Main train stations in Zurich
mackenzie sigaros
There are faster ways to get there by cutting down on the number of flights and commuting by car or car directly from Zurich. by helicopter charter — But no matter which route you take, the Swiss fortress is far away. Airport-level security has been installed at all entrances to the Congress Center, making it an ideal retreat for the elite to visit his shop where he talks safely and securely for a week each winter.
But the long, winding road to Davos has some lesser-known benefits that make the long commute well worth it.
This year’s trek to the village 5,100 feet above sea level was packed with inside scoops on the topics and personalities that make up the lineup for the 54th World Economic Forum.
This is what I heard on the connecting train from Zurich Airport to Davos Square.
Taking the Swiss National Railways from Zurich Central Station The best way to get to Davos Platz is to take a second class train.
The cloth seats are still worn and faded, but the seats are filled with chatty journalists and WEF attendees.
Wearing uniform gear: snow boots, fur-lined parkas, and pom-pom beanies, these avid forum participants are demonstrating that participants in this year’s forum, dubbed “Rebuilding Trust,” are actually Describe the issues that concern you the most. starts on monday morning.
Virtually every conversation started with “Are you here for Davos?” Before the inevitable retort, “Me too.”
Generative artificial intelligence led the rhetoric, including the scoop that actually led to the corporate upheaval of ChatGPT creator OpenAI and the downfall of its founder Sam Altman.
First class on the train from Zurich to Davos
mackenzie sigaros
In November, a consortium of investors and OpenAI employees forced OpenAI to bring back Altman as chief executive following his abrupt firing. His return as CEO coincides with the resignation of the board members who voted him out.
The incident happened in just a few days.
Reports have revealed multiple vulnerabilities in the startup, which has a market capitalization of $86 billion. These include an unusual corporate governance structure that has weakened executives and the fact that its biggest backers, including Microsoft, have no board seats and very few board seats. . He said this in a monumental strategic decision for the company.
Many still want to hear directly from Mr. Altman, unfiltered, about the events that led to his sudden firing.
OpenAI media representatives declined CNBC’s request to interview Altman in Davos, citing a “tight” schedule.
But the reappointed OpenAI CEO is scheduled to appear on stage Thursday on a panel that will address safety issues as technology continues to intertwine with our daily lives.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla were among the voices closing the session, but many were particularly impressed by Altman’s November company shakeup. I want to hear about it.
Another traveler on the train was using Davos as an opportunity to recruit talent to speak at an AI conference in Saudi Arabia in March.
Meanwhile, intellectual property rights and licensing issues in the broader field of AI are also attracting the attention of WEF participants this year.
The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in December for alleged copyright infringement and misuse of the paper’s intellectual property to train large-scale language models.
One Davos attendee pointed out that his company was in the intellectual property field and had only raised funding this summer because the “rights issues are very complex.”
Restricted airspace around Davos, Switzerland
State Police, Canton of Graubünden
Data owners including news publications, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Disney, and other content creators may enter into licensing agreements with companies that require source material for training LLMs. There is speculation.
This year’s WEF is Programming documents were heavily biased towards AI. The Global Risk Report 2024 study, released on January 10, found that disruption of election results tops the list of the biggest risks from AI in 2024.
AI-derived misinformation and disinformation ranks ahead of climate change, war, and global economic downturn in a ranking of the 10 biggest risks over the next two years.
The eight-minute train change at Landquart station typically involves swinging and weaving among locals carrying skis on their shoulders and poles repurposed as balance sticks. there is.
This switch also provides an opportunity to shuffle the deck and start new conversations with new characters.
Sustainability financial products (such as on-demand electrolysis hydrogen generation), as well as Brazil’s fintech ecosystem and the so-called “next 1 percent” featured in snippets of conversation on your commute up the Alps. It’s the same.
But as oversized suitcases aimlessly slipped through their owners’ hands and meandered down the aisles, a focus on after-hours programming alongside WEF became top of the agenda.
One official who returned to the conference said he expected this year’s Davos to be “better” because he wasn’t forced to wake up early this time.
Another wondered if the exclusive cocktail reception would require the infamous and highly coveted white badge that gives the wearer virtually unlimited access to everything the forum has to offer. thought.
“Do I need a white badge?” this person wondered aloud to the group. “Would you please let me smuggle you into the country?”
One traveler recalled having breakfast at the same place as Sting last year. The musician appeared at an invite-only event hosted by Microsoft last year. The night before the company lays off 10,000 people..
Another lesson learned is that I didn’t lock the door to my rental apartment after having lock issues in the past few years.
Getting around the city was another concern.
In Davos, you can walk anywhere within 30 minutes, even in the snow. In many cases, almost everything is just a few blocks away from downtown’s iconic Promenade.
Taking an Uber isn’t as easy as you think, one person recalled. Also, in the case of taxis, either you won’t be able to find a single one, or they will all crowd together, causing traffic jams.
One person said he learned his lesson after paying $40 for a short Uber ride home from an evening event in Davos. From now on, they will always walk home, even in arctic weather.