Artificial intelligence set the tone for this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which wrapped up in Tianjin on 26 June. The conference, better known as Summer Davos, drew roughly 1,800 participants from more than 90 economies. China’s Premier Li Qiang opened proceedings by calling for deeper trade links and faster deployment of frontier technologies, positioning the mainland as a “global innovation hub.” Delegates repeatedly returned to the economic promise—and labour risks—of generative AI. Oxford Internet Institute’s Carl-Benedikt Frey warned that accountants, lawyers and other white-collar roles face the highest exposure, while tech investors said spending is already shifting from infrastructure to application-layer services. Reflecting that trend, India’s LTIMindtree expects its entire targeted US$10 billion of revenue over the next five years to be influenced by AI after landing a US$450 million, seven-year contract driven by the technology. On the show floor, a humanoid robot performing delicate tasks embodied the rapid progress executives say is reshaping manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Outside the venue, Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Chery and Great Wall Motor detailed plans to expand electric and hybrid sales in Africa as U.S. and European tariffs squeeze traditional export markets—another sign of companies seeking growth in the Global South. That geographic shift was a dominant theme. Ben Simpfendorfer of Oliver Wyman noted that capital, talent and supply chains are increasingly flowing among emerging economies, with Asia and the Middle East forming what he called a new “economic bloc.” Former UK prime minister Tony Blair described the convergence of AI and robotics as a “complete revolution,” urging governments to prioritise adoption or risk falling behind.