The Human Advantage Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 2026

Safeguard brain health1 Strong brain health lays the foundation for resilient individuals, organizations and communities. Underinvestment in the brain carries a profound opportunity cost. Based on 2025 burden projections, brain health conditions (including the primary and associated burden for MNS disorders, stroke and self-harm) account for 24% of the total global disease burden.13 Safeguarding brain health requires action across the life course, as different risks and opportunities emerge from early childhood to old age. Half of all mental health conditions appear by the age of 14, and three- quarters by the age of 24.14 Neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, emerge in young children while other neurological conditions, such as epilepsy or migraine, may occur at any age. Neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias, are overwhelmingly conditions of older age, with the number of adults over 65 living with dementia rising globally by 160% in the past three decades – from 18.7 million in 1991 to 49 million in 2021.15 Behind these numbers are more than 1 billion disrupted lives, from children unable to reach their full potential to older adults losing their independence (see Figure 1). Safeguarding brain health means: 1) supporting promotion of healthy brain function and prevention of brain health conditions across the life course; 2) scaling access to evidence-based treatment and services; and 3) innovating to advance promotion of brain health and treatment for brain health conditions. Estimated global burden of brain health conditions FIGURE 1 Source: IHME, Global burden of disease (2021); McKinsey Health Institute analysisMental disor ders2Substance use disor ders Neur ological disor ders3Disease bur den in 2025 by age gr oup,1DALYs in millions 5 01 redn U4 21 2 1 91–0 14 38 5 1 92–0 25 39 8 1 93–0 30 37 4 2 94–0 44 25 6 3 95–0 57 13 1 5 96–0 69 1 1 6 97–0 73 4 4 98–0 81 5 09 rev O0 18 36 52 6 5 16 60 7 1 7 8 4 6 11 6 puorg eg A Note: Due to r ounding, some values may not sum pr ecisely to the stated total 1. Only includes primary bur den; excludes associated bur den 2. Mental disor ders include depr essive disor ders, anxiety disor ders, schizophr enia, autism spectrum disor ders, bipolar disor der, conduct disor der, idiopathic developmental intellectual disability , eating disor ders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disor der, other mental disor ders and self-harm 3. Neur ological disor ders include Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, migraine, Parkinson's disease, idiopathic epilepsy , tension-type headache, motor neur one disease, multiple scler osis, other neur ological disor ders and str oke The Human Advantage: Stronger Brains in the Age of AI 7