Latest news with #AIeconomy
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Skill Stacks: How Teens Can Future-Proof Their Careers Today
skill stacking helps teen prepare for AI economy Pick a major. Get a degree. Find a job. That roadmap guided generations to middle-class stability, but it's crumbling for today's teenagers. Their parents climbed predictable career ladders in industries that existed for decades. Today's teens will work in fields that don't yet have names, using tools that haven't been invented, solving problems we can't imagine. Consider this: Artificial intelligence now writes code, diagnoses diseases, and creates art. Meanwhile, entirely new roles emerge monthly, such as prompt engineers, AI ethicists, and virtual reality architects. Universities can't build curricula fast enough to keep pace. The answer isn't more credentials. It's skill stacking—intentionally combining abilities that amplify each other's value. A teenager who codes, designs graphics, and leads student government isn't just well-rounded. They're positioning themselves for careers in user experience, tech policy, or digital product management—fields that reward exactly this combination of technical skill, visual thinking, and leadership ability. The best part? Teens don't need to wait for college or permission to start. They can begin building their stack today, using the time and freedom they have right now to experiment, fail, and discover what combination of skills makes them uniquely valuable. What Is a Skill Stack In An AI World? A skill stack is your toolkit of abilities that, when combined, create value beyond the sum of its parts. Unlike deep specialization in a single field, a stack leverages both breadth and depth. Consider a teenager who learns basic Python coding, develops an eye for graphic design, and builds strong communication skills through the debate club. On their own, each skill is valuable—but together, they open doors to careers in user experience research, product design, or tech-driven marketing roles. In the age of AI, humans maintain an edge when they bring together technical, creative, and social skills. According to the World Economic Forum, skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and resilience are among the top 10 skills that employers will prioritize by 2025. Machines can analyze data, but they can't design innovative solutions that also resonate emotionally. They can process language, but they can't truly persuade, lead, or create culture. Why Teens Can Build AI-Ready Skills Now Teenagers are actually at the perfect stage to embrace this way of thinking. They're in a low-stakes environment where it's okay to experiment and fail. Free or low-cost learning resources are widely available to them. Many already have informal skill stacks developing through their hobbies, part-time jobs, or extracurricular activities. For example, a teenager who streams video games (technical literacy and audience engagement), edits highlight reels for social media (creativity and digital tools), and manages a Discord community (leadership and communication) is already developing skills without realizing it. What they need now is intention—to see how their interests and efforts fit into a broader strategy for their future. The 5 Key AI-Era Skill Categories At the very least, teens need to become fluent in the language and logic of technology. This doesn't mean everyone must become a programmer, but it does mean that everyone should understand the basics of how AI, algorithms, and data systems work. Ways to build this skill: As technology raises new dilemmas about privacy, fairness, and bias, those who can think critically and ethically will stand out. This is about asking good questions, analyzing consequences, and resisting easy answers. Ways to build this skill: Regardless of how advanced AI becomes, humans will continue to value clear, persuasive, and empathetic communicators. Writing, public speaking, and interpersonal skills are essential for success. Ways to build this skill: AI can replicate patterns, but humans create the patterns. Creativity—whether in art, design, storytelling, or problem-solving—is a uniquely human strength. Ways to build this skill: Even if they never start a business, teens benefit from thinking like an entrepreneur—spotting opportunities, taking initiative, and building something from nothing. Programs that teach entrepreneurial thinking help develop skills that can be applied to any career path. Ways to build this skill: How Teens Can Start Building AI-Ready Skills Today Getting started doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here are practical steps teens can take right now: Take one free online course this summer. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy have thousands of options. Start a project. Launch a blog, start a YouTube channel, or organize a community clean-up. Join a club or group. Whether it's coding, business, robotics, or the arts, being around others also builds collaboration skills. Find a mentor. Reach out to professionals or older students for advice and guidance. Reflect regularly. Keep a journal or portfolio of what you're learning and how your stack is growing. What Parents & Educators Can Do To Support AI-Ready Learning Parents and teachers play a critical role in fostering this mindset. Instead of pushing teens toward a single "safe" path, they can: At WIT (Whatever It Takes), the organization I founded in 2009, we've seen how early exposure to skill stacking through entrepreneurship education transforms young people's confidence and capabilities. Our graduates don't just start businesses—they become problem solvers who can adapt to whatever challenges they encounter. The AI Economy Belongs To Stack Builders The AI-driven future belongs to those who can adapt, recombine, and apply their skills in creative ways. For teens, the earlier they start stacking, the higher they can climb. In an AI-dominated economy, it's no longer enough to specialize narrowly and hope your role doesn't get automated. What makes you indispensable is your ability to bring together technical fluency, critical thought, creativity, communication, and entrepreneurial grit—skills that complement rather than compete with artificial intelligence. The good news? Teens already have everything they need to start stacking. All it takes is intention, action, and the willingness to keep learning in a world where AI amplifies human potential rather than replacing it.
