Latest news with #GlobalRisksReport2025
Extra.ie
19-06-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
When politics hits the checkout: Why more consumers are turning against brands
More and more, social and political division is shaping the world we live in. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025, polarised societies are now one of the top five long-term risks to global stability. For businesses, this isn't something happening on the sidelines, it's front and centre – and they're most certainly feeling it. There was a time when taking a stand on social issues helped brands stand out. But now, those same messages can spark major public backlash. Pic: Getty Images In today's climate, some consumers are making their opinions known with their wallets. In fact, Ipsos data shows one in four Americans have boycotted a company because of its political stance or reaction to current events. In the US, political pressure is pushing some big companies to pull back from their public commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In the US, political pressure is pushing some big companies to pull back from their public commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Pic: Shutterstock Elsewhere, companies are finding more nuanced ways to stay the course. In Europe and Asia, multinationals are still committed to DEI, but they're adapting their messaging to fit local contexts and avoid political flare-ups. The same balancing act is happening around ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance). In early 2025, the EU responded to competitiveness concerns by easing sustainability rules, a sign of how economic pressures are now weighing against long-term ESG goals. Security is also back on the agenda. In Europe, 36% now say it's the EU's top priority. Across Asia and Latin America, shifting alliances and social pressures are changing how businesses operate and engage with stakeholders. Pic: Getty This new environment means businesses need to tread carefully, with clear plans for when to speak up, when to stay silent, and how to align their actions with their values and long-term goals. Ibec's Global Compass report, Navigating Polarisation: Business Leadership in a Fragmented World, dives deeper into how businesses can lead through today's ideological divides – not by avoiding difficult issues, but by learning to navigate them with care and strategy.
News18
06-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships: A Strategic Path To Achieve India's Net Zero Goals, Water Security
Water conservation is essential to India's net-zero ambitions, given its deep influence on the environment and society. India is an emerging economy where Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are set to increase, albeit from a low base, in pursuit of its development and poverty eradication goals. India's historical cumulative emissions from 1850 to 2019 amount to less than 4 per cent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions of the world from the pre-industrial era, despite being home to 17 per cent of the world's population. Hence, India's contribution for global warming has been minimal and even today its annual per capita emissions are only about one-third of the global average . During the 26th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 26) in November, 2021, India announced its target to achieve net zero by 2070. India's long-term low-carbon development strategy is based on the principles of equity and climate justice and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities. Water conservation is essential to India's net-zero ambitions, given its deep influence on the environment and society. As a country largely dependent on agriculture, industry, and domestic use, India is confronting significant water scarcity issues that are worsened by climate change and rising population. Large parts of India are already close to a crisis as the taps are running dry. The subcontinent, paradoxically blessed with abundant rainfall, faces one of the gravest water shortages of any large economy. Insights from Water Research Institute of India (WRI) and NITI Aayog reveal that India ranks 13th among 17 countries facing extreme water stress. Over the past decade, major urban centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai have repeatedly grappled with acute water shortages. Further, between 2017 and 2021, power plants in India lost 8.2 TWh of generation due to water shortages equivalent to the energy consumption of 1.5 million homes over five years. The reasons are not elusive. They lie in decades of groundwater overextraction, haphazard urban growth, population explosion, poor infrastructure, and the creeping, often overlooked, consequences of climate change. