Davos 2026: $600 billion AI surge marks fastest capital reallocation in modern history, says WEF’s Cathy Li

Global investment in artificial intelligence has reached nearly $600 billion since 2010, representing the fastest large-scale capital reallocation in modern history, Cathy Li, Head of AI, Data and Metaverse and a member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, said ahead of the Davos 2026 summit.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Li said the United States and China together account for about 65% of total global AI investment, highlighting the concentration of spending in the world’s two largest technology markets. She said global investment in AI is currently expanding at an annual rate of around 33%, underscoring the speed and scale of the worldwide AI build-out.

Li said that between 2010 and 2024, cumulative investment in AI infrastructure reached approximately $600 billion, describing the shift as unprecedented in terms of both pace and magnitude. She said the current phase of AI adoption reflects a clear move beyond experimentation, with most enterprises and organisations now operating defined AI strategies that are actively being implemented rather than tested in pilot form. According to Li, businesses are now assessing what is working and what is not, and are focused on refining and fixing their AI systems accordingly.

She said the rapid expansion of AI is expected to have a profound impact on global labour markets. Citing findings from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey, Li said that between 2025 and 2030, structural changes linked to AI and other transformations could affect 22% of today’s total jobs worldwide. She said new roles equivalent to 14% of current employment, or around 170 million jobs, are projected to be created during this period, while about 8% of existing jobs, or roughly 92 million roles, could be displaced. This would result in a net employment gain of approximately 7%, or 78 million jobs globally.

Li said she remains optimistic about long-term employment outcomes despite differing views on AI’s impact on jobs. She acknowledged that there is no unified consensus on how artificial intelligence will reshape work, but said historical experience shows that humans have consistently adapted to major technological shifts.

The scale of AI investment, its implications for productivity and employment, and the pace of structural change are expected to feature prominently at the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, commonly referred to as Davos 2026, which is scheduled to take place from January 19 to 23 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.