Zawya
23-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
India - UAE partnership and AI take center stage at Pan IIM Alumni Forum in Dubai
IIM Ahmedabad's Dubai campus marks a historic milestone as the first overseas campus for any IIM, expanding world-class management education to the Middle East. Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir and H.E. Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) highlighted how India-UAE collaboration is driving innovation and economic growth in the region. Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, shared his personal journey, reflecting on how IIMA shaped his career and drawing parallels between sports and business success. Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The Pan IIM Alumni Network – Middle East Chapter successfully hosted its seminal event, Human Capital in the Age of AI Economy, bringing together leading voices from government, business, and academia. Senior diplomats, industry leaders, and thought pioneers convened to discuss the evolving landscape of talent, innovation, and management education in today's rapidly digitalizing world. The Pan IIM Alumni Network represents over 2000 MBA alumni of the elite Indian Institutes of Management, including leaders in business, startups, philanthropic organizations, and government. The event was co-sponsored by Emirates NBD and the IIMA Endowment Fund. Moderated by Chhavi Moodgal, Founding CEO at the IIM Ahmedabad Endowment Fund, the forum featured three engaging panels that addressed critical themes shaping the future of work and education in the India-UAE corridor and beyond. The opening keynote was led by Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, and H.E. Hadi Badri, CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Their addresses centered on the strengthening strategic partnership between India and the UAE, emphasizing talent development as a cornerstone of this collaboration. Ambassador Sudhir remarked, 'The inauguration of IIM Ahmedabad's first international campus in Dubai is a landmark moment that exemplifies the deep and enduring partnership between India and the UAE. This initiative not only strengthens educational ties but also fosters innovation and talent development across our two nations. I am confident that IIMA's presence here will inspire a new generation of leaders who will contribute significantly to the region's economic and social progress.' Echoing this sentiment, Hadi Badri remarked, 'Dubai's vision to become a global hub for talent and innovation aligns perfectly with IIM Ahmedabad's legacy of academic excellence and leadership development. The establishment of IIMA's Dubai campus is a testament to the strong bilateral collaboration between Dubai and India. We look forward to supporting this partnership as it nurtures future-ready professionals who will drive sustainable growth in the UAE and beyond.' The second panel, 'The Future of Work,' delved into how artificial intelligence and digital transformation are fundamentally reshaping business models, workforce dynamics, and organizational strategies. Panelists examined the urgent need for upskilling and lifelong learning to ensure that human capital remains relevant and competitive in an AI-driven global economy. The role of leadership in this evolving landscape was highlighted by the panellists. The forum concluded with Harsha Bhogle sharing how his time at IIM Ahmedabad built his resilience and survivor mindset. He reflected on his cricket commentary career and connected lessons from sports to business, ending with an engaging rapid-fire session. Harsha also spoke about the importance of giving back to your alma mater, encouraging fellow alumni to contribute to the legacy of institutions that shaped them. The forum coincided with the exciting phase of IIM Ahmedabad's preparation to launch its first international campus in Dubai in September 2025. This marks a historic milestone as the first overseas campus for any Indian Institute of Management. The campus will offer a full-time, one-year MBA program tailored for global professionals and entrepreneurs, with admissions opening shortly. Initially operating from Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the campus will transition to a permanent facility by 2029. The choice of Dubai is strategic, given its vibrant business landscape, large Indian diaspora, and commitment to innovation, aligning with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and India's National Education Policy 2020. The campus is expected to deepen educational and economic ties between the two countries and create a thriving hub for talent and leadership development. About IIM Ahmedabad Dubai: IIM Ahmedabad Dubai is the first international branch of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), India's top-ranked business school. Established in partnership with the