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025, the impact of this crisis falls heaviest on the shoulders of the marginalised, urban poor, and industry-reliant regions, where water scarcity is not just inconvenient but economically calamitous. Sustainable water conservation and management are crucial for climate change adaptation and also play a key role in lowering carbon emissions. Renewable Energy generation and Green Hydrogen production that significantly contribute to GHG emission reductions by displacing fossil fuel in hard to abate sectors also are heavily reliant on water availability. By prioritising measures for water efficiency, India can advance its goal of achieving net zero emissions. In such a scenario, the private sector can become key partners for the Government and act as co-stewards of this water conservation movement. Water is No Longer Just an Environmental Risk. It is a Strategic One Once pushed down to the appendices of CSR reports, water has now moved to the top tier of corporate concern. It has become a strategic variable that is central to supply chain stability, ESG ratings, and most importantly investor trust. Further, many strategies of the private and public sector corporates for achieving their net zero targets are directly or indirectly connected to water management. India's policy regime is also gradually catching up. SEBI's Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework now obliges companies to disclose their water usage and risks. Yet regulation alone cannot repair aquifers or replenish rivers. What is needed is a transformation in how businesses engage with water, starting with how they value it. Innovation, Community & Collaboration Across the globe, large corporates are setting ambitious sustainability goals—ranging from net-zero commitments to circularity targets. Amazon, for instance, has made significant progress in clean energy adoption, becoming the world's largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy. Its operations are increasingly powered by wind and solar farms, including new projects in India. The company has also undertaken robust waste management efforts—cutting down single-use plastics in packaging and promoting reusable delivery options in key markets. Water, too, is emerging as a crucial frontier in this sustainability journey. Businesses are beginning to shift from being consumers of water to custodians of it. This new water ethic rests on three foundational pillars: operational efficiency, ecosystem replenishment, and collaborative governance. On efficiency, technology is making the invisible visible. Smart metering, leak detection systems, and real-time water monitoring are enabling companies to reduce usage and minimise waste. On ecosystem replenishment, Private Sector's water stewardship efforts are exemplified through projects such as lake restoration projects in Bengaluru's Yamare Lake and Hyderabad's Sai Reddy Lake, by Amazon in collaboration with SayTrees. These lakes—considered vital lifelines for their respective cities—had long suffered from neglect, sedimentation, and flood risks due to urban sprawl. The restoration, once complete, is expected to replenish over 570 million litres of water annually, tripling their storage capacity and revitalising the surrounding ecosystem. This aligns with Amazon's broader goal of becoming a water-positive company in India—returning more water to communities than it consumes. The third pillar is collaborative governance, which determines whether these efforts scale. Coca-Cola India is a strong example—replenishing over 200% of the water it uses through joint projects with NGOs and government agencies. These include the rehabilitation of local water bodies and community infrastructure, contributing directly to the fulfilment of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Crucially, the government is creating an enabling environment. Flagship programmes such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana, and the Catch the Rain campaign are revitalising traditional water systems, promoting aquifer recharge, and encouraging citizen participation. The convergence of public initiatives and private sector innovation offers a compelling case for blending capital with credibility—and for redefining how sustainability goals are met. Water, once considered an operational input, is now being recognised as a shared resource—essential to climate resilience, community well-being, and long-term business continuity. When companies take on the responsibility not just to conserve, but to restore and replenish, they become true partners in sustainable development. Culture of Water Accountability is the Next Corporate Imperative Water sustainability can no longer be seen as a philanthropic gesture or a regulatory checkbox. It must become embedded in the architecture of enterprise, reflected in capital allocation by both public and private enterprises, boardroom discourse, and operational design. A clear ecosystem where public and private enterprises come together for a common cause is the need of the day. This is about mitigating risk and pre-empting disruption. It is also about building trust with communities who live with the consequences of corporate choices. And above all, it is about recognising that the most valuable asset any company holds in a warming world is not its brand equity or its patents. It is its social licence to operate. top videos View all Prioritising water conservation supports India's net-zero objectives by enhancing agricultural sustainability, encouraging eco-friendly industrial practices, and advancing social equity. By understanding the linkages between water, energy, and emissions, India's focus on conserving water can play a vital role in reaching its overall climate and environmental targets. India's water future will not be shaped solely by climate change. It will be written in boardrooms, and through partnerships. The question is no longer whether business should lead. It is a clarion call for public and private sector to come together. Namrata Mukherjee is former Chief of Party, USAID South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. About the Author Namrata Mukherjee Namrata Mukherjee is Former Chief of Party, USAID South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP). tags : carbon emissions Net Zero target Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 06, 2025, 14:07 IST News opinion Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships: A Strategic Path To Achieve India's Net Zero Goals, Water Security
New Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Connected but corrupted: Ethics lost in the digital age
AS the world marks World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on May 17, we are once again reminded of how far we have come in harnessing the power of communication technologies. Yet, have ethics kept up with technologies? Despite the immense advantages that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides—such as bridging geographical divides, boosting economies, and enabling instant communication—misuse continues to plague the digital age. Ethical decay in the digital sphere may be the most pressing concern of our time. One of the most troubling trends we now face is the deliberate and rampant spread of misinformation and disinformation. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025 ranks misinformation and disinformation as top societal risks, capable of destabilising institutions and eroding public trust. While lies and propaganda are nothing new, ICT has exponentially magnified their reach and speed. Social media, in particular, has become a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it empowers voices and communities. On the other hand, it serves as a playground for slander, fake news, and conspiracy theories. A doctored video or artificial intelligence (AI)-generated fake image can go viral within minutes, fooling millions and even influencing elections. What makes this more alarming is how easily these technologies are being manipulated. With generative AI, anyone can create convincing deepfakes or false narratives with little effort. From synthetic voices impersonating political leaders to AI-generated news articles and images, the line between reality and fabrication is blurring. As a result, trust— the backbone of any functional society—is rapidly eroding. Citizens no longer know which sources to rely on, which information to believe, or whom to trust. The consequences are grave: growing political polarisation, public unrest sparked by online lies, and the vilification of innocent individuals based on viral misinformation. What is perhaps most disappointing is that much of this is not accidental. There are coordinated efforts to mislead and manipulate public opinion. In a society where digital tools are easily accessible, the lack of ethical grounding makes them dangerous. The problem lies not with technology but in our failure to educate on and enforce responsible digital behaviour. While we have succeeded in producing coders, engineers, and content creators, we have fallen short in producing ethical digital citizens. Many users, especially the younger generation, are growing up in a digital environment without ever being taught how to evaluate the credibility of online content or understand the impact of spreading lies. Schools may teach computer skills but rarely include lessons on digital ethics or media literacy. Likewise, tech companies and governments have been slow to act. Content moderation remains inconsistent. Regulations are either too weak or too slow to keep pace with innovation. And while some nations have introduced laws against online slander and fake news, enforcement remains a challenge, especially when perpetrators conceal themselves behind anonymous accounts. To truly celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, we must go beyond showcasing technological marvels. We must recommit ourselves to ethical digital citizenship. Several steps are essential: MEDIA AND DIGITAL LITERACY EDUCATION: From schools to universities to community outreach, we must teach people how to identify false content, question sources, and avoid spreading unverified information. STRONGER POLICIES AND ENFORCEMENT: Governments must collaborate with tech companies to develop legal frameworks that hold platforms and users accountable for the spread of harmful content. TECHNOLOGICAL SAFEGUARDS: AI should also be part of the solution. Tools can be developed to detect and flag false content, trace the origin of viral posts, and offer content verification in real time. COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT: Religious leaders, educators, influencers, and civil society groups all have a role in reinforcing ethical norms in digital spaces. ICT is one of humanity's greatest achievements, but it must be matched with equal progress in values, integrity, and civic responsibility. Otherwise, we risk creating a hyperconnected world that is more divided, misinformed, and ethically adrift than ever. The solution begins with choosing truth over virality, integrity over popularity, and wisdom over reaction.
