By Lucy Adautin
The 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is all set to begin from today January 15 and will continue till January 19, 2024 at the local Swiss Alpine School in the center of Davos.
The annual meeting will be welcoming over 100 governments, major international organizations, 1,000 forum’s partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.
Davos 2024 is said to focus on the ‘back to basics’ approach, fostering open and constructive dialogue among government, business, and civil society leaders. The objective of the forum is to navigate the complexities of the current state of environment, offering insight through the latest advancements in society, tech, science, and industry.
The Agenda
The four key focus areas at Davos 2024 are as follows:
1.Achieving security and cooperation amid rising geopolitical tensions
Finding an approach to effectively address security crises, such as the ongoing situation in the Middle East, while simultaneously addressing the underlying forces of fragmentation. Laying out strategies that can be employed to identify crucial areas for cooperation, ensuring a mutually beneficial outcome for all stakeholders.
2.Creating growth and jobs for a new era
Discussion on how government, business, and civil society can collaborate on a new economic framework to prevent a decade of low growth and prioritise the well-being of individuals. Also, finding a way to minimise trade-offs and maximise synergies, when traditional measures seem inadequate.
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3.Artificial Intelligence as a driving force for the economy and society
Finding ways to harness AI for the benefit of all and discussing how it can interact with other transformative technologies, including 5/6G, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
4. Along-term strategy for climate, nature, and energy
Discussing an approach to develop a comprehensive, long-term approach to achieve carbon neutrality and promote a nature-positive world by 2050. Aiming to develop strategies that can be implemented to ensure affordable, secure, and inclusive access to energy, food, and water.
More than 60 heads of state and government, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several business leaders, such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft’s top executives, are coming to Switzerland to discuss the biggest global challenges during the WEF annual gathering.
Tuesday, January 16
The first full day of the WEF’s annual gathering of business elites and global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, will feature speeches from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, as well as dozens of sessions about everything from artificial intelligence, climate change and the global economy.
Wednesday, January 17:
Speeches from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, new Argentine President Javier Milei and French President Emmanuel Macron will dominate the second full day of the WEF’s annual gathering of business elites and global leaders.
Thursday, January 18:
The last full day of the WEF’s annual gathering of business elites and global leaders will feature comments from Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shyaa Al Sudani, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sessions on climate change, geopolitical tensions, the global economy and AI, including one with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Artificial Intelligence
Some of the world’s top minds on artificial intelligence, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, are talking about the opportunities and pitfalls of the rapidly developing technology as the world heads into a major election year where AI-powered misinformation and disinformation pose a major threat.
