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Our audience in Europe can watch a live stream of our Davos coverage above.
LONDON — Welcome to CNBC's live blog covering Day 4 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. We'll bring you all the latest news, views and action from WEF throughout the day.
The big event on Thursday will be President Donald Trump's keynote address this afternoon. The newly inaugurated president is due to address WEF via video link at 5 p.m. Davos time.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the the 47th president of the United States in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla | Afp | Getty Images
The world will be listening closely for any details on his pledge to introduce universal tariffs on goods imported to the U.S., and for his position on major geopolitical and economic issues such as the Ukraine-Russia war, the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations and America's economic rivalry with China.
Other high-profile figures due to speak on Thursday include Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, who's addressing delegates at 10:15 a.m. local time.
CNBC guest highlights include Germany's Finance Minister Jörg Kukies, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Mathias Cormann, the secretary-general of the OECD. We'll also speak to the CEOs of Vestas, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Rio Tinto, Carlsberg and SAP.
CNBC-moderated panels include a debate on the technology revolution featuring Antonio Neri, the CEO of Hewlett Packard, as well as the CEOs of Octopus Energy and iGenius.
Schneider Electric sees 'massive boost' from AI innovation
Schneider Electric CEO Olivier Blum said his company was a key beneficiary of artificial intelligence innovation, including the United States' newly announced Stargate AI infrastructure initiative.
"Of course we have a massive boost from the AI initiative in general," he said, acknowledging his company's expected links to the project.
President Donald Trump announced a joint venture Tuesday with OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank to invest billions of dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States. Schneider Electric last year struck a deal with Nvidia — a leading maker of AI chips — to develop designs for data center cooling systems.
"We are on the two sides of AI," Blum said, noting that the French automation and energy company both supports AI data centers and employs the technology to help streamline business operations.
"We clearly see that it's becoming a reality. It helps to amplify everything we do," he said.
— Karen Gilchrist
Infosys has de-risked its reliance on U.S. work permits, CEO says
Infosys, an Indian technology outsourcing firm, has lowered the risk it faces from any potential curbs to U.S. work permits, according to its chief executive.
Salil Parekh, chief executive of the tech giant, said the company had adopted a three-pronged strategy to prevent disruption to its business in case President Donald Trump acts on his threat to curb immigration.
"Over the past five to six years there's been a change to the way the company operates," Parekh told CNBC at Davos. "We've built what I would call a resilient model."
The Infosys chief said that 60% of its 40,000-strong U.S.-based employees are not dependent on H-1B visas, the U.S. work permit. He also pointed out that the company now employs 8,000 people in Canada and 2,000 in Mexico as part of its "near-shore centers."
Lastly, Parekh said Infosys now performs more work offshore — remotely from India — than before.
Standing alongside the technology chief executives of Oracle, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Softbank, Trump said Tuesday that he is taking a more nuanced view of the U.S. work permit program and is open to more qualified immigrants coming into the U.S.
"We have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country," Trump said of engineering employees at tech giant Oracle and OpenAI.
— Ganesh Rao
WEF keynote speakers and highlights on Thursday
People pass in front of big screen during the speech of US President Donald Trump on January 26, 2018 at the Davos Congress Centre (C), the venue of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in the town of Davos, eastern Switzerland. / AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL MEDINA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)
Miguel Medina | Afp | Getty Images
The big event on Thursday will be President Donald Trump's keynote address this afternoon. The president, newly inaugurated on Monday to begin his second term in office, is due to address WEF via video link at 5 p.m. Davos time.
Other high-profile figures due to speak on Thursday include Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, whose address starts at 10:15 a.m. local time.
WEF panels will cover themes ranging from "Defending the Cyber Frontlines" to Ukraine's future, financial fragmentation, tariffs and the Middle East.
— Holly Ellyatt
CNBC guest highlights for Thursday
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on Monday said China's reopening is "overwhelmingly positive" in the global fight to tackle surging inflation.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
On the corporate front, the CEOs of Vestas, SAP and Schneider Electric will be speaking to CNBC Thursday, as well as the Siemens, Carlsberg and Sanofi bosses.
Germany's Finance Minister Jörg Kukies, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the OECD's Mathias Cormann will also be interviewed.
CNBC-moderated panels include a debate on the technology revolution, featuring Antonio Neri, the CEO of HP, as well as the CEOs of Octopus Energy and iGenius.
— Holly Ellyatt
English (US)