Zawya
08-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Presight launches Presight LifeSaver AI platform for smarter emergency and crisis response
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Presight, a leading global big data analytics company powered by AI, today announced the launch of Presight LifeSaver, a groundbreaking end-to-end emergency and crisis management platform. The news was announced at the World Crisis & Emergency Management Summit, where Presight participated as Official Sponsor and Exhibitor. Presight LifeSaver combines cutting-edge AI, big data analytics, and real-time insights into a single unified platform that addresses the full emergency lifecycle – from prevention and preparedness to rapid response and recovery. The solution overcomes fragmented communications between agencies, inefficient use of resources, and data overload for first responders, and transforms emergency response. Thomas Pramotedham, CEO of Presight, said: 'We live in an age of overlapping risks – from climate change to cyber threats. Presight LifeSaver equips governments and emergency responders with the foresight, tools, and agility to manage complexity and build long-term resilience. Presight LifeSaver is the embodiment of our Applied Intelligence philosophy - AI that doesn't just predict or analyze, but acts today. We've built a platform that transforms data to enable immediate, meaningful decisions, where the outcome is measured in lives saved, and crises averted.' Key capabilities of Presight LifeSaver include: Emergency call center integration: Combines phone, mobile app, and SMS channels into one system. AI is used to assess emergency severity and automatically dispatch the nearest available response teams using GPS. Ambulance and medical operations: Recommends the best ambulance and hospital based on real-time availability and patient needs. Tracks patient care from the scene to the hospital using electronic records (Electronic Patient Care Reporting) and RFID wristbands. AI-powered Response & Unified Command Console: Provides a single platform for coordinating police, ambulance, fire services, and first responders. Allocates resources in real time and simulates potential scenarios to stay ahead of unfolding emergencies. Recovery & Post-Event Analysis: Automatically generates reports after incidents, assesses damage and losses, and offers recommendations to strengthen future crisis preparedness. With its secure multi-cloud infrastructure, Presight LifeSaver integrates edge devices like drones, IoT sensors, and real-time video feeds to deliver situational awareness with unmatched depth and clarity. The platform also features a low/no-code developer console, empowering agencies, third-party developers, and integrators to create custom mini-apps and dashboards, all under a robust governance framework. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2025, extreme weather events are some of the most severe risks over the next 10 years, highlighting the critical role that AI-powered platforms such as Presight LifeSaver play in building resilience and safeguarding lives. Presight LifeSaver empowers cities, nations, and institutions to respond more smartly and scale faster. Whether deployed in densely populated urban hubs or remote disaster-prone regions, the platform brings AI-driven coordination to the forefront of crisis response. Its secure, multi-cloud infrastructure and dynamic risk modeling capabilities make it an essential tool for building safer, more responsive societies. The need for intelligent, agile response systems has never been more urgent. Visit Presight this week at the World Crisis & Emergency Management Summit at ADNEC Center Abu Dhabi to learn more about Presight LifeSaver. About Presight Presight is an ADX-listed public company with Abu Dhabi based G42 as its majority shareholder and is a leading global big data analytics company powered by AI. It combines big data, analytics, and AI expertise to serve every sector, of every scale, to create business and positive societal impact. Presight excels at all-source data interpretation to support insight-driven decision-making that shapes policy and creates safer, healthier, happier, and more sustainable societies. Today, through its range of AI-driven products and solutions, Presight is bringing Applied Intelligence to the private and public sector, enabling them to realize their AI strategy and ambitions faster. For further information, please contact Presight@ or media@
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Chief Legal Officers: The Expanded Purview Of A Trusted Advisor
