WEF Davos 2026: Don't make AI a job-eater, instead elevate human potential. Here's how

Artificial intelligence (AI) was once a concept, and nowit is part of our lives. It has seamlessly made space, and now, in the ongoing World Economic Forum annual gathering in Davos, leaders from across the globe are discussing this significant move. The talks have encompassed its application in workplaces. Earlier, AI was viewed as a threat, just like the computer; it had a reputation for being a job-eater. Humans view advancement first as a threat before embracing it; adopting AI may be similar. But comparing computers to AI may be an extremely weak example, as its potential is beyond our imagination.

Enforcing AI as a help or aide may be the ideal way forward, instead of replacing it. WEF published on its website, “Headlines about AI and the workforce often overlook the many factors shaping labour markets, including demographics, geography, industry and job design. A clearer view comes from examining how AI changes the structure of work. AI can automate tasks, such as coding or responding to routine inquiries, and it can augment work by giving people better data and sharper insights.”

What can agentic AI do?

It can set goals without excessive loading of prompts, can plan steps and also take actions. It is known to observe outcomes and adapt with minimal human intervention. Here, it’s more about everything that can be a boon and can be a bane too.

It represents the next frontier in AI, which means it can enable sophisticated automation and enhance productivity with it functionality to handle complex, end-to-end processes. What's surprising is that this can be done with less human intervention. Now, this may raise questions and eyebrows about ethics and control.

The crux being, AI must be used to give humans insight beforehand or can be used as a warning with the data that it can generate, rather than to be used to do away with human intervention.