ManpowerGroup

3 days in Dalian, and the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions has come to a close.

From the main stage to the conversations happening in between sessions, ManpowerGroup spent the week right where the big conversations about the future of work were happening.

Here's what we did, and what we're taking home:

Our CEO Jonas Prising, Co-Chair of AMNC 2026, joined the "AI Everywhere, Not at Once" panel on the global stage. Our leaders sat down for media interviews, shared their perspectives across three days of discussions, and spoke directly with the next generation entering the workforce.

Some of what our leaders shared:

"It's not what you learn, it's learning how to learn." Francois Lancon reminded us that adaptability matters more than any single skill.

Lancy Chui made the case that technology should empower people, not replace them, calling for more flexible and supportive ways of working for everyone.

Sam Haggag challenged leaders to be intentional about workforce design, drawing a clear line between what AI supports and what stays human.

Filip Rideau shared what he heard straight from Gen Z: the one word that kept coming up was judgement, the ability to challenge and judge the output of AI to create better value.

And Okjin OJ Kim put it simply: AI isn't here to make us work harder or faster. It's an assistant that helps us work better.

If the whole week came back to one idea, it's this: innovation only matters when it reaches people. The organisations that succeed won't be the ones adopting AI fastest, but the ones redesigning work thoughtfully, building their people's skills, and keeping human judgement at the centre.

Human First, Digital Always.

Thank you to everyone who followed along. Follow our social channels for more insights!

Day 2 in Dalian, and one question was on every leader's mind: what does success with AI actually look like?

The answer from our leaders at AMNC 2026 was consistent. Success isn't about adopting AI the fastest. It's about getting the foundations right, putting people at the centre, and being deliberate about how human and AI capabilities work together.

In their own words:

"With the right foundational groundwork around compliance and security measures as the backbones, companies will be able to accelerate at the speed of light."
Filip Rideau, Regional Head of Growth & Franchise, APME, ManpowerGroup

"It's not technology. It's people."
Francois Lancon, Regional President, APME, ManpowerGroup

"Leaders must be very intentional about their workforce design, having a clear understanding of which areas are going to be supported by AI and which parts will be uniquely human.""
Sam Haggag, Head of Manpower & Director of Sales, APME, ManpowerGroup

The takeaway for leaders: get the groundwork right, design your workforce with intention, and remember that the hardest part of an AI transformation isn't the technology, it's the people.

Follow along for everything coming out of AMNC 2026 this week, and explore more on our hub: https://www.manpowergroup.com/insights/amnc?utm_campaign=Facebook%2Ccarousel%2CPromotion+Pillar%2C2026+AMNC+global&utm_content=Day+2+in+Dalian%2C+and+one+&utm_medium=ManpowerGroup+%28Default%29&utm_source=facebook

Day 1 in Dalian, and one message came through clearly for the next generation entering the workforce.

For students and early-career professionals, the future of work can feel like a moving target. What should you study? Which skills will still matter? At AMNC 2026, our leaders shared direct, practical advice for exactly that.

In their own words:

"The more interest that you can take into this new technology, the more proficient you will be and the more attractive you will be from an employer perspective."
Jonas Prising, Chair & CEO, ManpowerGroup
Co-Chair of AMNC 2026

"Don't be obsessed with what you're going to learn because the most important is not what you learn, it's to learn how to learn. That's the most important. Train your muscles."
François Lançon, Regional President, APME, ManpowerGroup

"It's about staying adaptive. It's about staying ready. It's about the continuous learning, because what happens with this AI revolution is an enhancement of your creativity and those core skills that you're building foundations for today."
Filip Rideau, Regional Head of Growth & Franchise, APME, ManpowerGroup

The takeaway for anyone starting out: build your understanding of AI, train your ability to keep learning, and never underestimate the human skills that set you apart. As Jonas put it, it's humans first, digital always.

Follow along for more insights from AMNC 2026 this week, and explore more on our hub: https://www.manpowergroup.com/insights/amnc?utm_campaign=Facebook%2Ccarousel%2CPromotion+Pillar%2C2026+AMNC+global&utm_content=Day+1+in+Dalian%2C+and+one+&utm_medium=ManpowerGroup+%28Default%29&utm_source=facebook

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As job applications surge and skills requirements continue to evolve, how can employers better identify talent and create a stronger candidate experience?

In the latest ManpowerGroup Work Intelligence Lab podcast, Greg Dunbar of Hubert joins us to discuss the growing challenge of talent differentiation, the impact of AI on hiring, and why skills-based assessment is becoming increasingly important.

The conversation builds on ManpowerGroup's global partnership with Hubert and our shared commitment to a Human First, Digital Always approach to hiring.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RMD2Z8sxlTyrJ5COwcEEM?si=590442b1be5d4476 or anywhere you get your podcasts.

In his latest World Economic Forum article, Jonas Prising, Chair and CEO of ManpowerGroup and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, explores how the AI era is widening a critical gap between what technology can do and what people are able to do with it.

While AI adoption is accelerating across industries, the limiting factor is increasingly workforce readiness, including skills, confidence, and how work itself is structured. Closing this gap requires more than training alone, with a focus on skills-based systems, continuous learning, and redesigning work around human and machine collaboration.

from June 23 to 25, 2026, will focus on scaling innovation into real-world impact, including this challenge.

Read the article: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/06/close-gap-what-ai-can-do-people/