Davos 2025 Program

Pax TechnologicaStepping on to the Global Stage

We are pleased to report that Pax Technologica has emerged from stealth mode, making its first public appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, held from 20th to 24th January 2025.

Davos is a polarising place. Some see it as a forum where people come together with a genuine commitment to solving global challenges, where discussions are action-oriented and driven by a sense of collective responsibility rather than hierarchical thinking or self-interest.

Others are more sceptical, arguing that Davos generates endless declarations with little tangible impact, serving merely as a stage for global corporations vying for recognition and market influence, alongside self-important individuals eager to amplify their own status.

Davos Overview, Winter 2025

However, regardless of one’s stance, there is no doubt that Davos brings together many influential figures from key sectors, including policymakers, industry leaders, social innovators, and civil society actors. The Pax Technologica team felt that engaging with at least one of these groups would be immensely valuable.

The presence of our partner, Africa House, was another key motivation. Now in its fifth year, the Africa House Future Forum has brought together numerous leaders, officials, and influential voices dedicated to empowering Africa’s future. Its presence at Davos signals a growing recognition of the continent’s importance and a desire among African leaders to have their voices heard on the global stage. For Pax Technologica, participating in this conversation was an opportunity not to be missed.

We travelled to Davos with three primary objectives:

First, to engage with key players in the world of AI, including representatives from governments, the private sector, and civil society, while also connecting with African leaders to prepare the launch of Pax Technologica’s African chapter.

Second, to strengthen relationships with potential partners in action, by showcasing our vision through the release of our first essay and identifying collaboration opportunities over the next few years, with a focus on the African continent.

Third, to assess the relevance of our approach by gauging its resonance with key actors in the field.

Whatever you might feel about Davos, it is undeniably a gathering of some of the most influential and also forward-leaning leaders in policy and other domains that matter.

Aaron Maniam

The Davos ReportConversations & Collaborations

We had the chance to observe just how central artificial intelligence was to many at Davos. The main promenade seemed almost littered with expressions and declarations about AI. At times, it felt both excessive and opportunistic. Yet it also underscored the need for more actors focused on delivering meaningful change through AI- particularly in regions that lack fair and equitable access to its benefits today.

Pax Technologica contributed to the conversation through a series of panels in collaboration with Africa House’s Future Forum, exploring how AI and exponential technologies can drive peace, equity, and sustainability across Africa. A key highlight was the partnership with Wired, with Greg Williams, Deputy Global Editorial Director, moderating discussions to ensure a dynamic dialogue. The sessions examined policy innovation, urbanisation, energy, and financing strategies, emphasising the need for AI to be developed in ways that are contextually relevant and culturally aligned. The underlying aim of the programme was to explore avenues for Africa not just to adapt to the age of AI, but to lead.

We were delighted by the positive feedback from attendees, with many highlighting the relevance of Pax Technologica’s approach. We were confirmed in our belief that alongside the many organisations focusing on mitigating the negative effects of AI, there is a need for organisation like Pax Technologica, which concentrates on the more positive goal of empowering policymakers, venture builders, and civic sector activists to leverage exponential technologies in the most favourable and impactful way. One of the most striking comments came from an attendee who remarked, “Most of Davos seems to be about taking from places, but it felt that your panel was about giving.”

Panel Discussion X

Our sessions laid the groundwork for valuable conversations, sparking dialogues that continue to resonate beyond the event. They positioned us among key movers and shakers, allowing us to engage with influential figures like Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Cina Lawson, who has led initiatives in digital innovation, connectivity, and financial inclusion since 2010. We were struck by the quality of discussions, the diversity of perspectives, and the breadth of expertise- from policy-making and enterprise to public education.

