The brain and skills BOX 1 While nearly all human abilities are mediated by the brain, brain skills in this report do not refer to everything that the brain does but rather focuses on the capabilities that draw heavily on higher-order cognitive, emotional and adaptive functions, such as metacognition and complex decision-making. There is a difference between using the brain to follow a “known recipe” vs. using it to invent a new one while under pressure. For example, knowing a particular workflow is becoming less valuable in the workplace than the ability to rethink the approach when circumstances change. The latter ability refers to the term brain skills within the context of this report. This term is used as shorthand to indicate the non-technical skills that are often overlooked in formal education and training but have an outsized impact on human performance. These include skills such as creative and analytical thinking, resilience and flexibility, which give individuals the capacity to respond to change with agility and sustainable practices, and are aligned with recent research by the World Economic Forum and others on the future of skills in the workplace.11,12 This report offers a roadmap for stakeholders in building brain capital and draws from a year of global convenings and dialogues facilitated by the World Economic Forum’s Brain Economy Action Forum, which identified five levers to build brain capital: 1. Safeguard brain health by ensuring access to effective care for brain health conditions and promoting brain health across the life course 2. Foster brain skills for the next generation, current workers and those in later life 3. Study brain capital by defining brain capital as an interdisciplinary field, developing robust measures and expanding research and development to drive progress4. Invest in brain capital by funding products, services and systems that improve brain capital, using both traditional and innovative financial instruments 5. Mobilize for brain capital by forging a coordinated global movement that aligns stakeholders around a shared vision and roadmap to build brain capital The following sections offer more detail on each lever, as well as actions for stakeholders to consider. The Human Advantage: Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 6

The Human Advantage Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 2026