1. Many of the interesting things that bubbled up at this year’s Annual Meeting were at risk of being crowded out by current events.

2. Geopolitics may have dominated, but discussions elicited a broad range of insights on employment, trade, technology, sports, basic human needs, and who’s being left behind.

3. We’ve broken things down by the numbers.

This year’s Annual Meeting in Davos may have been nearly overwhelmed by current geopolitical events, but it kicked up numbers that paint a far broader picture of what’s been happening in the world – and what’s likely still to come.

Distilling Davos into a set of figures is something we try to do every January after the event, as a way of framing some of the most pressing issues and highest expectations for the year ahead.

This year, batch of numbers reflect big ambitions that could tilt the trajectory of global trade, a glaring deficiency of clean drinking water, AI-related job losses both current and projected, unsettling rates of extinction, and the surprising economic impact of sports.

There’s also a figure that says a lot about future prospects for global cooperation.

‘2.1 billion’
The actor Matt Damon and Water.org CEO Gary White made the rounds at Davos to raise awareness about a problem that affects about a quarter of the global population.

Some 2.1 billion people, Damon said during an interview on the sidelines of the event (and elsewhere), still lack access to clean water and sanitation.

At a time when many experts are spending their time figuring out how to deal with issues yet to fully materialize, it’s worth focusing on a solvable problem at hand.

’50’
That’s the current number of translators employed at the International Monetary Fund, according to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva – down from 200.

The impact of artificial intelligence on employment pervaded discussions at Davos. According to Georgieva, we’re not ready for what’s coming.

Another pair of figures from her discussion about the dilemmas involved in pursuing growth: 40% of jobs will be transformed or eliminated by AI, she said, and in advanced economies that jumps to 60%.

‘25%’
European leaders traveled to this year’s Davos under extraordinary conditions, amid inescapable new concerns about the region’s relationship with the US and persistent questions about its ability to successfully transition into a new phase for the global economy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previewed a potential deal that touches on both.

Very soon, she said during a special address, she would travel to India for more talks on a massive EU-India trade pact that would account “for almost a quarter of global GDP.”

‘100%’
As in, all of it.

That’s the amount of debt that many countries have now accumulated relative to their economic output.

Public debt was a constant topic of conversation at this Davos, perhaps even more so than it was in previous years – which may say something about the nature of the problem.

A 100% debt-to-GDP ratio is “conventionally seen as too high,” the historian Niall Ferguson said during an appearance at Davos – which might be putting it mildly. It was not so long ago that such a ratio was relatively unheard of. But as Ferguson noted, many advanced economies have now surpassed it.

‘14,656’
The ongoing war in Ukraine was never far from the minds and conversations of anyone at Davos assessing the most pressing issues in Europe and beyond.

Last year, human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk said during a Davos appearance, experts estimate that the number of people killed and injured as a result of the conflict reached 14,656 – nearly a third more than in the previous year. It was the deadliest year for the war since 2022.

During his special address at Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged European leaders to start becoming more serious about the region’s defence.

’70’
The issue of social dislocation and mental well-being in the internet era was also a big topic of conversation at this year’s Davos.

Among the many daunting statistics reeled off during the Is Everyone Falling Behind? session was this, from social scientist Alice Evans: European and American men in their 20s “are spending as much time alone as men in their 70s.”

That solitude means fewer people building empathy for people of other genders, and more dwelling in “manosphere” echo chambers, she said.

‘80 billion’
It’s much more than a football competition.

The World Cup slated for July in North America will likely have a massive financial footprint. The event now generates an economic impact of about $80 billion, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said during a Davos appearance.

For the record, a recent World Economic Forum report pegged the total value of the global sports economy at $2.3 trillion.

‘3,000’
The Global Economic Outlook session wrapped with a question that may have defined much of the meeting. Is it possible that the sort of strong-arm techniques deployed in the past year or so to impact the global economy have always been the best means to achieve success, even if most Davos attendees have chosen to not acknowledge it?

Saudi Arabia’ s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan pointed to the 3,000 participants who’d just traveled from all corners of the world to participate in something that’s all about dialogue.

