AI at Davos 2026: From an Unregulated Race to an Era of Abundance

On January 23, 2026, the World Economic Forum in Davos emerged as a pivotal arena where artificial intelligence took center stage, effectively overshadowing traditional geopolitical discussions regarding global trade and international tariffs. The shift in focus reflects a new reality where technological supremacy is viewed as the primary driver of future stability and growth.

According to recent expert assessments, total investment in the AI sector has already surged past the $1.5 trillion mark. Furthermore, approximately 60% of global enterprises are actively planning to scale their technological implementations throughout the 2025–2026 period. However, the transition from experimental pilot programs to full-scale operational integration remains a significant hurdle, requiring sophisticated new strategies and deep organizational restructuring.

The prevailing sentiment at Davos this year highlights a definitive move from speculative hype toward pragmatic implementation. Leaders are now focused on how to scale AI to drive economic expansion while simultaneously mitigating systemic risks and ensuring equitable access. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, noted that the global economy is expected to grow by 3.3% this year, with AI potentially contributing an additional 0.1% to 0.8% to the GDP. However, she also warned of the threat to the middle class due to potential job losses. "We are no longer in Kansas," Georgieva remarked, emphasizing that AI is accelerating inequality and necessitates urgent measures for technological "diffusion" in developing nations. Currently, AI adoption in the Global North has reached 25%, while in Africa, it remains between 10% and 14%, further widening the digital divide.

A high-profile session titled "Scaling AI: Now Comes the Hard Part" brought together top executives from Accenture, Visa, and Saudi Aramco. The participants agreed that the era of simple pilot projects has concluded, with the new focus shifting toward "agentic AI"—autonomous systems capable of executing complex tasks within supply chains, financial systems, and construction projects. Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, argued that companies must fundamentally rebuild their work processes, establish robust governance, and invest heavily in workforce retraining. Without these steps, scaling efforts are likely to fail, despite McKinsey’s estimates of a potential $2.9 trillion economic impact.

One of the most talked-about moments of the forum was the dialogue between Elon Musk and BlackRock’s Larry Fink. Making his first-ever appearance at Davos, Musk presented a futuristic vision, predicting that by 2030, AI will surpass the collective intelligence of all humanity. He described autonomous vehicles as a "solved problem" and forecasted that Tesla’s Optimus robots would be ubiquitous as early as 2027. Musk asserted that every individual would eventually own a robot, leading to the end of poverty and an era of human abundance, even suggesting that the aging process could be reversed. However, he identified energy as the primary constraint; while chip production is growing at an exponential rate, electricity is becoming a scarce commodity. Musk also criticized U.S. tariffs on solar energy, which he claimed inflate the cost of clean power and hinder AI development.

Leading figures in the AI industry offered varying perspectives on the road ahead. Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind estimated that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could arrive within 5 to 10 years, though he noted several "missing ingredients" still need to be addressed. Dario Amodei of Anthropic pointed to a stable development trajectory for the technology, regardless of fluctuations in public opinion. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang characterized AI as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for Europe, urging the continent to invest more aggressively in infrastructure. Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and other leaders discussed the "race without a referee," warning that without global standards, AI competition risks reinforcing the dominance of the United States and China.

The WEF also introduced its "Proof over Promise" report, which showcases how AI is already delivering tangible benefits across 30 countries and 20 different industries, ranging from healthcare to energy management. The MINDS program highlighted several pioneers who are successfully utilizing AI to optimize supply chains and improve disease detection. Despite the optimistic outlook, the forum did not shy away from risks, discussing everything from a potential investment "bubble"—which some economists believe could be a "good bubble" by stimulating innovation—to the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI’s role in music and the creative arts.