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How does Europe balance AI and energy transition?
“I can tell you Europe is absolutely committed to tackling climate change, to developing this green economy, and to making the green transition a European success,” said Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank.
The rollout of artificial intelligence has raised big questions about how it will impact Europe’s transition to a more sustainable economy. During a Global Stage livestream at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Calviño stressed the continent’s role in addressing risks generated by AI. She said, “I think it will be key when we're talking about these technologies that have such a huge demand for energy supply.” Alongside countries being energy-conscious, Calviño stresses that building strong trust between businesses and citizens will help the new technologies “unleash their full potential.”
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
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We're on path to building an intelligence grid, says Peng Xiao
"We are on the right path to building, what I call, the 'intelligence grid' alongside the electricity grid," said Peng Xiao, CEO of G42.
As Donald Trump begins his new term, artificial intelligence has reemerged as a major topic of discussion. During a Global Stage livestream at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Peng highlighted the benefits and challenges of advancing AI technology. He praised Trump’s global infrastructure build-out initiative and AI’s potential to integrate seamlessly into daily life but underscored, "We cannot afford for intelligence not to be equally distributed."
Peng emphasized the need for global governance and development to be "equitable, systematic, and coordinated across regions." Thus as private sector investments in AI surge, policy decisions in the coming months will be closely watched
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
AI can reduce trade costs, says WTO's Ngozi Okonojo-Iweala
"AI has (the) potential to do one thing which is very important to get developing countries more integrated into global markets and that is reduced trade costs,” said Ngozi Okonojo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, during a Global Stage livestream at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
She shares that the organization’s new report “Trading with Intelligence,” shows significant upsides to AI in trade. At a time when supply chains remain fragile, Iweala notes that "we've done simulations that show that world trade could increase by about 14% by 2040.”
However, Iweala emphasizes that technology adoption must happen across the board and include the Global South in the conversation. That means ensuring developing countries have the electrical infrastructure and capacity to handle the technology. Otherwise, she warns that the “increase drops substantially; it halves actually.”
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
Trump's early action on AI
“The interesting thing about Donald Trump,” said Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, “is that this is not his first time as president of the United States.”
As the 47th president begins his second term, conversations about artificial intelligence are again taking center stage. Speaking at Davos, Smith reflected on Trump’s earlier efforts to prioritize AI during his first administration, citing the groundbreaking 2019 executive order that laid the foundation for US leadership in the field.
The order focused on three key pillars: investing in AI research and development, skilling the workforce for the AI-driven future, and opening global markets for American innovation. Smith sees Trump’s return to office as an opportunity to reinvigorate these priorities with renewed energy.
With AI rapidly reshaping industries and societies, early signals from the new administration suggest a continued commitment to ensuring the United States remains at the forefront of this critical technological revolution. As Smith put it, “he has an opportunity to bring even more energy to that.”
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
Exporting AI in a responsible and secure way
Tech giants like Microsoft are backing a massive effort to add AI data centers worldwide, including a $1.5 billion investment to introduce the latest Microsoft AI technologies to the UAE. Speaking at Davos, Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, discussed the importance of bringing AI to countries in a responsible way.
Smith highlighted that international cooperation around the use of AI is key. That includes creating bilateral agreements between countries and developing goal-oriented initiatives with AI companies. Such measures would “ensure that the AI technology and the graphic processing units would be secure. They wouldn't be diverted for improper uses,” said Smith.
Microsoft’s approach to advancing AI responsibly echoes the global frameworks developed around other technologies. Smith emphasized, “What you see is the emergence of a new regime to export AI around the world as nuclear power was exported around the world.”
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
Ian Bremmer: Can the US still lead AI innovation while cutting global ties?
As global AI innovation accelerates, Ian Bremmer unpacks the shifting priorities of world leaders. During a Global Stage livestream at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he highlights the UK’s rebranding of its “AI Safety Summit” to an “AI Action Summit” in 2025, calling it a telling sign of the race to harness AI’s economic potential.
"There is enormous effort by every actor that's touching AI right now to try to ensure competitiveness, try to ensure productivity, try to take advantage of these tools and set them to work," he says. "Everyone agrees with that."
However, Ian flags a contradiction in the US approach: while Donald Trump’s administration is doubling down on innovation, its simultaneous withdrawal from global agreements like the Paris Accord and the WHO poses challenges. “What is a world going to look like when the country that is doing the most to try to ensure that it is driving that innovation is also at the same time withdrawing from global responsibilities and architecture that it created, which we've never seen before?” he asks. Bremmer warns that this duality could hinder efforts to scale AI’s benefits equitably, especially for developing nations.
This conversation, moderated by Becky Anderson, was part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
Click to watch the full discussion for our panel's insights on AI's future and how it is expected to transform our economy and society by 2030.
AI in 2025: The "new electricity" could create huge economic growth
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant vision of the future—it’s here, and it’s transforming the way we live, work, and innovate. At the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, our Global Stage panel brought together some of the world’s brightest minds to discuss the profound impact AI could have on global growth, society, and infrastructure.
Our thought-provoking panel discussion, moderated by Becky Anderson, Anchor & Managing Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi, featured Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media; Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the WTO; Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft; and Peng Xiao, CEO of G42. They shared unique insights into the opportunities and challenges of the AI revolution.
We’ve entered a new phase of the AI conversation, moving beyond debates over whether it will save or destroy humanity. Instead, the focus has shifted to the ways this powerful technology, when used correctly and ethically, can enhance human life. From revolutionizing healthcare and expediting scientific breakthroughs to creating infrastructure investment opportunities, AI holds the potential to contribute up to $20 trillion to global GDP over the next five years.
Geopolitical competition is also heating up. While the US-China rivalry dominates headlines, the Middle East—particularly the UAE—is emerging as a significant player in the AI space with increasing investments and innovations.
As Microsoft's Brad Smith noted during the expert panel discussion, AI could become as essential as electricity. However, ensuring its benefits are equitably shared across all societies is vital. Achieving this requires collaboration between governments, multilateral organizations, and private sector leaders.
Watch the full discussion now for our panel's insights on AI's future, and how it is expected to transform our economy society by 2030.
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From Davos: Watch our Global Stage discussion on the AI economy
At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, our Global Stage panel discussion, "The AI Economy: An Engine for Local Growth", will examine AI’s growing global impact, the potential for enormous benefits to society, and the investments necessary to ensure equitable diffusion and adoption of AI tools. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape economies, its potential to drive massive growth is undeniable. The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that through 2030, AI will contribute $19.9 trillion to global GDP and drive 3.5% growth. However, realizing this potential requires careful attention to how and where AI expands, and who is included in its growth.
Watch the live premiere now at gzeromedia.com/globalstage.
Participants:
- Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
- Nadia Calviño, President, European Investment Bank
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization
- Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft
- Peng Xiao, CEO, G42
- Becky Anderson, (moderator) Host of CNN Connect and Managing Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi
This livestream is the latest in the Webby-nominated Global Stage series, a partnership between GZERO and Microsoft that examines critical issues at the intersection of technology, politics, and society.
Live premiere: Wednesday, January 22 at 11 AM ET/ 5 PM CET
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