Creative Critical Thinker With Light Bulb Illuminating To Show An Idea The trusted adviser role has become more challenging and critical than ever. 'Trusted advisor' is a moniker bestowed upon an individual or group whose wisdom, skill, experience, judgment, and authenticity have earned client trust. The relationship embodies the zenith of the client-advisor dynamic, one that extends beyond the scope and term of a contract or the legacy boundaries of functional expertise. The trusted advisor has long been esteemed by corporate leadership even if, paradoxically, its true enterprise value is difficult to quantify. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the elevated difficulty and importance of the trusted advisor role is to consider the state of the world and its impact upon business. Accelerating Change And Interconnected Risks The Doomsday Clock, a universally recognized indicator of human vulnerability to global catastrophe, is the closest it has ever been to the midnight witching hour. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2025 cites a mélange of interrelated risks. The convergence and intensification of business, geopolitics, geoeconomics, domestic and global polarization, climate change, state sponsored armed conflict, cybersecurity, disinformation/ misinformation, and rapid technological advances have created a 'perfect storm' that business must navigate. These interconnected existential threats are occurring against the backdrop of a governance framework that is not equipped to address them. Nor is it able to respond to the global fragility the risks generate. Public trust in institutions has cratered. The global political and economic order that has lasted for almost 80 years is teetering. The rule of law is under siege on multiple fronts across the globe. The US, long the beacon of democracy and the rule of law, has become all but unrecognizable to its long-time allies as well as a significant portion of its own citizens. Moore's law is over; the acceleration and breadth of technological advances-notably AI- offers hope for tackling fundamental human and business challenges. But so too do those breakthroughs challenge human capacity to adapt. Consensus around an AI regulatory framework that balances risk and reward remains illusory. A patchwork approach to AI regulation will intensify an already white-hot geoeconomic cauldron and elevate the potential risk AI could pose to humanity. The Ante Has Been Upped For Trusted Advisors There is a correlation between the elevation of business challenges and the importance of the trusted advisor. This has upped the ante to fulfill the trusted advisor role. At a time when change has become a constant, trusted advisors must remain current, make sense of it all, and collaborate with enterprise leadership to create opportunity out of challenge. They must help to forge and implement creative solutions to challenges as well as find pathways to seize opportunities. They must galvanize human and technological resources, ensuring collaboration between them. To achieve this they must be constant learners with curious, creative, and flexible mindsets. They must be adept at synthesizing and extrapolating from large bodies of information, communicate clearly and effectively, and provide insightful, actionable, and balanced counsel across a wide range of issues, functions, and stakeholders. If CEO's are piloting business through a perfect storm, then trusted advisors are air traffic controllers assisting them to circumnavigate it and to find a safer, less turbulent route. To serve as a trusted advisor in the current environment requires more than it did even a few years ago. Three key 'supplemental' skillsets have emerged: (1) a voracious curiosity focused on understanding existing and emerging risk areas (technological, geoeconomic, geopolitical, climatic, etc.) while also identifying opportunities ; (2) a digital core that enables quicker, more effective processing and integration of data across different strands of an organization with a focus on how it can be applied to advance client outcomes and experience; and (3) a holistic approach to problem solving ('connecting the dots') that is collaborative, agile, and flexible. Chief Legal Officers Have Emerged As Key Enterprise Trusted Advisors This column first examined the changing role of Chief Legal Officers (CLO's)* nearly a decade ago, noting that corporate legal leaders are the profession's bellwethers as well as "guardians of business integrity and conscience of the company.'. A few years later, the author, noting the expansion and heightened influence of the CLO role, referred to them as 'law's astronauts' whose range of skills 'foreshadow changing expectations of all lawyers and allied legal professionals.' Fast forward to the present. Business is operating in an altogether different world. Global change has necessitated and accelerated end-to-end enterprise transformation. That, in turn, has caused business to reimagine the legal function-how can it better serve the needs of the enterprise and its customers in a digital and AI world? CLO's are in the vanguard of that reimagination. Central to their remit is to align the legal function with the business (and customers) it serves. This will enable business to mine law's vast, untapped enterprise and customer value. Chief Legal Officers have emerged as key trusted advisors to the C-Suite and Board. Their expanded purview is emblematic of the reimagination of the legal function by business to better serve its needs as well as to improve customer outcomes and experience. The elevated strategic value of the CLO reflects a blurring of legacy corporate departmental boundaries, cross-functionality, data-sharing, and the creative, responsible utilization of technology (notably artificial intelligence). It also derives from the speed, complexity, interconnected constellation of risks, and unrelenting change endemic to digital and AI-era business. CLO's also play an important role in fashioning and