SEF 2025: $3 Trillion Gen Z Spending Power Poised To Drive Meaningful Change

At the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2025, experts discussed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of humanity. One of the key speakers highlighted the influence of Gen Z, who currently controls over $3 trillion in annual spending, a figure expected to reach $12 trillion by 2030.

With such financial power, young consumers can drive meaningful change by moving beyond random acts of kindness and focusing on long-term, impactful actions. The session 'Shaping the Future of Humanity & AI' emphasized the importance of developing AI responsibly, WAM reported.

Egyptian entrepreneur, author and Google X's former chief business officer Mo Gawdat compared AI to Superman, saying that, like the superhero, AI's impact depends on the values it is taught. If given the right ethical guidance, AI can be a powerful force for good.

However, if it is trained with greed, bias, and harmful intentions, it could become a threat. The discussion reinforced the idea that the way AI is developed today will determine its role in the future.

"The alien has arrived, and its superpower is intelligence. If we guide AI with the right ethical framework, it can become a force for good, just like Superman using his powers to save the world. But what if, instead, we teach it greed, bias, and destruction?" Gawdat said.

He added, "If his adoptive parents had told him to kill and steal, Superman would have become a villain. The same applies to AI - its impact depends entirely on the values we instill in it today."

By 2029, AI is expected to be a billion times smarter than the human brain, raising important questions about its future impact. A speaker at SEF 2025 warned that the decisions made today will determine whether AI becomes humanity's greatest ally or its biggest challenge.

The discussion, led by moderator Abdullah Al Shimmari, focused on the role of innovators, policymakers, and everyday users in shaping AI's development. It was emphasized that AI itself is neither good nor bad—it simply reflects the data and values it is given.

The speaker stressed the need to teach AI empathy, ethics, and purpose, just as one would teach a child. Earlier, the session "Generation Next: Why Young People Are Natural Social Innovators" highlighted how young entrepreneurs are leading change.

Rivet CEO Dr. Eric Dawson explained that young people are using technology and social innovation to solve major global challenges. However, there is still a huge gap in investment for youth-led initiatives.

Research shows that over the past 120 years, young people have been at the forefront of social innovation. Yet today, 85% of the world's two billion young people live in areas with limited access to financial or social capital.