Maria Basso is the Head of AI Applications and Impact at the Centre for AI Excellence (CAIE) at the World Economic Forum. She leads flagship initiatives that harness AI and digital technologies to transform industries and society.
In her role, Maria oversees strategic programmes that advance real-world AI applications, strengthen CAIE’s global community, and drive strategies to amplify the Centre’s impact. Her work focuses on fostering equitable, human-centered transformation across industries, economies, and societies.
Previously, Maria served as Digital Technologies Portfolio Manager at the Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) and as Platform Curator for the Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains Centre. Before joining the Forum, she advanced sustainable development, innovation, and digital transformation agendas through positions with the United Nations, McKinsey & Company, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Maria holds a Masters’ in Mechanical Engineering and Innovation in Energy Systems from the Politecnico of Turin and the University of Illinois.