Good morning. The atmosphere here at the World Economic Forum in Davos is all about nervous excitement as the Trump management descends on the normally quaint but currently chaotic ski town in the Alps.
President Donald Trump will be making remarks just a couple hours from now, adn Fortune will be reporting live from USA house on the main promenade, with insights from goverment officials and chief executives during and immediately following the president’s conversation. Keep an eye on our livestream, here https://fortune.com/2026/01/21/ceos-davos-buy-into-the-agentic-ai-hype/.
Elsewhere around town, CEOs are setting their agendas for the year. Here’s what’s top of mind for a few of them:
This will actually be the year of agentic AI. The first time I heard the term “agentic AI” was at Davos last year. For all the hype around it, does the average CEO really know what it is indeed or how to deploy it? And is AI good enough yet for agents to replace or even significantly assist human employees? The answer appears to be yes. Google Gemini head Demis hassabis told me that Gemini 3 achieved some milestones that allow agentic AI to truly proliferate in terms of its capabilities. ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott is also an emphatic “yes,” and says he is already using it to do things like automate his IT department (without doing layoffs, he stresses; he says he has repurposed employees instead). He thinks other CEOs are ready to do the same.
Get ready for Google glasses-for real, this time. A decade ago, Google launched its Google Glass eyewear to widespread mockery. Hassabis thinks the timing was just off; at the time there was no super app to go on the platform. AI has changed that, and Hassabis is bullish on Gemini glasses being the future form for consumer AI. Meta is betting the same thing, and OpenAI is also reportedly considering a super-device, but it doesn’t seem like either can match Gemini’s capabilities any time soon.
There’s artificial intelligence, and now there’s also “energy intelligence.” Schneider Electric CEO Olivier Blum says that nailing energy intelligence is his mission this year.By that he means he wants to capture data from various energy sources into a single “data cube,” filter it, and use agentic AI so customers can manage it all in one place to find opportunities to save power and money. “Our job is to make sure we go to the next level of energy technology to make energy more intelligent,” he told me yesterday. if he can achieve it, he sees a 7%-10% annual growth possibility ahead.
Greenland: national panic or national security risk? I’ve heard various reactions to President Trump’s desire for a full U.S. takeo
A recent trend of Gen Z expressing nostalgia for the year 2016, encompassing its internet culture, aesthetics, and political climate, has sparked analysis suggesting this sentiment represents a reaction to the current socio-economic landscape they inherited. This nostalgia isn’t simply about fondness for the past, but a commentary on present-day anxieties.
gen Z Definition and Demographics
Table of Contents
Generation Z, generally defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, according to Pew Research Center, came of age during periods of significant economic instability and political polarization. This formative context shapes their worldview and influences their cultural references.
as of 2026, the oldest members of Gen Z are approximately 29 years old, and the youngest are 14, placing them in varying stages of education, early career, and family formation.
Economic Conditions in 2016 and 2026
The United States economy in 2016 was characterized by moderate growth following the Great Recession, with an unemployment rate of 4.9% in December 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In contrast, as of December 2025 (latest available data as of January 21, 2026), the unemployment rate stood at 3.7%,according to the Bureau of labor Statistics, but was accompanied by persistent inflation and concerns about housing affordability. The median home price in the US was $402,600 in November 2025, according to Redfin, significantly higher than the median price in 2016.
This economic disparity contributes to Gen Z’s disillusionment and fuels their nostalgic longing for a perceived simpler time.
The 2016 US Presidential Election
The 2016 United States presidential election, which saw the election of Donald Trump, was a highly divisive event in American history. Official election results show a close contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,with Trump winning the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote.
The election and subsequent political climate were marked by increased social and political polarization, the rise of misinformation, and widespread protests. Gen Z, manny of whom were first-time voters or approaching voting age in 2016, experienced this period as a formative political awakening. The political landscape of 2026 remains highly polarized, with ongoing debates over issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and social justice.
In 2016, platforms like vine, Tumblr, and early iterations of TikTok (then known as Musical.ly) were central to youth culture. Statista data indicates that global internet usage was rapidly expanding, with social media becoming increasingly integrated into daily life.
The aesthetic and humor of these platforms, characterized by short-form video, meme culture, and a sense of ironic detachment, are now being revisited by Gen Z. The shutdown of Vine in 2016 itself has become a focal point of this nostalgia, representing a loss of a unique creative space. Current social media platforms,while more refined,are ofen perceived as more commercialized and algorithmically controlled,contributing to the appeal of the perceived authenticity of earlier platforms.