implementing business integration, a holistic enterprise strategy that promotes agility, resilience, and rapid problem solving/opportunity capture. Success hinges on the rapid mobilization and collaboration of material workforce, supply chain, strategic partner data, and IT resources. That includes human resource integration as well as fashioning strategies that promote collaboration of human and technological assets. CLO's also play a key role in AI, data, and emerging technology governance. Paradoxically, while the trusted advisor role CLO's play is widely acknowledged, quantifying its value—especially beyond the narrow 'legal' realm-- remains elusive. Nonetheless, a high level of trust between the CLO and the legal team is crucial evidence to support the enterprise value of the legal function. The Deloitte 2024 Chief Legal Officer Strategy Survey found that 85% of respondents report very or extremely high levels of trust between legal and the enterprise. This cuts across what Deloitte characterizes as the 'Four Faces' of the CLO role: strategist, catalyst, guardian, and operator. The CLO's unique multi-dimensional enterprise role positions it as a trusted advisor not only to the C-Suite and Board but also to business unit leadership as well as other stakeholders. That requires balancing competing interests and building consensus through trust. In a world that increasingly demands hyper specialization, the CLO must have broad, diverse experience, expertise that extends beyond the narrow parameters of 'legal,' engage in multidisciplinary and multidimensional thinking, and draw from each of its multiple roles to offer holistic insights that spark new solutions. The trusted advisor must collaborate- not compete- with other enterprise trusted advisors. To borrow from 'Dirty Harry,' they must know their own limitations. The trusted advisor role is a hybrid of an individual and team sport. CLO's are not law's sole trusted advisors. As the author noted in a 2017 Forbes article, trusted legal advisors need not be lawyers. Even more so, trusted advisors must work across disciplines, geographies, personality types, perspectives, and egos with their peers. The goal is not to be 'right' but to contribute to the best informed business judgment. CLO's require high emotional intelligence, outstanding communication skills, authenticity, curiosity, and humanity. They must be good listeners, questioners, and be open to learning without regard to the source's rank or experience level. CLO's must be perpetually curious, unabashedly creative, ethical, practical, and trusted. They are strategic and operational business leaders who leverage their legal expertise and experience across disciplines, business functions, and the enterprise. This helps to explain why a growing number of top CLO's have transitioned to the CEO role. Key Challenges of The CLO As Trusted Advisor Chief Legal Officers confront a wide range of existing and emerging challenges whose scope, complexity, convergence, and existential importance are within the ambit of their trusted advisor role. Here is a sampling interconnected macroeconomic and geopolitical forces that are elevating the degree of difficulty and uncertainty confronting business. In each instance-notably in the areas of risk management and governance-CLO's are intimately involved. This illuminates the vastly expanded role of CLO's not only in new substantive areas (e.g. tech and data-related, IP protection, supply chain, etc.) but also in domestic and global affairs that impact business. Geopolitical Risk Armed conflict, proxy wars, tectonic shifts in the global world order, geoeconomics (see below), and the 'AI race' are elevating corporate risk and uncertainty. CLO's play a direct role in forging and implementing not only 'legal' strategy in those areas but also wider enterprise strategic initiatives. A recent Reuters article rightly posits that legal leadership 'must now be geopolitical analysts.' This impacts, among other things, supply chains, corporate finance, workforce deployment (and safety), regulatory and compliance, and governance issues. Geoeconomic Fragmentation Geoeconomics is the pursuit of power politics using economic means. Tariffs, trade wars, and a complex, fluid patchwork of regulatory and compliance issues have elevated the constraints upon free trade. What was until recently an integrated global economy has quickly morphed into an increasingly fragmented, polarized, and volatile marketplace. Shifting government policies are adversely impacting business, rattling financial markets, and disrupting supply chains. The microchip industry has become the epicenter of geopolitical tensions, a reflection of the intersection of global politics, technology, economy, and business. CLO's are in the midst of these issues. Corporate Governance (international) Corporate governance has been impacted by the spike in geopolitical and geoeconomic tension and uncertainty. A sampling of areas—all under the purview of the CLO—include: (1) governance of geopolitical risk, (2) compliance, (3) supply chain management, (4) contracts and litigation, (5) government relations, (6) investor/public relations, (7) senior executive and board expertise, and (8) an integrated strategy that is holistic, fluid, and capable of real-time adjustment and crisis management. All are within the expanded purview of the CLO as enterprise advisor. Corporate Governance (Domestic) Domestic polarization and calcification of political divides along ideological lines has heightened the difficulty of corporate governance and domestic government relations. