Two significant reports released this week contain alarming findings about the state of the world. Optimism is down, grievances about work are up and there is declining trust towards leaders, employers, AI and social media. This lack of optimism is not surprising but it is very worrying.
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer surveyed 33,000 people globally to measure trust. It reveals:
- People lack optimism for the future and only 36% believe the next generation will be better off than we are.
- 58% are worried about automation threatening job security and 84% agree that employees need to be reskilled.
- 34% have serious concerns about the level of trust in AI and 35% are worried about AI innovations.
- High levels of grievance have eroded trust in business, government, media, NGOs and CEOs.
- All institutions will need to collaborate and work together to address grievances, rebuild economic optimism and ensure fair benefits for everyone.
The Global Risks Report 2025 from the WEF surveyed 900 policy makers, industry leaders and risk experts. It reveals an increasingly fractured global landscape, where escalating geopolitical, environmental, societal and technological challenges threaten stability and progress.
- The top five risks believed most likely to present a material crisis globally in 2025 are: state-based armed conflict, extreme weather events, geoeconomic confrontation, misinformation/disinformation and social polarisation.
- Optimism is declining: people are increasingly negative about the short- and long-term outlook.
- Society feels divided. Inequality in wealth and income is seen as the biggest risk.
- Long-term concerns about the environment are escalating and now urgent.
- Risks from AI are rapidly climbing in importance, especially over the next decade.
In response, we’re asking: How can we inject more optimism into the world?
Last year, we wrote a book about optimism. Now, these reports confirm that when the world is hard and getting harder, we need optimism more than ever. We need the risk-takers, challengers and disruptors who want to change the status quo and believe that together, we can.
You can access Optimism here and below is another Magnetic mood boost: nine great stories of companies making a positive difference to the world in some way.
ADA. Healthcare systems are stretched thin, leaving people undiagnosed and without treatment. How could we help people manage their own health and access timely, high-quality care? We created a scalable consumer healthcare app for Ada Health. It went global — from zero to 13 million downloads — and completely transformed Ada’s business.
M&S. We live in a world of overwhelming digital choice and decision paralysis. How could we make life easier for online shoppers at M&S? Through rapid sprints and experiments we made small but high-impact UX changes. The live changes make it easy for customers to find what they want and led to millions of pounds in revenue for M&S.
XYLA. The NHS is under pressure and failing to serve patients when they most need it. How could Xyla Healthcare do more to prevent people needing the NHS? We defined a development process to build the right digital products in the right way, ultimately improving the health of local and workplace communities.
MARS. The world could run out of chocolate. Cacao trees are under threat of extinction and when you’re the world’s biggest chocolate producer, that’s a crisis. We worked with Mars Wrigley to develop a 2050 vision and sustainable strategy. This will secure future growth, help Mars reach its net zero target and improve life for 350,000 cocoa farmers.
SAVE THE CHILDREN. The charity needed new ways to improve life for children in East Africa. Could it do it by increasing the impact of education startups? Our incubator proved Save can transform businesses beyond funding and achieve greater outcomes for children. One startup pivoted its product and secured backing from Rwanda’s Ministry of Education.
SKY. When Sky moved into smart home technology, how could we expand its proposition to help overlooked and vulnerable customers? Co-creating with older people and family carers, we developed and tested a prototype concierge solution. It showed how Sky could innovate its offering, unlock opportunities and enhance how people live in their homes.
WSP. With net zero goals a priority, WSP wants to halve the carbon footprint of its designs and advice by 2030. But how do you galvanise thousands of employees to act? Our culture change programme enlisted internal influencers (changemakers) to inspire colleagues and it accelerated meaningful climate action across WSP’s global projects.
OCEAN BOTTLE. This sustainability startup has an ambitious vision: keep plastic waste out of the ocean. How could we help it change consumer behaviour, so that each time people buy or refill a bottle, the business can fund more plastic collection? Our behavioural insights and propositions have saved thousands of plastic bottles from the world’s oceans.
BUPA. Mental health issues cost UK businesses billions. Millions of people can’t get the treatment they need. With diverse needs and stigma around the topic, how can businesses offer meaningful support? We helped Bupa create the Workplace Mental Health Advantage: a proactive, accessible service to support employees and help build a culture of wellbeing.
In conclusion, the powerful findings in this week’s two reports cannot be ignored. They’re bleak reading. But at Magnetic, we’re doubling down on optimism.
We’re doubling down on helping businesses truly listen to their customers, solve their problems, build trust, become more resilient and adapt faster to a scary and changing world.
Want to hear more about our optimistic and impact-driven approach to innovation? Email Conor McNicholas, Impact Director, on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Written by Magnetic.
