Key global leaders address artificial intelligence governance, social media regulation, and climate policy at the 55th annual WEF gathering.

The 55th World Economic Forum in Davos brought together world leaders, business executives, and technology experts to discuss pressing global challenges including AI development, climate action, and international trade relations. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a keynote address emphasizing the urgent need for artificial intelligence governance and continued climate action.

During the three-day event, Guterres praised AI's potential to transform education, healthcare, and agriculture while warning about risks from unregulated development. He described AI as having "profound risk, especially if left ungoverned," citing concerns about misinformation, institutional trust erosion, and labor market disruption. The UN chief's remarks came as President Trump announced the $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project, a collaboration between Oracle, SoftBank, and OpenAI.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for stronger European Union oversight of social media platforms, arguing that technology billionaires threaten democratic institutions through misinformation spread. Sánchez proposed eliminating user anonymity, opening algorithmic transparency, and holding platform owners personally accountable for content violations.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discussed his country's AI adoption strategy following a new economic partnership with Singapore. The Malaysian leader emphasized the need to accelerate technological integration across education, healthcare, and blockchain systems despite limited current expertise.

British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves expressed optimism about avoiding potential US tariffs, noting that the UK maintains a trade deficit rather than surplus with America. She highlighted the interconnected nature of British-American economic relationships, with approximately one million citizens from each country employed by firms from the other nation.

Source: Associated Press, January 22, 2025

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