In January 2026 the World Economic Forum published The Human Advantage: Stronger Brains in the Age of AI. It was written with the McKinsey Health Institute.
Its central idea is brain capital. That means two things together: brain health, and brain skills such as resilience, adaptability and judgement.
What the report says about work
Adults spend about a third of their lives at work. The report calls the workplace a place that can strengthen or erode brain capital.
More than one in five employees globally show symptoms of burnout. The report estimates that investing in employee health could add up to 12% to global GDP.
Why AI raises the stakes
The report says AI is amplifying both the urgency and the opportunity. The ability to use and manage AI tools well has grown sevenfold in two years.
Its advice is specific. AI changes should be paired with deliberate investment in brain skills, built into the new workflows.
It gives an example. Let AI handle scheduling, translation and admin. Make sure people keep the skills that drive trust and performance, such as communication, mentoring and critical thinking.
Build this capability in your organisation
Growth Performance designs bespoke programmes that turn insight into measurable behaviour change.
The skills that matter most
The report highlights resilience, self-efficacy and adaptability. It cites a 30-country study where adaptability and self-efficacy best predicted whether people felt they were thriving.
It also warns about leaders. Under sustained pressure, some leaders resist change and fall back on reactive habits. Self-regulation and mental stamina become leadership skills.
What this means for leaders
The report's advice maps onto how AI change actually lands in teams.
Adoption. People must feel safe to say what AI is doing to their workload and thinking. That helps them take on the change, which is Adoption.
Adaptation. If AI adds work without removing any, brain capital drains. Redesigning the work as agents join it, including who checks what, is Adaptation.
Protect the skills AI could erode. Decide which tasks people should keep doing themselves, so judgement keeps developing.
Try this
List the changes your team has absorbed this quarter, AI and otherwise. Then ask what was removed to make room for them.
The Change Load Counter helps you see the total. The Brain Health and Focus Diagnostic gives a baseline for your team.