Key takeaways from the WEF 2024 Top 10 Emerging Technologies panel

Published on October 14th, 2024

authored by Kailyn Schmidt, Public Relations Specialist 

In June, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Frontiers unveiled the awaited Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024 report. Now in its 12th year, the report continues to spotlight groundbreaking technologies that are poised to influence society and address critical global challenges. 

This year's report is the culmination of extensive research and collaboration among leading experts and innovators, broadening the scope and deepening the analysis of the findings. It showcases technologies that are not only innovative but also have the potential to drive sustainable development and economic growth within the next three to five years. From revolutionizing connectivity to pioneering new applications of artificial intelligence (AI), the 2024 report offers a comprehensive overview of the technologies set to shape our future. 

Since its release, the 2024 report has gathered considerable public attention and has become a useful resource for business leaders, innovators, policymakers, and professionals across disciplines. The report's impact is evident, with over 120 mentions in global media outlets and over 1.3 million social media impressions, resulting in 21,000 downloads within the first three weeks of publication. To delve deeper into the report's findings, the WEF and Frontiers hosted a live panel session in September. This event brought together prominent experts known for their knowledge and contributions in their respective fields, with Stephan Kuster, Head of Public Affairs at Frontiers, moderating the discussion. 

Below we summarize the expertise shared during the panel session.

“Science and technology have a huge potential of benefiting society and bringing positive progress to society. We need to foster a very vibrant and dynamic science and research environment, but we do need to think about the frameworks in which these operate, the governance of certain technologies, and how we can shape and mold the pathways because ultimately, we want science and technology to bring more equity, more prosperity, and more health to society, and not exacerbate any of the gaps.” 

Reflecting on her research career, Dr Anna Laura Ross recalled how predicting the 3D structure of proteins, a crucial step in drug development, used to take an enormous amount of time. With the rise of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, this process has become significantly faster, accelerating scientific discovery and technological advancement. 

However, the benefits of these technologies alone are not enough. Trust is essential for the adoption of disruptive innovations. If people don’t trust the technology, they won’t use it. Building this trust can be achieved through societal engagement. Dr Ross points to HIV research as a successful example, where involving those living with HIV in the scientific process has built trust over many years. Adopting this model in other areas can help address issues like vaccine hesitancy and fully realize the potential of new technologies. Yet Dr Ross stressed the need to balance scientific and technological advancements with appropriate contexts and frameworks, ensuring that these developments benefit all parts of society. 

“We are really in a golden age of science. The opportunities are incredibly exciting to really create and accelerate development; to tackle the breadth and the compounding threats the world faces. The foresighting work that the World Economic Forum and others do is incredibly helpful to enable us to spot those opportunities and think about how we shape how those technologies are developed; how they can be applied in the most impactful ways and try to address the risk of inequalities in the benefits; and the importance of working collectively in this endeavor so that we move from the hype to achieving the reality of the potential of the technologies highlighted in the report.” 

Technologies once deemed “emerging” have seen rapid and exponential growth in recent years. A prime example is artificial intelligence, which was first featured in the 2015 Emerging Technologies report and has since become an integral part of daily life for many. Focusing on AI, Professor Charlotte Watts emphasized its significant impact and utility in our work, from accessing vast data sets to synthesizing and integrating information in real time. However, she pointed out that the true benefits of AI are realized when it is used in conjunction with smart users.  

Smart use of AI extends beyond simply giving clear prompts to achieve a desired outcome. It also requires vigilance and disconcertment regarding the sources of data these tools utilize. Biased or incomplete data can inadvertently influence the results produced by AI, impacting subsequent actions based on this information. Professor Watts stressed that AI’s effectiveness is directly tied to the quality of the data it is trained on. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that AI systems are trained on comprehensive, unbiased data that accurately represents the communities they serve. This necessitates collaboration among diverse stakeholders to gather and curate data that is both inclusive and representative, ultimately enhancing the reliability and fairness of AI applications for smarter usage. 

“From a researcher perspective, we need to listen to people, to users, and to the societal impact of science and try to address that. Sometimes the research doesn’t seem that interesting [or] motivating [at first], but when you dig into it, you see that solving these research problems can be quite impactful. So, listening to people and listening to societal problems is an important aspect that researchers have to take into account [when] picking their research problems and research topics.” 

To define what makes a technology “emerging,” two key factors are considered: its disruptiveness and its maturity level, also known as its Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Disruptiveness refers to the technology’s ability to provide solutions to significant problems, while TRL indicates how ready the technology is for deployment. When these factors are combined, they characterize an emerging technology as one that can effectively solve problems and is prepared for implementation. 

Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini used high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) as an example of an emerging technology, and one of the ten included in this year’s report. HAPS operate at stratospheric altitudes, providing a stable platform for observation and communication. Advances in lightweight composite material, autonomous avionics and antennas, expanded frequency bands, and new aviation systems make HAPS a viable option for the near future. Once deployed, HAPS can offer connectivity and coverage in areas that satellites and terrestrial towers cannot match. Professor Alouini emphasized that this technology has the potential to address the digital divide, where about one-third of the global population currently remains unconnected or under-connected. This will help reduce inequalities by ensuring access to essential knowledge, resources, and tools. In turn, a more connected world will foster prosperity, new educational opportunities, and stronger social connections. 

In sharing his work, Professor Alouini urged fellow and future researchers to take societal issues into account in their research. He explained that science, with the emerging technologies it fosters, has immense potential to enhance lives worldwide. 

The full panel session, including more detailed discussions of the themes mentioned above, is available to watch below. 

Copyright: © 2024 [author(s)]. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in the Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.