That, he suggested, means some of the thorniest problems will always require cooperation.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/davos-2026-in-numbers/

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Ethiopia’s parliament members after addressing them at the Parliament Building during his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 17, 2025.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Ethiopia’s parliament members after addressing them at the Parliament Building during his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 17, 2025. /CFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed a joint session of Ethiopia’s parliament, a rare honor accorded during his first-ever visit to the East African nation, as the two countries moved to deepen political and economic ties.

Lawmakers gave Modi a standing ovation ahead of his speech, in which he highlighted trade and investment, inclusive development, accessible technology and global peace.

“It is a moment of great privilege for me to stand before you today. I feel honoured to be here in the temple of democracy, in the heart of a nation with ancient wisdom and modern aspirations,” Modi said. “I come to you with great respect for your Parliament, for your people and your democratic journey.”

Modi’s visit comes as India and Ethiopia agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, a move he said would give bilateral ties “new energy, new impetus and new depth.” He also announced a decision to double student scholarships for Ethiopians interested in studying in India. The two countries are both members of the BRICS group of emerging economies.

Abiy Ahmed welcomed the visit, saying cooperation with India was rooted in “equality and South-South solidarity,” and focused on sovereignty, self-reliance and practical collaboration.

Bilateral talks between the two countries centred on strengthening economic, technological and defence cooperation.

Modi wraps up his Ethiopia visit on Wednesday. He is expected to travel on to Oman after concluding his engagements in Ethiopia, India’s foreign ministry said.

Source: https://newsaf.cgtn.com/news/2025-12-18/Indian-PM-Modi-addresses-Ethiopian-parliament-1JbqWrokWYg/p.html

ACTS Launches Africa-Centered AI Institute to Drive Inclusive Innovation and Development

July 17, 2025 by Joyce Onyeagoro

Rooted in the vision of an African-centered AI future, the Institute is committed to fostering ethical, inclusive, and contextually relevant AI solutions that empower communities, drive economic growth, and advance sustainable development across the continent.

The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) has officially launched the ACTS AI Institute (ACAII), a visionary initiative dedicated to advancing responsible, African-centered AI innovation, governance, and research.

“The Institute builds on the support from the AI for Development (AI4D) program, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). We are proud of the work that the institute has done through the AI4D Scholarship Program, which is bridging AI divided by supporting researchers and innovators from historically disadvantaged communities to develop and scale AI solutions and to shape the African AI innovation system.”

-Kathryn Toure, IDRC Director, Regional office of sub-Saharan Africa.

Rooted in the vision of an African-centered AI future, the Institute is committed to fostering ethical, inclusive, and contextually relevant AI solutions that empower communities, drive economic growth, and advance sustainable development across the continent.

While delivering the keynote address, Dr. Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counsellor, European Union Delegation to the African Union highlighted the 25-year partnership between the AU and EU, coinciding with the anniversary of EU policy dialogue on science, technology, and innovation. This collaboration aims to foster joint activities and programs. A significant initiative is Horizon Europe, the EU’s €100 billion research and innovation program, which has a dedicated Africa Initiative, to encourage African participation.

The latest iteration, Africa Initiative III (for the 2025 budget year), has earmarked €500 million for 26 topics, including a specific call for Generative AI for Africa. This particular call, seeks to develop human-centric generative AI solutions for Africa, focusing on rural communities and women across four thematic areas; agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, and digital skills.

“We want to involve a lot of local startups in at least three to five African locations. And we want to involve end users from the very beginning. So this call (Africa Initiative III) is open. I know it is generating a lot of interest. And we hope that this will help develop solutions which are addressing African priorities, but also using knowledge and languages which are indigenous in Africa.”

-Dr. Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counsellor of the European Union Delegation to the African Union.

At its core, the ACTS AI Institute is driven by a mission to ensure that AI serves the people of Africa, aligning with the continent’s unique values, priorities, and aspirations. The Institute does this by focusing on five strategic pillars: Responsible AI solutions, AI policy and governance, AI and jobs, AI and capacity building, and data science. Through these pillars, the Institute creates tangible, human-centred impacts in sectors critical to Africa’s development, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and climate resilience.

