Actor Matt Damon is in Davos to recruit more corporate partners for his water access nonprofit, pronouncing on stage at Axios House, "We're trying to raise an army."
The big picture: Damon decided about 20 years ago to devote "all my time and energy" to increasing access to clean water after learning about the scale of the challenge and how it compounded so many other issues. That led to co-founding Water.org.
Elon Musk and his SpaceX team believe they've cracked the code on building orbiting data centers to power the future of AI — and plan to use the company's upcoming public offering to help fund the audacious vision, according to people briefed on the plans.
Why it matters: Musk and top executives at other AI giants believe that earthbound data centers will become politically toxic and less efficient than space, which they see as the inevitable answer.
A global survey of C-suite executives by IBM's Institute for Business Value found most expect AI spending to shift over the next four years from efficiency to a new wave of innovation.
64% of the surveyed executives think that by 2030, their AI edge will come from innovation rather than resource optimization.
Global perceptions of AI are improving, but the U.S. remains skeptical, according to a new poll from Google and Ipsos.
Why it matters: AI is moving quickly into work, education and daily life, but Americans trail much of the world in usage, excitement and confidence — gaps that could shape who sets the rules and norms for AI's future.