Government of Dubai, IIM Ahmedabad Dubai brings world-class management education to the Middle East, offering a full-time, one-year MBA program tailored for working professionals and entrepreneurs. The institute combines IIMA's renowned academic rigor, research excellence, and case-based pedagogy with a regional focus on innovation and leadership development. Operating initially from Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), IIM Ahmedabad Dubai will expand to a permanent, state-of-the-art facility by 2029, strengthening educational and economic ties between India and the UAE and supporting Dubai's vision to become a global hub for talent and knowledge. About IIM Ahmedabad: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), established in 1961, is India's premier management institute and is consistently ranked among the world's top business schools. Renowned for its academic excellence, pioneering research, and influential alumni network, IIMA offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs including MBA, doctoral, and executive education. IIMA's commitment to leadership, innovation, and societal impact has made it a benchmark in management education globally.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Agentic Commerce (A-Commerce) Do Not Work Without Agent Identities
Audience at the Featured Session "The Auto-Evolving Business: AI's Agentic Near Future" during SXSW ... More Conference & Festivals at the Austin Convention Center on March 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Diego Donamaria/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images) We all know that agentic commerce is coming at us quickly and agentic commerce will of course mean that agentic finance is inevitable. The smart money is already looking in this direction. For example: Catena Labs has announced an $18 million financing round led by a16z crypto and its plan to establish the first fully regulated AI-native financial institution designed to serve the unique needs of the emerging AI economy. In my view, initiatives like this make agent identities a priority for fintechs. Catena's Sean Neville, who previously co-founded Circle and invented the USDC stablecoin, says that shortcomings in legacy systems make them poorly suited to the needs of agentic commerce and he specifically notes the inability to handle agent identity as a key issue. I have to say I agree with him wholeheartedly about this, and also see his view that agents will soon conduct 'most' economic transactions as far from hyperbolic. And I am not the only one. Craig De Witt, from Skyfire (who are building agent-agent infrastructure) makes a similar point: 'AI has payment and identity requirements that are different from anything we've seen before". He goes to talk about the paradigm shift here, meaning that we are looking at an entirely new approach to how agents will access and pay for services. That point about the digital identity of agents is, I think, central to developing a functioning agentic finance ecosystem. Ravi Loganathan from Sardine summarises some of the problems, asking The race is on to solve these problems as agentic commerce heads to the mainstream, for the obvious reason that if they are not addressed then our commerce infrastructure will be vulernable to agentic fraud on overwhelming scale and trying to fight it using the techniques of a previous era will be like cavalry charges against tanks. Or, for that matter, tanks against drones. Robot wars redux. Earlier this year, payments guru Tom Noyes wrote that identity and authorization will be key to to agentic commerce, with digital wallets as the means for organising and permissioning agent actions, and highlighted the key role of the payment networks in the mainsteam. Well, in the space of a few days last month, Visa launched "Visa Intelligent Commerce', Mastercard launched 'Agentic Tokens' and PayPal launched the 'PayPal Agent Toolkit', all with the general purpose of giving AI agents the ability to pay for purchases and bookings on behalf of consumers. That point about granular access is at the heart of these announcements. They will offer agents payment tokens (rather like the tokens in you xPay wallet) that have tight restrictions so that your agent can only use them in certain merchant categories and with certain payment limits (eg, a token that can be used for travel but only up to $1000 per month, or whatever). (PayPal in fact went even further. At its 2025 Dev Days event, the company announced not only a toolkit for AI agents but a Financial Operating System Financial OS tailored specifically for those agents—autonomous software that can browse, buy, negotiate, refund, and optimize transactions for users—to meet the needs of a future described by Jeremiah Owyang, partner at Blitzscaling Ventures, as a world run by AI agents in which websites may become obsolete and