At the Game Changers Forum in Lisbon, Barack Obama spoke about the speed of technological change—and why human judgment, democratic participation and a sense of shared humanity matter more than ever.
I attended Barack Obama’s conversation at the Game Changers Forum in Lisbon, where the former U.S. president reflected on the forces reshaping society and the qualities leaders will need to navigate them.
His message was clear: technology is changing faster than our institutions can keep up, but speed and efficiency alone cannot answer the most important questions. As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, societies will need to strengthen the human values and democratic systems that guide how it is used.
AI is advancing faster than institutions
Obama warned that the economic effects of artificial intelligence could become profound within the next five to ten years. Just as automation changed factory work, AI may transform knowledge-based professions such as law, accounting and medicine.
The pace of progress is striking. Technologies that once seemed remote—from the early days of social media to the arrival of the smartphone—became part of daily life in a remarkably short time. AI is advancing even faster, while governments and regulatory systems tend to move slowly.
That gap creates risks. Advanced AI could be used to attack financial institutions and other critical systems, while the absence of clear safeguards leaves society exposed. Obama argued that governments need to establish responsible rules and coordinate internationally. This will be difficult, particularly between the United States and China, where strategic competition and mutual distrust complicate cooperation.
For Obama, however, regulation is not the only issue. AI can be a powerful tool, but it should not have the final say in decisions involving human lives, war or nuclear weapons. Those decisions require judgment about consequences, values and responsibility—not simply the calculation of the most efficient outcome.
The human work technology cannot replace
Obama urged people to pay closer attention to the qualities that remain distinctly human: care, teaching, empathy and judgment.
AI may help a teacher understand what a student is learning, or help a doctor analyse information. But teaching is more than delivering knowledge, and healthcare is more than diagnosing illness. A student may need encouragement and a patient may need reassurance—forms of care that cannot be reduced to information alone.
He also highlighted how society has historically undervalued caring professions, many of which have been performed predominantly by women. As technology changes work, this should prompt a broader discussion about which contributions we value and how we reward them.
Education, he suggested, must also reach beyond technical expertise. Ethics, history and an appreciation of other cultures help people make sense of complex situations. A narrow education can produce narrow solutions; a broader understanding of people and societies can help shape technology that serves human needs.
Democracy depends on people feeling heard
Obama described democracy as a fragile achievement: the idea that people are equal and should have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. In times of uncertainty and stress, that idea can come under pressure. People may retreat into tribal loyalties, racism, religious division or nostalgia for a supposedly more “real” and exclusive version of their country.
He argued that leaders must help people see that another person’s success is not a threat to their own. A society is stronger when people believe their children can have opportunities, while also recognising the dignity and humanity of their neighbours.
This requires institutions that work. Obama praised the European Union’s contribution to peace and prosperity, while acknowledging that many people are anxious about jobs, housing and their economic future. When democratic governments appear slow or overly bureaucratic, authoritarian leaders can seem appealing because they promise quick results and claim they can bypass the rules. The challenge, he suggested, is to make democratic institutions more responsive without abandoning democratic principles.
Change begins in communities
Throughout the conversation, Obama returned to the importance of participation. Major movements for freedom and equality did not begin simply because those in power decided to grant change. They grew because ordinary people spoke up, organised and demanded it.
That work can begin locally—in a school, workplace, union, neighbourhood or community group. When people have meaningful opportunities to participate, they are more likely to feel that they can influence what happens around them.
Obama recalled how, in the White House, he encouraged younger staff members to share their views in meetings. Over time, listening to them became part of the culture. The point was not simply to invite young people into the room, but to show that their contributions mattered and to build relationships based on trust.
He also challenged the idea that meaningful action must wait for a perfect plan or for more senior people to take the lead. Politics, he observed, is still made up of people—and people are often learning as they go. Experience and expertise matter, but they should not prevent others from contributing.
A practical challenge for everyone
Obama’s closing message was personal as well as political: each of us has some influence, whether among friends and family, at work or in our community. The starting point is to ask what we want to change and what we can do now—not necessarily alone, but alongside others.
In a world increasingly shaped by technology, that kind of human connection may be more important than ever. Progress is not only a question of building faster systems. It is also about ensuring that people have a voice, that decisions reflect human values, and that communities give individuals a genuine opportunity to shape their future.