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is an example. Not long ago a core element of corporate policy and ethos, recent Executive Orders have flipped the script and 'cancelled' them in Government agencies, higher education, business, etc. The abrupt shift on this and other issues will influence corporate culture, workforce, workplace, talent management, business practices, regulatory strategies, and governance. This will likely impact corporate governance well beyond the US, resulting in a widespread shift in the global business environment. These issues are also within the purview of CLO trusted advisors. AI Integration and Governance The debate whether AI is more hype than the next big thing is over. Investment in AI—especially among multinationals-remains white hot. The latest McKinsey Global Survey on AI reveals that large companies are implementing structural changes designed to extract future value from massive gen and agentic AI investment. AI is already being applied to achieve scientific breakthroughs, a harbinger of its potential to help solve some of humanity's pressing challenges. For example, the recipients of the 2024 Nobel prize in Chemistry 'developed an AI model to predict proteins' complex structures. The Physics Prize winners were recognized 'for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.' CLO's will be in the vanguard of creating and implementing strategies that integrate AI within the legal function, the many business units it regularly serves, and across the enterprise. Likewise, they will play an important role in AI governance. As my good friend Richard Susskind asserts in his new book on how to think about AI: ' balancing the benefits and threats of artificial intelligence - saving humanity with and from AI - is the defining challenge of our age.' CLO's, again, will be central to that discussion, especially in ethics and consensus building. Crisis Management As the CLO's sphere of influence in corporate risk management has expanded, so too has the role become more directly involved in crisis management and brand protection. The glacial pace of the legal process is out-of-synch with the real-time speed of business. Crises often occur with little or no warning; a rapid, reasoned, coherent, consistent response is essential. No matter the cause, geography, or nature of the crisis, the sound judgment of the CLO is an important element of the enterprise response. Trusted advisors are most needed in high stakes, fluid, complex situations that require multidimensional analysis and balanced, creatively pragmatic counsel. They are challenged to operate at the speed of digital and AI-era business, not legacy law. A digital core (data, tech, and cloud grounding) will facilitate that. The Rule Of Law The rule of law in the United States is in critical condition. The Government's escalating attacks on judges, law firms, prosecutors, law schools, the American Bar Association, and other institutions and individuals committed to defending the Constitution and the rule of law are unprecedented. This imperils not only American democracy but also other democratic sovereign nations. It impairs America's standing in the world and sends a chilling message to our allies (especially NATO members) that long held mutual-defense commitments are no longer iron clad. Business can no longer count on the solid foundation that the rule of law has long provided it. Nor can it count on America's checks and balances to rein in efforts to consolidate power within the Executive branch. What were once seen as conflict of interest 'red lines' in Government have been swept away, leaving open the possibility that the US is quickly morphing from the rule of law to rule by law. Several tech Goliaths and companies that rely heavily on Government contracts are bowing to the pressure of an avalanche of norm-defying Executive Orders. Many businesses, fearing reprisals, are remaining mute in the wake of withering personal attacks against individuals and organizations challenging the Executive actions. No matter the response, business is adversely affected by attacks on the rule of law, tariff threats, trade issues, and the uncertainty of the current business environment. The rule of law is foundational to the health of all business and the economy. Conclusion No area of the CLO's trusted advisor role is presently more important or challenging than providing sage counsel to the C-Suite and Board on an appropriate response to the attack on the rule of law. The primacy of this issue extends beyond any individual business, industry, or sector. A collective response by business would be powerful. It should not be crafted as a polemic but as a pragmatic assessment of why, from the business perspective, the rule of law serves the national interest in a multiplicity of clearly articulated ways. By ensuring such a collective message is delivered by leading businesses, CLO's and other trusted advisors would confirm that the trust reposed in them is well-placed and their role is incalculably valuable.
