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This year’s TUM delegation includes, in addition to TUM President Prof. Thomas Hofmann, Prof. Ali Sunyaev, Vice President of TUM Campus Heilbronn, and Prof. Helmut Schönenberger, Vice President for Entrepreneurship at TUM and CEO of UnternehmerTUM, Sebastian Müller, Professor of Finance, and Alexander Fraser, Professor of Data Analytics & Statistics, both from TUM Campus Heilbronn, as well as Dr. Philipp Gerbert (TUM Venture Labs & UnternehmerTUM appliedAI).Last but not least, the event also serves as an opportunity for intensive networking across continents, as several partners of TUM Campus Heilbronn in the Joint Global AI Research Hub, such as Oxford Internet Institute and Stanford University, will also be in Davos.

Redefining human intelligence

Numerous breakthroughs have been achieved in the field of AI in recent years. Progress is not limited to the technological level, but has a profound impact on society. This poses a major challenge: there is a growing need to use technology responsibly. Urgent questions arise: How can we ensure that humans retain their ability to act in the age of AI? What influence do technological advances have on human intelligence and thinking? How can AI be used to find answers to the global challenges of our time and make the world a better place?

This is precisely where AI House Davos 2026 comes in, with this year’s strategic theme being “A Human Intelligence Shift.” This makes it evident that AI cannot replace humans, but that, especially in a world influenced by digital technology, human intelligence must be particularly valued, redefined, and placed in relation to AI. The focus is always on the question of how AI tools can be developed that support humans rather than replace them. Standards and systems must ensure that AI serves humanity—and that is precisely why human intelligence needs to be redefined.

Society-centered research and innovation

The sessions in which TUM is involved also address this important question. At the roundtable „Beyond Borders: How Regional Ecosystems Empower Societies to Co-Create AI Futures“ with Prof. Ali Sunyaev, Prof. Helmut Schönenberger and Dr. Philipp Gerbert on Tuesday, January 20, the question will be how regional innovation ecosystems can empower societies to play an active role in the future development of AI through greater citizen participation. With additional panelists Dr. Frauke Goll, Managing Director of appliedAI Institute for Europe gGmbH, Prof. Gunther Friedl, Managing Director of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, and Dr. Boris Zürcher, Head of Office of ETH Zurich Campus Heilbronn, the focus will not only be on the Heilbronn–Munich–Zurich triangle, but also on the Heilbronn ecosystem, in which the participating institutions are represented.

The topic will be explored in greater depth during the panel discussion “Inclusive Intelligence: Empowering Societies to Shape AI” on the same day. Moderated by Spriha Srivastava, Vice President & Executive Editor, Digital for CNBC International, Prof. Thomas Hofmann, ETH Zurich President Prof. Joël Mesot, Basma AlBuhairan, Managing Director of C4IR Saudi Arabia, and Baroness Joanna Shields, Founder and CEO of Precognition, will discuss how societies can actively contribute to the future of AI through inclusion, education, and broad citizen participation.

A look into the future of asset management

The sessions involving TUM will conclude with the roundtable “Asset Management in the Age of Agentic AI” with Prof. Sebastian Müller on Thursday, January 22. The discussion will focus on the potential and risks of AI agents in asset management. It will take a look at the future of asset management and propose solutions for ensuring human governance and accountability when capital allocation is increasingly controlled by algorithms.

“The AI House in Davos offers an important platform for actively contributing to the development of artificial intelligence,” says Prof. Ali Sunyaev. As part of one of Europe’s most research-intensive and innovative universities, which has set itself the goal of creating a sustainable future with talent, excellence, and responsibility, we would like to contribute our expertise here. Hand in hand with TUM in Munich, TUM Campus Heilbronn also combines excellent research with social responsibility."