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Greetings from the annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland. I’ve spent two days here, engaging in meetings, participating in panels, and essentially trying to connect with as many people as possible. From what I gather, the primary topics on everyone’s minds revolve around AI and Trump.
Davos is characterized by the Congress Center, where the main WEF sessions occur, and the Promenade, a thoroughfare through the heart of the town filled with various “houses”—predominantly retailers temporarily transformed into meeting centers for different corporate or national sponsors. There’s a Ukraine House, a Brazil House, a Saudi House, and indeed, a USA House (more on that tomorrow). Several media houses from outlets like CNBC and the Wall Street Journal are present too. Some houses focus on specific subjects; for example, one is dedicated to science while another is for AI.
However, similar to everything else in 2026, tech companies dominate the Promenade. At one point, I realized that everything in my view, at a point where the road curves a bit, was a tech company house. Palantir, Workday, Infosys, Cloudflare, C3.ai. Perhaps it goes without saying, but their presence, both in the houses and across various stages and events here at the World Economic Forum, truly highlighted to me how thoroughly and completely tech has seized the global economy.
While the houses facilitate events and act as networking spots, the major attraction lies within the Congress Center. On Tuesday morning, I began my formal Davos experience there by moderating a panel featuring the CEOs of Accenture, Aramco, Royal Philips, and Visa. The discussion centered on scaling AI within organizations. All these leaders represented companies that transitioned from pilot projects to extensive internal applications. For me, it was a compelling conversation. You can view the entire event here, but my conclusion was that although there are numerous accounts of AI being exaggerated (including some from us), it is undeniably producing significant impacts at substantial companies.
For instance, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser explained how his company has identified $3 billion to $5 billion in cost reductions by enhancing operational efficiency. Royal Philips CEO Roy Jakobs talked about how it enables healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to patients through measures like automated note-taking. (This stood out to me, as my wife is a pediatrics nurse, and I’ve heard her discuss for years how much time she spends on charting.) Additionally, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney elaborated on his company’s venture into agentic commerce and its implications for consumers, small enterprises, and the global payments sector.
To expand on that, McInerney envisioned a future of commerce where agents not only shop for requested items, which will be the initial step, but eventually will make purchases based on your preferences and past spending habits. This could relate to your routine grocery shopping or even planning a vacation. Trust and authentication will be crucial to ensure safety for both merchants and consumers, yet it’s apparent that the initial steps into agentic commerce witnessed in 2025 were merely the beginning. More significant advancements are on the horizon for 2026. (Coincidentally, I engaged in a discussion with a senior executive from Mastercard on Monday, who echoed many of the same sentiments.)
What resonated with me most from the panel was Accenture CEO Julie Sweet’s remark, who possesses insight not just into her own large organization but a wide range of companies: “It’s difficult to trust something until you have a grasp of it.”
I felt this succinctly encapsulated our current societal stance on AI.
Other individuals clearly share this sentiment. Prior to the official conference commencement, I attended a panel at AI House. The venue was packed. A long, steady queue formed to enter, and once inside, I had to push through the crowd. Everyone was eager to get in. Everyone was keen to discuss AI.
(A quick note on my attendance: I participated in a panel titled “Creativity and Identity in the Age of Memes and Deepfakes,” moderated by Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson; it included artist Emi Kusano, known for her work with AI, and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, who has played a pivotal role in many AI-related debates in the film and gaming sectors. I won’t elaborate much, as I’m already over time, but it was a captivating panel. Take a look.)
And, alright. Sigh. Donald Trump.
The president is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, amid tensions regarding the potential acquisition of Greenland and fears of him irreparably dividing the NATO alliance. While AI dominates the stages, Trump monopolizes the side conversations. Numerous jokes abound. There’s nervous laughter, outright anger, and fear visible in people’s expressions. It’s quite the scene.
These discussions are beginning to overflow into the public sphere. Shortly after my panel on Tuesday, I made my way to a pavilion outside the main hall in the Congress Center. I observed an individual descending the stairs with a small entourage, who was suddenly inundated by cameras and phones.
Just moments prior, the press had been surrounding David Beckham, hurling questions at him. Thus, I expected it to be another celebrity—after all, prominent industry leaders were everywhere in sight. I had just run into Eric Schmidt, who was literally in line right in front of me at the coffee bar. Davos is indeed a strange place.
However, it turned out to be Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, increasingly perceived as the primary voice of the Democratic opposition to President Trump, and a likely competitor, if not the frontrunner, in the race for his succession. Having lived in San Francisco, I’ve crossed paths with Newsom numerous times, dating back to his tenure as a city supervisor before he even became mayor. Rarely, if ever, have I seen him as animated as he was on Tuesday.
Amid other remarks, he labeled Trump a narcissist who adheres to “the law of the jungle, the rule of Don” and compared him to a T-Rex, stating, “You either mate with him or he consumes you.” Similarly, he was very critical of world leaders present in Davos, referring to them as “pathetic” and implying he should have supplied knee pads for them.
Yikes.
This sentiment was echoed, albeit in more tempered language, by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his address at Davos. I missed his statements, yet they sparked considerable discussion. “If we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” he contended.