“The Institute builds on the experience and network consolidated over a period of five years, since ACTS started implementing projects related to development and deployment of responsible AI solutions and related policies. This launch is therefore meant to enable us to do what we have been doing better, with a wider mandate across the continent.”

-Professor Tom Peter Migun Ogada, Executive Director, African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS)

“We are involved in research and development of Africanized policy, standards, and ethics of AI. Specifically, we are already developing an Africanized scaling of responsible AI toolbox”

– Dr Winston Ojenge, Principal Research Fellow and the Head of the ACTS AI Institute.

The Institute leverages AI to develop tools to enhance agricultural productivity, such as predictive models for weather patterns and crop yields. These solutions will empower smallholder farmers, over 60% of Africa’s population, to make informed decisions, improve harvests, and strengthen food security in the face of climate change. AI-driven diagnostics and telemedicine platforms are being tailored to address Africa’s healthcare challenges, particularly in underserved rural areas.

“It is good that we are now talking about African centered AI future. We, thus, need to prioritize bridging that gap that has existed for many years. We need to begin to think from the policy side. How do we build the necessary infrastructure? We need local infrastructure. We need appropriate capacity building, which must be centered on people understanding what they need to do in order to transition from poverty to prosperity.”

– Amb. Prof. Bitange Ndemo, Kenya’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.

“The limitation in infrastructure comes from the entire architecture and processes around data acquisition, the ability to process data, the ability to critically develop strong and robust models. But we also have a challenge in data. Our data is still disaggregated. The Institute has the opportunity to make sure that we are closing that gap and make sure we have disaggregated data more real time, but also localize the data that can represent our local context.”

-Dr Devotha Nyambo, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology.

Focusing on AI and jobs, the Institute explores how AI can drive economic transformation while creating inclusive opportunities. In analyzing labor market shifts and fostering AI-driven entrepreneurship, the Institute is paving the way for new industries and job creation, particularly for Africa’s youth, who represent over 60% of the continent’s population.

Further, the Institute works to equip African policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs with the skills to lead in AI development and governance through targeted training programs and curriculum development. This focus on capacity building ensures that Africa’s human capital is prepared to shape the global AI landscape.

It is committed to developing AI ethics frameworks that reflect African values and ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability to protect communities and foster innovation that respects local contexts and needs.

“What we are looking to achieve collectively is to build an ecosystem in which responsible AI policies are adopted and implemented, and in which AI innovations are scaling their impact inclusively spreading the benefits of the tools to people that are most often left out of economic and particularly technological transformations. Many young people are looking for training and opportunities, and we have seen how important it is to support institutions across the region to guide that burst of activity towards responsible and inclusive AI, and to ensure that we are thinking about not only opportunity, but also about risks.”

-Gillian Dowie, Senior Program Specialist, International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The Institute aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, which broadly envision a prosperous and integrated Africa driven by science, technology, and innovation.

“We are beginning to see an upsurge in digital numbers around the continent where the young people are using data centers to provide AI solutions to people within the continent. At AUDA-NEPAD level, we help support not just those working at the foundational level of AI, but those that have already leveraged AI to be able to commercialize it. I am happy that there is an opportunity for us to also look deeply at how African languages can begin to feature within this Institute.”

-Prof Brando Okolo, Head of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), AUDA-NEPAD.

The Institute is keen to establish and sustain partnerships with governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, and the media to build a collaborative ecosystem to steer responsible AI development.

“We have to get to a point where we begin to ask, what is it that we want? Because without having to ask those questions it means that we continue to practice AI research which do not reflect the everyday lives that people are associated with. This institute, therefore, is an AI laboratory to ask these very important questions”

– Prof Divine Fuh, Director, HUMA – Institute for Humanities in Africa.

Source: https://techafricanews.com/2025/07/17/acts-launches-africa-centered-ai-institute-to-drive-inclusive-innovation-and-development/