The weather is sunny and (relatively) warm in Davos, but there's a definite chill in the air. Maybe it's the heightened security. Maybe it's the long lines already forming. Maybe it's that there are reportedly a lot more people here than there have been in a long time. Whatever the case, everyone seems to be on edge. Multiple attendees told me they were already feeling exhausted, as if we were halfway through the week, even though we're just getting started.
Artificial intelligence is no longer futuristic-it's functional. Hotels are already utilizing AI to integrate siloed systems, such as PMS, accounting, CRM, and forecasting platforms, to drive faster and smarter decisions. Tools like Placer.ai and PredictHQ help identify ideal customers through demographic, behavioral, and geolocation data. As automation expands, the next opportunity lies in strategic human oversight: consultants and managers will interpret AI outputs, guiding capital investments and operational priorities rather than being replaced by algorithms.
We have entered a new world economy shaped by two fundamental forces: geoeconomic fragmentation and exponential innovation. In this environment, established cooperative and diplomatic frameworks are under pressure, requiring much more dialogue, imagination and entrepreneurship to regain forward momentum. At the same time, technology and innovation are being deployed at unprecedented speed, with companies playing an ever-greater role. These shifts are transforming how businesses operate across geographies.
Not in the sense that truth has vanished or that learning no longer matters, but in the deeper, structural sense that knowledge as a stable possession-think dusty books and road maps-has lost its central role in human cognition. In a world where information is instant and increasingly available "on demand," the old idea of "knowing" seems to feel like an artifact of another era.
According to H&M, the digital twins will initially appear in social media posts, clearly marked with watermarks to indicate their AI origin, in compliance with platform guidelines on Instagram and TikTok that require disclosure of AI-generated content.
Artificial intelligence (AI) excitement has been sweeping through Wall Street for several years now. The technology is transforming the world and presenting investors with attractive opportunities in the process. Investing in companies that can capitalize on the AI wave in one way or another could lead to substantial returns over the long run. However, not every AI stock is created equal. Let's consider three AI stocks on the market right now, two of which are attractive options, and one that isn't.
His answer cut through the noise. "Look," he said, "in the end, there's only one thing that matters, which is trust. We're all in the trust business. That is the business. And the leaders who succeed are the ones who have a reservoir of trust." That idea has stayed with me because it's old wisdom that is increasingly forgotten. We are living through an era obsessed with speed, scale, and technology.
In the past, researchers studying peoples' experiences with addiction relied mostly on clinical observations and self-reported surveys. But only about 5% of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder seek formal treatment. They are only a small sliver of the population who have a substance use disorder-and until recently, there has been no straightforward way to capture the experiences of the other 95%.
Harry frowned. "I'm not seeing the value in it. Can you explain it clearly? Is there any other solution?" Tom leaned in. "This isn't making much sense. You could try this instead. It's simpler." Leina sighed. "Next time you present, put more thought into your reasoning." Meanwhile, Ron trembled with anxiety. He wanted to make a point but ended up rambling. This was his second failed attempt at defending his ideas.
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L ast September, nearly 6,500 people-including start-up founders, investors, and researchers-gathered at the Palais des congrès in Montreal for All In, Canada's largest artificial intelligence event. After passing through a security checkpoint, they lounged on plush furniture and posed in front of a luminous "ALL IN" sign. Everyone wore a lanyard with a QR code that could be scanned to connect through an app, a sort of modern-day business card. Kiosks showcased AI companies; smooth jazz flowed and so did coffee.
Using A.I. for detecting ticket fraud follows the recent trend of A.I. making its way into snow sports. Recently, competition organizations like X Games and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) have experimented with using A.I. to assist with judging contests. Brands are also using A.I. to assist with creating graphics for their skis and snowboards. And it does not look like the A.I. train is slowing down any time soon.
Even more exceptional are when the people in those literal marriages extend their individual tendril-like professional paths toward each other, braiding them into endeavors that become something greater than either could have created alone. The "mine and yours" are rendered indistinguishable from one another. Such is the case with multidisciplinary artist Tiffany Shlain and Ken Goldberg, a UC Berkeley professor of engineering and art practice. The Berkeley-based life and work partners' newest collaboration is "Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time and Technology."