Perhaps most importantly, we were able to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. We reinforced key partnerships on the African continent, particularly with Africa House and the AI Centre of Excellence (AICE), led by John Kamara, who was a valued member of our delegation. In addition, we explored the possibility of establishing a Pax Technologica desk presence at Afrika House (not to be confused with Africa House) in Nairobi by the summer of 2025, when we also plan to host a summit in the city. Furthermore, we met with some of the leaders behind the ‘Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ of the World Economic Forum in Rwanda. We are going to be present at the ‘Global AI Summit on Africa’ in Kigali on the 3rd and 4th of April 2025, which will be one of the most important moments of the year for interaction between the public, private, and civic sectors in Africa.

Based on our extensive experience with strategic, tactical, and participatory placemaking, we also identified a promising opportunity to work in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The region is developing a new free zone aimed at creating a cyber eco-city, which will be connected to a training ground, campus, and university. We believe that we are well positioned to contribute to this initiative, potentially helping to structure a network of new cyber cities across the continent. This could become a major focus for us, alongside our ongoing work in policy training, public education, and various programmes designed to accelerate venture ecosystems that integrate AI virtuously.

Finally, we made progress with Everyone. AI, who have recently co-launched the ‘Beneficial AI for Children Coalition’. The coalition includes many major players such as Open AI, Google, and Anthropic and focuses on delivering responsible AI through education and training for individuals under 18. After Davos, we joined the initiative at the Paris AI Action Summit, aiming to work with Everyone. AI and other member organisations to ensure that emerging geographies are meaningfully included.

I like the Pax Technologica attitude more than anything else. It’s: ‘We don’t know, can we learn and be part of it? - rather than: ‘We know what to do and this is how we’re going to help you.

John Kamara

The Davos ReportThe Journey Continues

In the coming months, we will engage in a diverse range of activities to build on what has been achieved so far. Alongside our ongoing work on the Zanzibar project, we will continue to advance several key initiatives, including the next Pax Technologica Salon and our Africa Summit, which we plan to host in Nairobi in the summer of 2025. We will also be present with Africa House at a number of key geopolitical events in the course of the year.

We are working on the conceptualisation of a fund aimed at generating momentum across the continent, and will continue to explore how best to be involved in its development. Additionally, our essay series will further explore key themes related to exponential technologies and emerging geographies. Furthermore, we aim to launch our Fellowship at our Africa Summit to support the next generation of leaders in our field.

We are eager to pursue our policy work unveiled at Davos and are considering three key follow-up actions. First, to gather compelling stories that illustrate the 10 policy principles developed by our colleague Aaron Maniam. Second, to host a 3-5 day programme for 15-20 key leaders and emerging influencers from Africa to explore how to implement these principles in practice. Third, to collaborate with one country to apply these principles to their tech policy.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Pax Technologica community for their support leading up to the event, as well as to our team for their unwavering dedication. We are especially grateful to our wonderful delegation: Greg Williams from Wired, for his outstanding role as moderator, Juliana Rotich, without whom our work in Africa would not have been possible, John Kamara, with whom we would love to collaborate in the future, and Aaron Maniam, whose contributions to our policy work have been so instrumental.

We are proud of the progress we made at Davos. It marks a significant step towards impact and validates our belief that we are well positioned to be relevant. Our ability to engage with key players, and the understanding and appreciation of our focus by those facing critical decisions across the continent and beyond, means that we may well be integrated into their workflows this year in a meaningful way.

There was an acknowledgement, not just by the Pax Technologica and Africa House teams, that there could be a third way of adopting AI that could be different, innovative, and inspiring- beyond the Asian and American implementations currently at the forefront.

Juliana Rotich

Pax Technological in Florence

Florence Salon

A Shared Purpose

The inaugural salon of Pax Technologica took place in Florence from May 2nd to 5th, 2024. The event brought together pioneers and visionaries to explore the appropriate adoption of exponential technology in emerging geographies, with a focus on Africa. The salon aimed to validate our assumptions about appropriate technology adoption, outline actionable steps for the road to Davos 2025, and initiate the formation of a dedicated task force to support emerging regions. Additionally, we hoped to create a memorable and enriching experience for all participants, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.