For decades, economic progress has been defined by statistics like GDP and productivity, treating growth as a purely financial equation. However, the future of prosperity must be rooted in human values and meaningful dialogue. As artificial intelligence and automation advance, the importance of empathy, ethics, and emotional awareness—what some call authentic intelligence—becomes more critical than ever. n nDespite being more connected globally, societies are increasingly fragmented. Digital platforms enable instant communication across continents, yet genuine listening has become rare. The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Davos theme, A Spirit of Dialogue, arrives at a pivotal moment, urging a revival of deep, respectful conversation to rebuild trust amid polarization and uncertainty. Dialogue, in this sense, is not merely speaking—it’s about truly seeing others through empathy, humility, and shared purpose. n nRedefining prosperity requires moving beyond traditional metrics. Instead of focusing solely on economic output, we might consider a Growth Quotient (GQ)—a measure of how growth enhances human well-being, not just corporate profits. True development includes education that fosters curiosity, work that restores dignity, and leadership that prioritizes listening over commanding. n nA major challenge today is not a lack of leaders, but a lack of those who listen. In political chambers, corporate offices, and online spaces, noise often drowns out understanding. Real leadership involves creating space for diverse voices, acknowledging uncertainty, and embracing perspectives that differ from one’s own. In an era of strained international relations, dialogue is not just diplomatic—it’s essential for survival and cooperation. n nEmerging technologies like AI, biotechnology, and quantum computing hold transformative potential, but they also reflect societal values. If our systems lack compassion, our algorithms will amplify that deficit. Innovation must be guided by ethical intention, balancing artificial intelligence with human wisdom. Progress without moral grounding risks becoming directionless acceleration. n nThe benefits of dialogue extend far beyond formal settings. When people choose connection over competition—in schools, workplaces, and communities—trust grows. This ‘dialogue dividend’ leads to better innovation, stronger negotiations, and faster societal healing. At the QI Group, fostering open conversations has strengthened team cohesion and community engagement, replacing bureaucratic barriers with collaborative bridges. n nThe world does not need another technological or economic revolution as much as it needs an emotional one. We’ve mastered communication tools but lost the art of genuine human connection. The next phase of global development must be built on our ability to care, collaborate, and co-create meaning. Growth without humanity is mere expansion, not evolution. n nThe future should prioritize dialogue as the default mode of interaction, where cooperation is seen not as compromise but as courage. Progress should be measured not by the speed of speech, but by the depth of understanding. The next chapter of global advancement will be written not in code or policy, but in the collective willingness to recognize each other’s humanity. n
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Growth measured in humanity: why dialogue must shape the new economy
For decades, we have measured progress in percentages and productivity. n nBut the future of growth must be shaped by human values and the spirit of dialogue. n nAuthentic intelligence – rooted in empathy, ethics and emotional awareness – will be vital to the success of AI. n nIn a world that is more connected than ever before, we have never been more divided. Technology has given us the ability to speak across continents in seconds, yet we seem to have forgotten how to truly listen. The irony of progress is that even as our systems grow smarter, our conversations have grown shallower. n nThe World Economic Forum’s 2026 Davos theme, A Spirit of Dialogue, could not be more timely. It calls on us to rediscover the lost art of conversation, to rebuild trust in an age of polarization, disruption and doubt. But dialogue, as I see it, is not just an act of speaking. It is an act of seeing – of understanding others and ourselves with empathy, humility and purpose. n nGrowth beyond numbers n nFor decades, we have measured progress in percentages and productivity, as if growth were purely an economic equation. But growth is not just what we accumulate; it is what we become. n nWe need a new measure of prosperity. Instead of GDP, perhaps we should be looking at GQ – Growth Quotient – the extent to which our growth uplifts people, not just profits. n nThe human dimension of growth demands that we look beyond markets and metrics, to the moral and emotional infrastructure that sustains societies. It means asking some key questions: n nAre we creating not only wealth, but well-being? n nAre we building not only faster systems, but fairer ones? n nThe future of growth lies in human development. In education that awakens curiosity, in work that restores dignity, and in leadership that listens before it leads. n nA nation’s true wealth lies not in what it builds, but in what it believes. n nThe leadership deficit n nWe are not suffering from a shortage of leaders; we are suffering from a shortage of listeners. In boardrooms, parliaments and social platforms, there is no shortage of noise, only a shortage of understanding. n nDialogue is not weakness; it is strength in its highest form. It takes courage to hear perspectives that challenge our own, to admit that we do not have all the answers. The leader of tomorrow will not be the one who commands the loudest voice, but the one who creates the quietest space for others to be heard. n nListening is the purest form of respect and the most underrated form of leadership. n nAt a time when global cooperation is strained by rivalry and mistrust, dialogue is not just diplomacy, it is survival. It is what allows nations to move from confrontation to collaboration, from competition to co-creation. n nTechnology with a soul n nAI, biotechnology and quantum computing promise to redefine the boundaries of possibility. But they will also test the boundaries of our humanity. n nWe must remember that technology is a mirror. It reflects who we are. If we lack empathy, our algorithms will amplify that lack. If we value only efficiency, we risk engineering empathy out of existence. n nThe real question is not how intelligent our machines become, but how conscious we remain as humans. n nInnovation must be guided by intention. Progress must be tempered by principle. We must pair artificial intelligence with authentic intelligence – the wisdom that comes from empathy, ethics and emotional awareness. Technology without humanity is acceleration without direction. n nThe future will not be won by those who master data, but by those who master themselves. n nThe dialogue dividend n nTrue dialogue does not happen in conference halls alone. It begins in classrooms, workplaces and communities; wherever people choose to connect, rather than compete. n nWhen dialogue becomes a habit, cooperation follows. Companies innovate better, nations negotiate better, and societies heal faster. This is the dialogue dividend, the compounding returns of trust. n nIn my own company, the QI Group, I have witnessed how meaningful dialogue transforms teams and communities. It builds bridges where bureaucracy builds walls. It allows people to see one another not as rivals in a race, but as partners in a journey. n nGlobal cooperation is not an agenda item; it is a human instinct that needs to be reawakened. n nA new global conversation n nThe world does not need another economic revolution. It needs an emotional one. We have mastered the science of communication, but forgotten the art of communion. To shape the next economy, we must return to the essence of what makes us human: our ability to connect, to care and to create meaning together. Growth without humanity is expansion without evolution. n nLet us build a future where dialogue is the default, not the exception. Where cooperation is not an act of compromise, but an act of courage. And where the measure of progress is not how fast we speak but how deeply we understand. n nDiscover n nWhat is the World Economic Forum doing to champion social innovation? n nSocial innovators are addressing the world’s most serious and entrenched challenges, ranging from illiteracy to clean water and sanitation, girls’ education, prison reform, financial inclusion and disaster relief. n nThe Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is supporting more than 400 leading social innovators operating in over 190 countries. n nSince its foundation in 1998, a total of 722 million lives have been directly improved by the work of this community of leading social innovators. n nLoading… n nOur global network of experts, partner institutions and World Economic Forum constituents are invited to nominate outstanding social innovators. n nVisit the Schwab Foundation website for more information about the award process and the selection criteria. n nRead more about the Foundation’s impact. n nThe next chapter of global growth will not be written in code or policy, but in conversation, in our collective willingness to see one another again – not as data points, but as human beings.