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, , I sat down with prolific inventor Gil Hyatt, exploring his innovative journey and aspirations to leave a lasting legacy. Gil, known for his significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering and microcomputers, shared insightful anecdotes about his early days, his pioneering work in artificial intelligence, and his ambitions to benefit future generations. The Journey of an Inventor The path of Gil Hyatt was seemingly pre-destined.
This will also greatly increase the need for AI audit trails: detailed records of what data AI used, what steps it took, what suggestions or decisions it influenced, and who ultimately confirmed the choices. These trails will become crucial for compliance, ethical accountability, and ensuring business integrity. According to Pugh, there will be a clear trend toward transparent AI workflows, and companies will increasingly see that an error in a prediction can be traced back to a specific step in the AI workflow.
Reid Hoffman doesn't do much in half measures. He cofounded LinkedIn, of course, and helped bankroll companies including Meta and Airbnb in their startup days. He has also fashioned himself, via books, podcasts, and other public appearances, as something of a public intellectual-a pro-capitalist philosopher who still insists that tech can be a force for good. Most recently, Hoffman has emerged as one of Silicon Valley's most prominent defenders of artificial intelligence.
Nick Fleisher learned that the hard way at McKinsey, where he helped elite law firms roll out tech tools, often with little enthusiasm from the lawyers expected to use them. "It was like pulling teeth," Fleisher said. That work led Fleisher to leave McKinsey and start a company in August. His startup, Sandstone, is aimed squarely at in-house legal teams instead of law firms, and Sequoia Capital is backing the idea.
Charlie Brooker's dystopian anthology series Black Mirror has been making us face the dark side of technology for 15 years now. In 2011, that meant live TV ransoms and capitalist reality shows. But last year, in Season 7, we saw memories brought to life, emotions run on subscription models, and the Hollywood remake machine going very literal. In the age of AI popping up everywhere, Black Mirror isn't going to stop reflecting real life any time soon - but what could possibly be next?
In early 2024, Anish Acharya, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a big venture-capital firm based in Menlo Park, posted an article online titled "How AI Will Usher in an Era of Abundance." Since then, and even before, various Silicon Valley types have been tossing the term around loosely. Last summer, Elon Musk even adopted the term "sustainable abundance" for a new Tesla mission statement. (Over Christmas, Musk substituted "amazing" for "sustainable," saying the former term was "more joyful.")
"There's interest across the board," Michael Kemper, MTA chief security officer, told THE CITY. "It's not only coming from the MTA, but from the business world, the AI business world, in working with us."
A lot has changed in 20 years, including the biggest drivers of U.S. economic activity. For example, to kick off 2006, industrial bellwether General Electric and energy stalwart ExxonMobil were the two largest publicly traded companies in the country in terms of market cap, valued at $370 billion and $349 billion, respectively. Things are much different in 2026, and technology companies -- particularly those at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) -- top the charts. In fact, of the world's 10 most valuable companies (as of this writing), nine are arguably leaders in the field of AI.
IGPT delivers aggressive growth through concentrated AI exposure. With 72% of assets in information technology and communication services, this is a pure-play thematic fund. The ETF holds roughly 115 positions, but the top 10 represent 62% of assets. IGPT overweights companies directly building or deploying AI systems rather than those tangentially benefiting from the trend.
Sophia wasn't particularly talkative that evening. Earlier that day, she'd been onstage at the conference I was attending and had been teased for a gesture that looked as though she were flipping off the audience. Now she was in the hotel lobby, in a black gown, holding court. She stepped in front of a bright-orange wall. I had brought an 85-mm. portrait lens, the kind that flatters human lineaments.
Musk envisions a future of unprecedented productivity, where advances in artificial intelligence, energy and robotics produce economic abundance and even a so-called universal high income that might make long-term savings unnecessary, Business Insider reported. The good future is anyone can have whatever stuff they want, Musk said. That would mean better medical care than anyone has today, available for everyone within five years.
More artificial intelligence is being implanted into Gmail as Google tries to turn the world's most popular email service into a personal assistant that can improve writing, summarize far-flung information buried in inboxes and deliver daily to-do lists. The new AI features announced Thursday could herald a pivotal moment for Gmail, a service that transformed email when it was introduced nearly 22 years ago.