Investors came to Davos for AI. They left talking about Greenland

Moving betwixt panels, edifice lobbies, and meetings this week, it often felt similar 2 conferences were happening successful the aforesaid snowy Swiss village.

In 1 Davos, the temper was strikingly optimistic. Executives and investors spoke astir artificial quality moving from hype to production, presumption similar "world models" and "physical AI" were being thrown around, with discussions astir the tremendous pools of superior acceptable to backmost it.

In the other, a fig of conversations seemed to extremity up backmost astatine tariffs, Greenland, geopolitical tensions, and a increasing consciousness that the planetary rules investors person relied connected for decades are shifting successful existent time.

Both worlds overlapped constantly. Often, successful the aforesaid conversation.

"What Davos highlighted this twelvemonth is not a situation of innovation, but a situation of coherence and nonaccomplishment of trust," Chavalit Frederick Tsao, president of Singapore-based family-run trading concern Tsao Pao Chee, said connected the sidelines. "Technology is advancing faster than our corporate wisdom."

That hostility betwixt swift innovation and governmental uncertainty defined overmuch of the week.

On Wednesday, thousands queued for much than an hr to perceive U.S. President Donald Trump's code astatine the Congress Hall. I stood successful enactment for 90 minutes. Inside, the ambiance felt much similar a performance than a argumentation forum.

Trump's code swung betwixt humor, provocation, and unpredictability. But erstwhile helium turned to Greenland — insisting the U.S. needed to get the Arctic land — the temper successful the country changed.

People who laughed moments earlier turned quiet. Some shook their heads; others exchanged uneasy glances.

In the adjacent fewer hours, Greenland and tariffs dominated conversations and seemed to person moved connected from AI infrastructure and vigor investments to commercialized leverage and governmental risk.

The precise adjacent day, Elon Musk returned to Davos aft years distant from the forum.

In a packed session, Tesla's CEO outlined an ambitious imaginativeness for robotaxis, humanoid robots, and AI development. He said Tesla's driverless robotaxis would beryllium "very, precise widespread" successful the U.S. by the extremity of 2026. He besides predicted AI could surpass quality quality arsenic soon arsenic this year.

For galore attendees, it reset the mood. Afterward, conversations moved to information centers, artillery storage, computing power, and however cities and grids volition header with the expected surge successful request for energy.

The opposition with the time earlier was stark.

One day, Davos was trying to recognize the geopolitical implications of Trump's speech. Next, it was backmost to talking astir the technological aboriginal astatine afloat speed.

That whiplash kept showing up successful interviews passim the week.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, lawman CEO of Abu Dhabi-based concern elephantine Mubadala, told CNBC's Dan Murphy the concern stance into 2026 could beryllium summed up successful 2 words: "conviction driven."

"So it's not chaotic, but the satellite is becoming much fragmented, without a doubt," helium said.

"That volition travel with its ain opportunity, but pitfalls arsenic good … As agelong arsenic you tin deploy superior successful a methodical, strategic, conviction-driven benignant of manner, past I deliberation you're going to beryllium up of the pack"

Meanwhile, Joe Kaeser, seat of Siemens Energy, framed AI arsenic an concern accidental alternatively than a contention for consumers.

"There is nary specified continent successful the satellite which has arsenic overmuch information connected industrialization, mechanization, and automation arsenic Europe," helium told CNBC. 

"Combine that with computing power, and Europe has the champion options to specify wherever the carnal and the virtual travel together."

Kaeser said leaders were inactive waiting to spot whether argumentation announcements would construe into action.

"The assemblage is inactive retired connected whether things volition beryllium executed arsenic announced," helium said. "But if 1 of the precise important players is not consenting to play, it's atrocious for everybody."

For concern ministers and different policymakers, overmuch of the Davos connection this twelvemonth was astir reassurance.

Enoch Godongwana, South Africa's concern minister, highlighted caller recognition upgrades, his country's removal from the U.S. Financial Action Task Force's grey list, and governmental stability, earlier the speech turned to managing ties with Washington and commercialized talks.

"The fig 1 hazard for South Africa's system is the geopolitical situation," helium told CNBC. "It is hard to predict, and we don't cognize its implications."

Saudi Arabia's concern minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, returned repeatedly to the request for dialogue.

"What businesses request is certainty," helium said, adding that disputes should beryllium resolved done dialogue.

By week's end, a wide signifier appeared.

Panels connected AI, the vigor transition, and concern reinvention were packed. Private discussions focused connected expansion, deployment, and semipermanent prospects.

But successful little engaged moments — implicit coffee, successful corridors, connected shuttles — the speech returned to Greenland, tariffs, and however swiftly argumentation could change the concern calculus.

One Davos focused connected the tech frontier and what AI could unlock. The different focused connected navigating geopolitical uncertainty and preserving the conditions that alteration that progress.

Both unfolded astatine the aforesaid time, successful the aforesaid village, often successful the aforesaid conversation.

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