At Davos, leaders talked big on rebuilding trust. Can the World Economic Forum make a difference?

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Business and political elites descended on the Swiss Alpine snows of Davos to suss out “rebuilding trust” in a splintering world. If there’s any takeaway from the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, which boldly touted that theme, it’s that we still have a long way to go. From full-blown wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to suspicions that corporate chiefs and tech whizzes are out to make a buck off of displacing workers with artificial intelligence, trust is clearly in short supply. The Davos gathering wrapped up Friday after a yearly pulse-taking of leading decision-makers. The idea is getting people together, and big announcements are often just a byproduct — not the aim. That’s if they come at all.