where 'the interfaces of the future are conversations, not clicks.') I see these initiatives as starting points rather than complete solutions. In time, we need a more comprehensive infrastructure to deliver safe and secure agentic commerce. One way to think about this is in terms of the necessary Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the new world of agents. You are almost certainly familiar with the concept of DPI and the link between an effective DPI and the wider economy, but if not, a quick primer: The World Bank identifies DPI's core functions as digital identity, digital payments and data sharing. These essential features support more efficient public and private-sector applications to improve outcomes for citizens (across health, social welfare, financial services, business and beyond). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) say that DPI has the potential to support the transformation of the economy and support inclusive growth. They highlight the particular example of India's foundational DPI, the so-called "India Stack' , and show how it has been harnessed to foster innovation and competition, boost financial inclusion and improve government revenue collection. Payments are an easy place to start. I've written before that with AI systems becoming increasingly agentic business-to-robot-to-consumer (B2R2C) commerce about to explode, and it is a natural evolution for AIs to become economic actors in their own right and to exchange value in return for services. Bots paying other bots are a new frontier for the payments industry that needs new rails. Data exchange is desirable because among other things to do with productivity and efficiency, in the finance sector it is vital as (to use McKinseys framing) "a critical enabler of financial inclusion'. Open financial data can create economic value by benefiting financial institutions, individuals and businesses in many ways. For example, open data sharing can enable customers (or, more likely, customers' agents') to buy and use financial services they might not be able to otherwise access. The future economy, however, is about agents as much as it is about businesses and consumers (the ABCs, if you like) and these will need a DPI that satisfies their needs. That is, AIs will need DPI too. So what will it look like? Let's focus on the digital identity element of an AI DPI to see what it might look like. Clearly, unless we do something about the digital of identity of agents, agentic finance will bring agentic fraud (just as instant payments brought instant fraud). Jelena Hoffart of Mastercard and I have written a paper about this 'know your agent' (KYA) problem for a forthcoming Journal of Digital Banking in which we identify the need for digital identity for agents as a fundamental enabler for agents to access financial services on behalf of individuals or organisations (or, indeed, themselves) to create a new financial environment able to generate better outcomes for consumers and businesses. To deliver on this vision of agentic finance as a means to improve financial health for all, we must therefore begin with a digital identity infrastructure that can provide identification, authentication and authorisation for not only financial institutions and their customers, but also their agents. In that environment, Know-your-customer (KYC) is necessary as know-your-business (KYB) and know-your-employee (KYE). But without know-your-agent (KYA) there will be no progress. Addressing these issues begins with verifiable credentials (VCs) and claims that provide granular access to, for example, the payments system. Some commentators see this in terms of granting agents access to the VCs of individuals and organisations in order to act on their behalf but that's not quite right. We don't want AIs to present our credentials, we want AIs to present their own credentials in order to obtain claims that we have consented to authorise. In other words, my bot shouldn't show up at a bank pretending to me: it should show up at a bank as a bot acting on my behalf. As I said at the start, the smart money is moving in. Persona, the verified identify platform used by a host of fintechs (including Robinhood, Brex and OpenAI) has raised $200 million at a $2 billion valuation. The company says that rise of AI agents, increasingly sophisticated AI-driven fraud, regulatory fragmentation, and growing privacy expectations have created a far more complex — and constantly evolving — identity landscape. As Rick Song, CEO of Persona, puts it 'Identity in an AI-driven world isn't about ticking a box, and the question is no longer 'is this a bot or not?' but rather 'who is the bot acting on behalf of, and what is their intent?''. Indeed. This is how agentic commerce and agentic finance should work, and extending DPI to agent identities give us the right framework for ensuring that they do.
