Scaling AI: Now Comes the Hard Part | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026

Saudi Aramco achieved an annual Technology Realized Value of $3-5 billion related to AI, with 100 out of 500 use cases transitioning from pilot to implementation. Subsurface resource models improved productive zones from 80% to over 90%, and productivity increased by 30-40% in some wells.

In AI applications in healthcare, AI can reduce the 15-20 minutes nurses spend per hour on administrative tasks by 10-15 minutes, thereby creating more quality time with patients. Ambient listening technology is enabling the automation of clinical documentation.

2026 will be a turning point for agentic commerce. Consumers will be able to make purchases directly on AI platforms, and in the future, agents will find and purchase products on their behalf. This requires AI-ready cards and trusted agent protocols to build trust.

The biggest barrier to AI scaling is not technology itself, but rather process redesign, operating model transformation, and deepening technological understanding through leadership. Over 90% of current data work is yet to be done.

In the pharmaceutical industry, AI has reduced content compliance from months to days, allowing personnel to shift their time from approval tasks to the essential work of understanding 'who needs this medicine'.

A recent survey shows that 78% of CEOs and executives believe AI brings greater value through growth acceleration than productivity improvement. Discussions on AI adoption should focus not only on productivity but also on final outcomes.

In medical AI, while doctors' diagnostic accuracy averages 82%, AI is often required to have 95% accuracy. This 13% gap implies a significant impact on patients, highlighting the need for fair standard setting for AI adoption.

Successful AI scaling requires 'Leader-led Learning'. At Visa, providing 2-day hands-on training for the top 300 leaders was a breakthrough for company-wide deployment.

The true value of AI is found not in finance, translation, or legal departments, but in real business operations. Saudi Aramco's capital program is $50-60 billion annually, with $100 billion currently under construction, and integrating AI into all processes can create immense value.

Understanding is essential for building trust. It is difficult to trust technology until you understand it, and at all levels of corporate, government, and educational systems, a deeper understanding of AI, different from the digital era, is required.