The Most Valuable Intelligence at Davos Isn’t Artificial. It’s Human.
Workhuman returns to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
Soon, global leaders will once again converge on Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting. Among the conversations about AI, economic transformation, and technological disruption, one critical question will dominate: What about humans?
Workhuman will be returning to Davos this year to champion that very question. Because while AI rules the headlines and boardroom agendas, we believe the real competitive advantage lies not in the algorithms we build but in the people we empower.
Here’s a truth that keeps CEOs and board members up at night: Most leaders don’t see what employees are actually working on. Financial dashboards show outcomes but can’t reveal who’s driving progress, where execution is stalling, or which behaviors are moving strategy forward.
This is the people data gap, and it’s precisely the insight gap Workhuman® recognition data is able to fill. When employees acknowledge each other for meaningful contributions, they create a livestream of human intelligence that reveals the real-time behavior and strengths of the organization.
Five strategic insights boards need now
At Davos, we’ll be sharing five critical board-level insightsOpens in a new tab with business leaders about the power of people data:
Recognition provides real-time visibility into execution.
Recognition data shows who’s driving progress, where execution is stalling, and which behaviors are moving strategy forward. It’s people data financial dashboards can’t see but that corporate boards urgently need.
Skills are hiding in plain sight.
Recognition reveals both technical skills and critical human capabilities like creativity, influence, resilience, problem-solving, and inclusion. These are the skills the World Economic Forum calls the “future of work,” and recognition data creates a live skills map on which leadership can act.
AI adoption is a human problem, not a technology problem.
AI fails when humans aren’t on board. Recognition accelerates the behaviors AI needs: experimentation, knowledge-sharing, coaching and trust. It’s positive reinforcement at scale and the missing layer in every AI transformation plan.
Boards need decision-level insights in real time.
Human Intelligence® gives boards a live view of culture, performance, and risk. Alignment, influence, skills, manager quality, and early-warning retention signals are all derived from recognition and delivered in finance-ready terms. It’s the people-performance dashboard boards have been asking for.
AI can’t help you win if it’s trained on the wrong data.
Most organizations have a data gap: The systems feeding their AI know what people do but not how work gets done. They miss the behaviors, skills, and networks that really drive execution. Recognition fills that gap with a live stream of human context that AI needs to make accurate predictions and support better decisions.
Bringing Human Intelligence to the world stage
Our presence at Davos isn’t just about showcasing our platform but also about elevating a critical conversation that often gets lost in the rush to adopt new technologies: the essential role of human intelligence in organizational success.
Throughout the week, we’ll be partnering with leading organizations like The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Female Quotient to host a series of events, thought leadership sessions, and strategic conversations with CHROs, CEOs, and board members from leading organizations. We’ll explore how recognition data transforms from a nice-to-have engagement tool into mission-critical business intelligence.
As we prepare for Davos, one thing is clear: The organizations that will thrive in the age of AI aren’t those with the most sophisticated algorithms – they’re the ones that unlock the full potential of their people and use human intelligence to inform every strategic decision.
At Workhuman, we’ve always believed that when you recognize the human in everyone, remarkable things happen. In Davos, we’ll show how this isn’t just a philosophy but a business imperative backed by data, results, and ROI impact.
Join us at Davos
If you’re attending WEF 2026, I invite you to connect with our Workhuman team. Let’s talk about how recognition data can transform your approach to AI transformation, skills visibility, early warning signals, strategy activation, and board-grade decision dashboards.
Because in a world increasingly shaped by AI, the most valuable intelligence of all is human.
Book a meeting with our executive team: https://www.workhuman.com/davos/
About the author
Tom Libretto
Tom Libretto is the President at Workhuman, where he is focused on developing and scaling go-to-market strategies, brand, and customer marketing. His multi-disciplinary background includes both B2B and B2C marketing and sales experience as well as product management, corporate strategy, and business development.
Prior to Workhuman, he was the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of PEGA Systems and before that, served as the Managing Director and Global Head of Digital Experience at JPMorgan Chase (JPMC). Mr. Libretto has over 20 years of marketing leadership experience in global technology organizations including Lotus, IBM, Nokia.
Mr. Libretto received an undergraduate degree from College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts). He is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and events such as the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Web Marketing Association (WMA) Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and SXSW.