This article builds on my 2025 column “Humanity 1.0: Geopolitics, Technology and the Planet”, which introduced the conceptual triangle of people, technology and the planet as a framework for understanding global transformation. One year later, Humanity 2.0 revisits that framework, examining how this interaction has evolved from an emerging pattern into a defining structure of the global order.

A year ago, I argued that geopolitics could no longer be understood in isolation from technological acceleration and planetary limits. At the time, the interaction between people, technology and the planet was still taking shape – visible, debated, but not yet fully internalized in governance and policy. In 2026, that interaction has become structural. What was once a conceptual triangle has now turned into the operating system of the global order. Power, security and prosperity are increasingly shaped not by single forces, but by the dynamic interplay between social cohesion, artificial intelligence and environmental stress. This reality is now consistently reflected in global risk and policy assessments (World Economic Forum, 2025). This article is therefore not a revision of the earlier thesis. It is its continuation.

From Interconnection to Interdependence

One year ago, the central question was whether geopolitics could adapt to accelerating technological change and climate pressure. Today, the question is more demanding: can governance keep pace with deep interdependence? Recent analyses show that geopolitical instability, technological disruption, and climate risks are no longer separate challenges, but mutually reinforcing ones (IMF, 2024; WEF, 2025). Power in 2026 is increasingly systemic – emerging from the interaction between societal resilience, technological capability and ecological sustainability. Geopolitics has thus shifted from managing dominance to managing complexity.

People: Geopolitics and Society as a Strategic Asset

At the centre of this transformation remain people – not only as citizens, but as geopolitical actors. Across regions, societies are under strain from inequality, demographic change, migration, polarisation and declining trust in institutions. According to the Human Development Report, progress in human development has slowed or reversed in many countries, increasing social anxiety, political volatility and susceptibility to external pressure (UNDP, 2024). What has changed most significantly over the past year is the growing recognition that social cohesion is now a strategic asset in geopolitical competition. Domestic stability increasingly determines a state’s foreign policy credibility, resilience, and strategic autonomy. Fragmented societies are more vulnerable to disinformation campaigns, electoral interference, and coercive influence by external actors – making internal cohesion a frontline of modern geopolitics (OECD, 2023). In this context, geopolitical rivalry is no longer confined to borders or battlefields; it is increasingly fought within societies themselves. Human security – jobs, dignity, opportunity and inclusion – has therefore become inseparable from national and international security. States that fail to address social fractures weaken not only their internal legitimacy, but also their ability to act strategically in an increasingly contested global environment.

Technology: Artificial Intelligence from Accelerator to Arbiter

If technology was once an accelerator of geopolitical power, artificial intelligence has now become one of its principal arbiters. In 2026, AI shapes productivity, military intelligence, public administration, financial markets and information ecosystems. Control over data, algorithms and computing infrastructure increasingly determines economic competitiveness and strategic influence (OECD, 2023). At the same time, AI magnifies asymmetries. Countries and firms with advanced AI capabilities pull ahead, while others risk long-term dependency. The emerging divide is not only economic or technological – it is algorithmic (IMF, 2024; World Bank, 2023). Without effective governance frameworks, AI also amplifies risks related to surveillance, cyber conflict, disinformation and democratic erosion – concerns repeatedly highlighted in global security assessments (NATO, 2022; WEF, 2025).

The Planet: Climate as a Central Geopolitical Driver

Over the past year, the planet has asserted itself as a central geopolitical actor. Climate change is no longer a background risk; it is a direct driver of conflict, migration, food insecurity and fiscal stress. The IPCC confirms that climate impacts are intensifying faster than previously anticipated, with profound economic and social consequences (IPCC, 2023). Extreme weather events disrupt supply chains and public finances. Water scarcity and land degradation intensify regional tensions. Energy transitions reshape alliances and strategic dependencies (World Bank, 2021). Climate stress acts as a threat multiplier – accelerating social pressure, which is then amplified through digital systems and political fragmentation.

The Humanity Triangle in Action

What defines 2026 is not any single trend, but their interaction. Artificial intelligence is increasingly deployed to manage energy systems, climate modeling and disaster response – yet it also raises energy demand and resource competition. Climate stress destabilises societies, while digital platforms amplify polarisation and fear. Political responses to these pressures reshape geopolitical alignments and economic strategies (UNDP, 2024; WEF, 2025). This triangle – people, AI and the planet – creates powerful feedback loops. Managed wisely, it can accelerate sustainable growth, inclusion and resilience. Mismanaged, it risks locking the global system into prolonged instability. There is no neutral outcome.

From Awareness to Strategic Responsibility

If Humanity 1.0 was about recognizing interconnection, Humanity 2.0 is about assuming strategic responsibility. A growing consensus across international institutions now recognises that prosperity and security can no longer be pursued in silos (European Commission, 2023; IMF, 2024; OECD, 2023). Long-term stability depends on alignment between people-centred governance, responsible AI frameworks and climate-aligned growth strategies. In an interdependent world, prosperity is no longer divisible. Short-term gains achieved at the expense of social cohesion, technological ethics, or planetary stability inevitably undermine long-term peace and prosperity.

A Continuing Reflection

This article forms part of an ongoing reflection on how humanity navigates a world where power is systemic, progress is fragile and prosperity is shared – or lost – together.

The defining task ahead is not to choose between people, technology, or the planet, but to align them. The choice will determine whether the next phase of global transformation becomes a story of renewal or one of fragmentation. That choice will shape the next phase of the global order.

References

European Commission. (2023). Strategic foresight report 2023: Sustainability and wellbeing at the heart of Europe’s open strategic autonomy. https://commission.europa.eu

International Monetary Fund. (2024). World economic outlook: Steady but slow—Resilience amid divergence. https://www.imf.org

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2023). AR6 synthesis report: Climate change 2023. https://www.ipcc.ch

NATO. (2022). NATO 2022 strategic concept. https://www.nato.int

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Artificial intelligence in society. https://www.oecd.org

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Trust and public policy: How better governance can help rebuild public trust. https://www.oecd.org

United Nations Development Programme. (2024). Human development report 2023/2024. https://hdr.undp.org

World Bank. (2021). Climate change action plan 2021–2025. https://www.worldbank.org

World Bank. (2023). Digital development overview. https://www.worldbank.org

World Economic Forum. (2025). The global risks report 2025. https://www.weforum.org