosity to Lead Through Uncertainty

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

For Suleika Jaouad, a best-selling author and 3-time cancer survivor, journaling became a life-changing creative outlet during her battles with leukemia as well as a powerful tool for navigating uncertainty. It also became a surprising way to connect with others leading to singular projects that have stuck a chord with hundreds of thousands such as her book, The Book of Alchemy, and her 300,000 member Substack, The Isolation Journals, projects that merge journal prompts and personal essays from the top creative minds of our time. She breaks down practical ways anyone can carve out time for reflection, curiosity and vulnerability and how such a practice can strengthen resilience and connection while sharpening clarity in an age defined by noise and loneliness. And in an era where we write prompts for AI, but question ourselves less and less, she reminds us of the role deeper thought plays in understanding our world and ourselves better. This is a conversation about choosing meaning over motion—and learning to live each day with intention.

About this episode:
Read here – Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/suleika-jaouad-journaling-prompt-creativity-reflection
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5dck884j

About this guest:
Book: https://www.suleikajaouad.com/the-book-of-alchemy
Substack: The Isolation journals: https://theisolationjournals.substack.com/

Watch her session at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos:
Healing With Sounds and Words
https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/healing-with-sound-and-words/

Related episodes:
Burnout: 4 leaders share real-world stories and how to cope
Read here – Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5een2u52
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4backy24

Nick Thompson, The Atlantic: Why this CEO sets ‘non-goals’ – and what ultramarathons taught him about focus and mental toughness
Watch here – YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xh9PLsyptgA
Read here – Transcript: :https://tinyurl.com/mtdhe37w
Listen here – Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdbrspj7

#WorldEconomicForum #wef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-SlEoDaIw