Janice R. Andrews
January 16, 2024, Switzerland:
Increasing geopolitical tensions in Taiwan, the Middle East, and Ukraine have taken centre stage during the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The event’s main goal is to restore trust in the face of global issues, yet there are looming worries about possible disputes in these crucial areas.
Along with Argentina’s new president Javier Milei, prominent figures including Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, are set to speak at the WEF. The United States is sending National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Davos due to the rising tensions in the Middle East. Attendees include Prime Ministers of Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Iran, as well as Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister, and Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq.
At Davos, artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot issue; OpenAI’s Sam Altman will be speaking on a panel about the subject. As noted in last week’s global risks report, the WEF has voiced worries about the possible misuse of AI by hostile governments and malicious groups.
UK chief executives are adopting generative artificial intelligence (AI) more quickly than their counterparts in other nations, according to a poll of global industry leaders. According to a PwC survey, 42% of CEOs in the UK and 32% of CEOs in other countries used AI in the previous year. Global adoption of GenAI, the technology behind ChatGPT and Midjourney’s image generators and chatbots, is increasing.
The International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, issues a warning regarding the possibility that, in the absence of appropriate intervention, AI would worsen inequality. She stresses the importance of planning when influencing the application of AI in a CNBC interview.
Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh, musician-producer Nile Rodgers, and architect and educator Diébédo Francis Kéré received the WEF’s annual crystal awards during the Davos inaugural event. While Kéré was honoured for his leadership in building a sustainable future for the Gando community in Burkina Faso, Yeoh was honoured for her advocacy work on sustainable development goals. For his humanitarian endeavours, which included co-founding the We Are Family Foundation and combating systematic racism, Rodgers received recognition.
In spite of geopolitical tension-related worries about the world economy, UK chief executives surveyed by PwC expressed optimism about it, with 61% anticipating recovery by 2024. Though up from 9% a year ago, confidence in the UK’s economic outlook was still low, with only 39% anticipating improvement this year.
As it moves forward, the World Economic Forum will continue to prioritise overcoming obstacles, promoting international collaboration, and discussing how new technologies will affect the world economy.
