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Demystifying Davos: Behind the scenes with GZERO & Microsoft

Since its launch in the fall of 2020, GZERO Media’s Global Stage series has been bringing our audience in-depth conversations and coverage from the biggest gatherings in the world—including the UN General Assembly, the Munich Security Conference, and the World Bank/IMF annual meetings.

And last week we were in Davos, Switzerland, for the 53rd World Economic Forum. Perhaps you had a chance to check out our livestream on the risks and rewards of AI, or some of Ian Bremmer’s conversations with newsmakers like Finland’s former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. But we also wanted to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at a cool workspace that quickly became the go-to gathering spot for everyone from members of the media to heads of state.


Our partner and sponsor for the Global Stage series, Microsoft, hosted a diverse array of guests throughout the week at their café, located on the Promenade directly across from the Congress Center where the mainstage Forum events take place.

Microsoft’s VP of Global Public Affairs, Steve Clayton, took us on a tour of the facility. Fun fact: the rest of the year the café is actually a bowling alley. But for one week in January, it is transformed into an international salon for conversations ranging from digital inclusion to cybersecurity to the power of the metaverse.

More from Global Stage

Can we use AI to secure the world's digital future?

How do we ensure AI is safe, available to everyone, and enhancing productivity? It’s a big topic at this year’s UN General Assembly. That’s why GZERO’s Global Stage livestream brought together leading experts at the heart of the action for “Live from the United Nations: Securing our Digital Future,” an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.

Is the Europe-US rift leaving us all vulnerable?

As the tense and politically charged 2025 Munich Security Conference draws to a close, GZERO’s Global Stage series presents a conversation about strained relationships between the US and Europe, Ukraine's path ahead, and rising threats in cyberspace.

Gender gap in AI job displacement

Who benefits from AI and who is left behind? Speaking at the United Nations, Sarah Steinberg highlighted the disproportionate impact of AI on women in the workforce. One in three women works in a job "likely to be disrupted or significantly changed by AI compared to one in four men globally,” Steinberg said. At the same time, women account for only a third of those building AI skills, creating a skills gap that could limit access to emerging jobs.

How can AI improve everyday life for citizens?

How can artificial intelligence improve everyday life for citizens? Speaking at the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish highlighted India’s approach to digital public infrastructure. “Today in India, the cost of access to internet is the lowest in the world… and data usage per capita is one of the highest,” he said.

Preparing the workforce for AI

How will artificial intelligence reshape the global workforce, and who will be ready for it? Speaking at the United Nations, Doreen Bogdan-Martin said the rapid growth of AI will transform jobs worldwide, making large-scale workforce training essential. “We’ve seen estimates that 170 million new jobs will be created; maybe 90 million jobs will be lost,” she said. “So how do we ensure that we’re prepared?”

Expanding AI access worldwide

Could AI deepen global inequality or help close the gap? Lisa Monaco, President of Global Affairs, Microsoft, says it all comes down to trust. She argues that “people won’t use technology that they don’t trust,” especially as geopolitical tensions raise concerns about the reliability and resilience of digital infrastructure.