High in the Swiss Alps, the world’s decision-makers gathered under unprecedented geopolitical tension, economic realignment, and technological acceleration. Although it was my first Davos, Davos 2026 delivered more than just the expected headlines. As one of this year’s attendees, I witnessed first-hand how this year’s World Economic Forum theme — “Rebuilding Trust in a Fragmented World” — played out across closed-door sessions, innovation labs, and fireside chats that stretched from boardroom predictions to human-centered ethics in AI.
Key Conversations
The conversation dominating nearly every forum this year was of course around Artificial Intelligence — but not just as a tool, but as a sovereign force. In a compelling session led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alongside Margrethe Vestager, EVP of the European Commission, the topic of “AI as Infrastructure vs. AI as Influence” struck a chord. Altman emphasized the responsibility of foundational model creators, stating, “We’re not just building tools, we’re architecting societal operating systems.” Additionally, what stood out was the divergence in global AI governance strategies:
- The EU’s AI Act 2.0 will now mandate explainability thresholds for any model deployed in public infrastructure.
- China’s digital statecraft strategy seeks to open-source selected models to influence global standards — a diplomatic chess move.
- Meanwhile, the U.S. is fostering a ‘federated AI model ecosystem’, giving states and enterprises flexibility within a national ethical framework.
Other Great Off-Agenda Discussions
An off-agenda, invitation-only breakfast hosted by McKinsey featured an unfiltered dialogue with Satya Nadella, Marc Benioff, and Mellody Hobson. The conversation quickly pivoted from AI productivity to AI values. “Efficiency is easy. Integrity is the challenge,” said Hobson, noting how organizations are quick to implement automation but slow to audit the ethical implications.
Additionally, a surprise insight came from Benioff, who revealed that Salesforce’s internal AI ethics team had blocked deployment of an LLM-driven hiring system that, when tested, “replicated biased corporate hierarchies from the past 30 years.” As talent and trust became top-tier boardroom topics, corporate governance for AI emerged as a major investment category for 2026.
The most unexpected announcement however came during India’s plenary showcase:
India will launch the world’s first qu antum-secured satellite internet constellation by 2027, in partnership with ISRO and private AI startups in Bengaluru. This marks a leapfrog moment — not just for India’s digital infrastructure, but for secure global communications in the post-encryption era.
Equally compelling was the rise of pan-African AI alliances. A joint initiative, “AI for Food,” was unveiled by leaders from Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana — a continent-scale agri-data platform powered by open models and satellite imaging, targeting food security through predictive analytics.
What Davos 2026 Signals for the Future
As Davos closed, one thing became clear: we’re entering an era where power is no longer centralized in capitals — it’s distributed through code, culture, and community. The lines between diplomacy, data, and decentralization are blurring. Trust is becoming the new currency — not only in institutions, but in algorithms. It became evident that strategic imperatives for 2026 and beyond include:
- Boardrooms must become algorithm-literate.
- Nations must treat AI like infrastructure — not intellectual property.
- Consumers will demand AI with values, not just value.
- We must move from innovation for scale to innovation for stewardship.
Final Thought
As Peter Drucker once wrote, “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence — it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” Davos 2026 served as both a mirror and a map — a place to confront the fractures and forge new logic for a world being rapidly rewritten by intelligence, artificial and otherwise. While the mountain conversations are over, now comes the real work — building, regulating, and most of all, leading.
