Davos 2026: AI is changing who becomes an entrepreneur
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, AI is shaking up what it means to be an entrepreneur.
There has been a 60% year-on-year rise in people adding "founder" to their LinkedIn profiles—a growth rate three times that seen since 2021.
Thanks to AI, starting something new is faster and more accessible than ever.
Skills over resumes
Companies are now more interested in what you've actually built than your formal qualifications.
As LinkedIn's Daniel Roth put it, hands-on experience and real projects matter most in today's AI-driven job market.
How policymakers are responding
Governments are trying out ways to keep up with this surge of new entrepreneurs.
Germany is pushing for "regulatory sandboxes" so people can innovate without too much risk, while Bahrain has rewritten bankruptcy laws, streamlined business registration and invested heavily in digital infrastructure and workforce upskilling.
There's also a growing call to watch out for "AI-washing," making sure businesses use AI genuinely—not just as a buzzword.