At Davos, local leaders all seemed to have one thing on their minds: AI

The World Economic Forum in Davos featured a prominent day-long conference focused on artificial intelligence and sustainability, drawing overwhelming interest from global leaders and innovators.

Event Overview: The “Imagination in Action: Architects of the Global Future” conference, organized by Brookline venture capitalist John Werner, attracted over 2,000 sign-ups for just 200 available seats.

• The 12-hour event featured 26 consecutive panels and fireside chats without breaks
• The conference space, a dome that cost over $1 million to rent, was sponsored by consulting firms Deloitte and Tata Consultancy Services
• Attendees faced a screening process for free admission, with consistent long lines outside the venue

Notable Participants: The conference brought together an influential mix of academic leaders, tech innovators, and industry experts to discuss AI’s future.

• MIT had strong representation, including President Sally Kornbluth and leaders from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and Media Lab
• High-profile speakers included Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and Nobel laureate Demis Hassabis
• The event featured diverse perspectives, including those from entertainment (Will.i.am), sports (Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca), and healthcare (American College of Cardiology’s Chief Innovation Officer)

Key Discussion Topics: The conference explored critical intersections between AI development and global sustainability challenges.

• Speakers addressed both opportunities and risks associated with AI implementation
• Discussions included AI’s potential energy consumption challenges and solutions
• Edge computing in AI was highlighted, with MIT spinout LiquidAI presenting their approach to running AI models on personal devices rather than data centers
• US-China competition in AI development was examined, with two Chinese speakers contributing to the dialogue

Organizational Background: The conference represents a significant milestone in Werner’s event planning journey.

• Werner began organizing events in 2009 with TEDxBoston
• This marked his eighth World Economic Forum event
• He plans to expand his conference series through Planet Action, focusing on climate issues and sustainability
• The current business model relies on sponsorships with no revenue generation

Future Implications: While the conference successfully brought together diverse perspectives on AI and sustainability, the overwhelming demand suggests a growing need for more inclusive platforms to discuss these critical issues. The event’s focus on edge computing and sustainable AI development indicates a shift toward more environmentally conscious technological advancement, though questions remain about how to scale such discussions beyond the limited confines of exclusive forums like Davos.