Heather Craft
CEO, North America
In January, the world’s most influential innovators, dealmakers, and disruptors gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum. This year, the event was marked by significant discussions on artificial intelligence (AI), the changing political landscape, and the evolving role of communications in business.
AI Takes Center Stage at Davos 2025
As anticipated, AI was a dominant theme at Davos. Conversations revolved around both agentic AI and the data center and energy ecosystems needed to support its growing demand. The AI House, co-initiated by the AI House Association and the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI), saw lines out the door every day, underscoring the intense interest in AI’s potential.
Key insights from AI discussions included:
- Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, predicted that today’s CEOs would be the last to lead an all-human workforce.
- Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, forecasted that 2025 would be the year of AI agents.
- Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, described agentic AI as a “big next step” in AI’s evolution.
- Sally Susman, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, warned that communications leaders must adapt their workflows to avoid the “fear of being obsolete” (FOBO).
The Intersection of Technology and Politics
The US presidential inauguration and tech’s presence in Washington were hot topics. Many tech leaders shared firsthand accounts of the events and expressed optimism about the new administration. Notably, Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco and other leaders struck a neutral tone on topics like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the return to office. Robbins emphasized his willingness to work with the new administration while maintaining that diversity remains good for business, despite some past actions going too far.
Is Davos Still Relevant for Business Leaders?
Despite some business and political leaders questioning Davos’s future relevance, the technology sector showed up in full force. Companies like Meta, TikTok, Cognizant, Qualcomm, Square, Mastercard, PwC, Accenture, IBM, and C3.ai dominated the promenade, demonstrating the event’s continued importance.
Media’s Influence on Public Agendas at the World Economic Forum
The world’s media was out in force, reporting on both the main stage and pulling in CEOs for on-site commentary. The Wall Street Journal hosted conversations with cultural leaders like Zak Brown from McLaren Racing and Brian Armstrong from Coinbase. Philip Morris’s CEO highlighted the critical role of communications departments, equating their importance to that of product development.
Reflections on Leadership and Change
The spirit of connection and business-making permeates the event, creating opportunities for meaningful interactions. And Davos 2025 highlighted the critical intersections of AI, politics, and communications. For CCOs, heads of comms, and CMOs at global technology companies, the insights and connections made at Davos will be invaluable as we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and business.
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