Artificial intelligence was at the center of nearly all discussions at Davos 2026, highlighting its relevance in the context of important topics such as international competition and economic relations.
At last year's forum, the Chinese company DeepSeek attracted attention by presenting an AI model and chatbot that they claimed were more accessible and efficient than similar developments, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI. However, this year the focus shifted to how AI is being implemented across various sectors, its potential risks, and its impact on work and society.
Here are key statements from technology leaders who spoke at the forum.
"To do something useful" — Satya Nadella
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that AI must bring real benefits to society.
"We must strive to use [AI] for useful purposes that can change the lives of people, communities, countries, and entire industries," Nadella noted. He also warned that access to AI will be uneven due to differences in capital and infrastructure.
In his opinion, "necessary conditions" are required to realize AI's potential, including investments and infrastructure development. Nadella stressed that large tech companies are investing in various corners of the world, including countries in the Global South; however, success will largely depend on the political environment that attracts both public and private investments.
He pointed out that key infrastructures, such as energy networks, are primarily controlled by governments, and private companies will only be able to operate effectively if foundational systems are already in place.
"Not selling chips to China is one of the most important things we can do" — Dario Amodei
Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, stated that the development of AI opens many opportunities, but the coming years will be critically important for regulating and managing this technology.
He also raised the issue of the implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI), when AI reaches or surpasses human cognitive abilities, which could lead to a loss of control over it.
Amodei emphasized the importance of limiting chip supplies to China as a measure to help control the situation. He also noted that selling Nvidia H200 AI chips to China could negatively impact the U.S. leadership in AI.
According to him, if "geopolitical rivals, developing at a similar pace, slow down," real competition in AI will occur between him and other tech companies, rather than between the U.S. and China.
Regarding the future of jobs, Amodei stated that AI could lead to the disappearance of half of the entry-level positions in offices. However, he added that so far, the impact of AI on the labor market is not yet that significant, although changes are already noticeable in the programming field.
Demis Hassabis — "More meaningful jobs will emerge"
Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind Technologies, expressed a more optimistic view of the future. In his speech, he noted that the expectation of "new, more meaningful jobs" is realistic.
In his opinion, while hiring interns may slow down, this will be offset by the emergence of amazing tools available to everyone. Hassabis advised students to use their time to master these tools, which could be even more beneficial than traditional internships.
Nevertheless, he warned that after achieving AGI, the labor market will find itself in "uncharted territory." Hassabis predicted that this could happen within five to ten years and lead to a shortage of jobs, raising important questions about the meaning of work and its purpose.
The head of Google DeepMind also noted that in the context of geopolitical competition, safety standards in AI are being adopted too hastily. He called for international cooperation to develop minimum safety standards, emphasizing the importance of a proper approach for society.
