Businesses should embrace innovation and agile leadership to stay ahead in an era of disruption and digital transformation, participants were told during a recent seminar organised by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
The next generation must cultivate curiosity, commit to lifelong learning and adopt a growth mindset to navigate the challenges ahead.
Organisations need to embrace innovation by adopting artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digital transformation, Patama Chantaruck, country managing director at Accenture Thailand, said at "The Dynamics of the Digital Economy: risk, opportunity, labor market and competitiveness" seminar.
"The new generation needs to be bold, brave, think outside the box -- inside-out -- and be curious with lifelong learning," Ms Patama added.
She also cited Accenture's Life Trends 2025 report which reveals five transformative trends reshaping how people live, work and connect.
The first trend is "Hesitations" as online trust is crumbling, leading to hesitation in digital interactions.
The second one is "The parent trap" as parents face the challenge of shielding children from digital harm while preparing them for a tech-driven future.
Therefore, brands must prioritise authenticity to thrive. Brands need to create trust, personalise, customise and trust, Ms Patama added.
The third trend is "The impatience economy" where consumers are turning to quick, crowd-sourced solutions over traditional approaches.
The fourth trend is "The dignity of work". As technology redefines jobs, employees are demanding respect, purpose and security. New digital workplaces need to support hybrid work.
The fifth trend is "Social rewilding". In response to digital overload, people are seeking meaningful, offline experiences and deeper connections.
The new trends also redefine leadership as those with agility, resilience and collaboration as the new imperatives.
Meanwhile, leadership and individuals need to rethink growth by seeing success in uncertain situations.
Ms Patama added that as businesses enter a world of "Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible" (BANI) challenges, leaders who embrace change rather than resist it will thrive.
"The future belongs to those who see uncertainty not as a threat but as a playground for innovation," said Ms Patama.
She also cited a World Economic Forum study on Future Skill 2030 that says in the age of AI people are more important than ever, adopting an adaptive mindset is key, while collaboration and communication are paramount.
Meanwhile, in relation to leadership in BANI world, successful leaders need to transform from experience driven to data driven. Organisations should also change from the top-down hierarchy to an open and transparent communication approach.
Anusorn Tamajai, director of UTCC's Digital Economy, Investment and International Trade Research Center, said the global digital economy will grow three times faster than the global economy to reach US$24 trillion in 2025, accounting for 21% of global GDP.
He added that the advanced technologies that should be closely watched include agentic AI, extended reality and neuromorphic computing.
"The digital economy makes a positive impact on the economy, society and the environment and causes risk in particular labour markets, widening the digital gap among countries."
"Career and labour market changes are being driven by digital capitalism, robotics and AI," said Mr Anusorn.
He added that the digital economy impacts economic growth and widens the gap in education, the law and fairness in society as not everyone can access new digital skills opportunities.
The new generation needs to learn AI and have a growth mindset, he added.