Public intellectuals and experts at elite events like Davos can be relegated to the role of "intellectual support animals." They are invited to make powerful people feel smarter and more engaged, but their function is often performative entertainment for the elite rather than a source of substantive influence.
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A far-right media figure at Davos admitted it was "more fun when we were in opposition." Being welcomed by the "globalist" establishment undermines their core narrative of being outsiders fighting a corrupt system, making their content less compelling.
The atmosphere at the World Economic Forum has transformed over two decades. The dot-com era's optimism, focused on cooperation and consumerism, has been replaced by a tense environment dominated by AI discourse and a coercive, chaotic American brand.
The assumption that superintelligence will inevitably rule is flawed. In human society, raw IQ is not the primary determinant of power, as evidenced by PhDs often working for MBAs. This suggests an AGI wouldn't automatically dominate humanity simply by being smarter.
The World Economic Forum, once a bastion of thoughtful globalism, is shifting. Its attendees are becoming more aligned with Trump's transactional, oil-focused worldview, prioritizing personal prosperity and "getting in on the hustle" over upholding international law.
The annual Davos gathering, a long-standing symbol of global cooperation, now confronts its own potential obsolescence. The rise of populist and nationalist movements worldwide directly challenges the forum's core principle of globalism, forcing it to adapt or risk becoming an irrelevant relic.
Events like Davos are no longer just for legacy media. A proliferation of 'houses' sponsored by countries and companies need constant programming, creating opportunities for podcasts and other niche media to get a stage and interview high-profile guests who are all interviewing each other.
The World Economic Forum is becoming a critical venue for tech leaders like Satya Nadella to directly communicate the impacts of AI to an audience of global policymakers and executives, shaping regulation and adoption.
Experts lose public trust not only from being wrong, but from being 'dangerously out of touch.' Their use of cold, impersonal jargon like 'transition costs' to describe devastating life events like job loss displays a lack of empathy, making their advice seem disconnected from human reality and easy to reject.
Tyler Cowen posits his interviewing style is rare because it requires a personality both intellectually strong enough to be a guest, yet deferential enough to be a host. Many experts are great guests but lack the interest or temperament to subordinate their own views to facilitate another's.
Andrew Ross Sorkin emphasizes that for the DealBook Summit, the audience is as important as the stage talent. By filling the room with peers and other influential leaders, speakers feel compelled to engage more deeply, knowing they are being judged by people whose opinions matter to them.
