Elodie Collins 
In January, the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum once again transformed the Swiss Alps into the premier stage where some of the most powerful and influential people from around the world gather to discuss the most pressing global issues. Held in Davos, Switzerland, the 2026 summit drew an assembly of nearly 3,000 participants, including 65 heads of state and over 800 CEOs.
A few weeks later and an ocean away, a different kind of power center will gather in Virginia for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit. Happening on Thursday, Feb. 26, the event, described as the “Davos of GovCon,” will bring together the most influential people across government contracting to explore shifting strategies and policies across the evolving federal market.
Join the foremost figures in government contracting at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit this Thursday. You can still purchase your tickets here.
What are the Similarities of the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit and the 56th World Economic Forum?
The 56th World Economic Forum and the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit share striking similarities, most notably through the presence of Palantir leadership and a centralized focus on the critical role of AI and advanced technology in global operations and national security. Readers can find out more reasons why the summit is being dubbed the “Davos of GovCon” in this article.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp Speaks About AI at Davos
One of the key speakers at Davos was Palantir CEO Alex Karp, who addressed the global assembly on the socioeconomic impact of artificial intelligence. During his conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Karp made several predictions about AI.
For instance, he said the technology “will destroy humanities jobs,” but will create opportunities for workers with vocational training.
The executive also warned that AI will create a greater imbalance around the world, warning that Europe is falling behind the United States and China in adopting the technology.
“Well, I think the obvious first imbalance is, it seems like America and China understand versions of making this work, and they’re different, but they both work, and they work at scale, and I think that is very likely to accelerate way beyond what most people believe is possible,” Karp stated.
“The tech adoption in Europe is a serious and very, very structural problem, and what scares me the most is, I haven’t seen any political leader just stand up and say we have a serious and structural problem that we are going to fix,” he added.
Palantir’s Greg Little to Keynote 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit
While Davos had Karp, the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit this Thursday will have Greg Little, a senior counselor at Palantir, as one of its keynote speakers. Little, who previously served as deputy chief data and artificial intelligence officer of the Business Analytics Directorate at the Department of War, is expected to share insights into the convergence of technology, particularly AI, and national security.
Little will also join the Achieving Acquisition Reform: Navigating the New Rules of Winning panel with Patrick Shortsleeve of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Otis Winkler of Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Megan Milam of Anduril Industries and Heather Gerczak of Integral Defense.
What Did Global Leaders Say About AI at Davos?
In a special address at Davos, President Trump highlighted the United States’ dominant position in the field.
“We’re leading the world in AI by a lot,” he stated. “We’re leading China by a lot.”
He emphasized that the massive energy requirements for AI have been a primary focus of his administration, noting that he has encouraged major tech companies to build their own electric-generating plants to bypass the limitations of the aging power grid. While acknowledging that AI can have “some dangerous purpose,” he framed the technology as an opportunity for innovators to build a future “more ambitious [and] more exciting” than the world has ever seen.
Within the corporate landscape, technology experts explore the challenges of scaling AI. In a panel, Roy Jakobs, president and CEO of Royal Philips, in a conversation with Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, said companies must spend as much time thinking about AI adoption as developing the technology.
“Adoption is ultimately where success is measured,” he stated. “You need to design that in from the get-go. And that is much less about technology, much more about understanding the practice that it will actually serve.”
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, advised students to become “unbelievably proficient” with AI tools to bypass traditional internship paths. Meanwhile, education expert Anna Frances Griffiths warned against using AI as an education shortcut, arguing that young people must still develop the essential cognitive skills through manual, time-consuming tasks.
Harnessing AI & Advanced Tech for GovCon
At the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit, AI and other advanced capabilities will take center stage.
The event will feature keynote addresses from officials representing some of the world’s most influential AI companies. Joseph Larson, vice president and head of government at OpenAI, will deliver the summit’s opening keynote, while Thiyagu Ramasamy, head of public sector at Anthropic, will take the stage for the morning keynote.
One of the most anticipated sessions at the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit will lean heavily into the intersection of technology and the modern battlefield. In the Digital Warfighters: The New Power Players in Defense Tech panel, experts including Andy Maner of NewSprint Capital, Rob Clark of Seekr and Yusuf Abdul-Salaam of Xpect Solutions will join retired Lt. Gen. Kevin McLaughlin, CEO of C Speed, to explore the rise of software-first and product-driven defense primes.
Keith Strier, senior vice president for global AI markets at AMD, will also be present at the summit to deliver his afternoon keynote address.
While OpenAI and Anthropic provide the models, AMD has emerged as a cornerstone of the AI revolution by powering the infrastructure for training and deploying AI models.
The 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit and the WEF both feature high-level insights from industry leaders and explore how AI, and other advanced technologies will change the federal landscape and the world. Much like WEF, the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit serves as a stage where dialogues can redefine the next era of government contracting. Get your tickets to the summit here.
