HR World Summit 2026: Human sustainability

Teresa Coehlo, our Global Chief People & Sustainability Officer, attended the HR World Summit 2026 in Porto. This international event brought together HR leaders to address one key question shaping today’s work environments: what does it mean to lead with soul in the age of AI and constant change?

Discussions during the sessions were centred on the structural tension caused by the rapid acceleration of AI compared to the pace at which organisations and employees can adapt, a reality already felt across markets. While productivity gains are clear, experts in HR highlighted emerging risks affecting the human dimension, including skill erosion and reliance on cognitive offloading.

In a context of ongoing transformation and uncertainty, organisations face the challenge of how to keep moving faster without exhausting their people. As Teresa Coelho noted, “The companies that will stand out will not only be fast adopters, but they will also be the ones capable of accelerating technology without losing humanity along the way.” The general perspective underlined the need of organisations to place human sustainability at the core of their approach to technological acceleration.