Humanity at Crossroads: SEALSQ at Davos 2025 — Pioneering a Quantum-Secure Future for Humanity

Introduction

The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, held from January 20 — 24, 2025, centered on the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.” This forum addressed pressing global issues and provided a platform for leaders to discuss solutions across key areas, including economic stability, technological advancements, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and global trade dynamics. SEALSQ took center stage, advocating for a quantum-secure future that prioritizes humanity’s digital resilience in an era of rapid technological transformation.

Chapter 1: The Stage — Davos 2025 and a Human-Centric Vision

Setting the Scene

Davos 2025 gathered world leaders, tech pioneers, policymakers, and human rights advocates to deliberate on how technology should serve humanity rather than control it. The discussions highlighted the widening digital divide, the ethical challenges of AI, and the looming quantum cybersecurity crisis. The urgency to develop responsible digital governance frameworks was a focal point of many sessions.

SEALSQ’s Mission at Davos 2025

SEALSQ positioned itself as a thought leader in quantum security, emphasizing the need to:

• Ensure digital sovereignty by protecting personal and national data from cyber threats.
• • Implement post-quantum security solutions to prepare for the impact of quantum computing on encryption.
• • Promote ethical AI governance to prevent bias and misuse of artificial intelligence.
• Two key events solidified SEALSQ’s presence:
• • Quantum Security Roundtable (January 22, Morosani Schweizerhof Hotel), discussing post-quantum cryptographic frameworks.
• • Keynote at EmTech Invest (January 22, Grandhotel Belvédère), unveiling SEALSQ’s next-generation quantum-safe security solutions.

Chapter 2: Pope Francis’ Message to the 2025 World Economic Forum

Ethics and Morality in the Age of AI

In his address, Pope Francis emphasized the moral obligations of technology developers and policymakers. His message resonated deeply with the conference’s theme, urging leaders to prioritize human dignity over economic efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

• AI must serve humanity, not dominate it: AI should foster human dignity, fraternity, and justice rather than exacerbate inequalities.

• Ethical vigilance is required: AI’s unforeseen consequences necessitate ethical oversight.

• Technology must not deepen social inequalities: AI advancements must contribute to a fairer world, not create new digital divides.

His speech challenged industry leaders to develop AI governance frameworks ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with human values.

Chapter 3: The Quantum Security Roundtable — Safeguarding Humanity’s Digital Future

Session Overview

This roundtable, moderated by Carlos Moreira, brought together cybersecurity leaders from Microsoft, Cloudflare, and the UN Digital Inclusion Task Force. Discussions revolved around:

• The convergence of AI and quantum computing and its implications for cybersecurity.

• Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and its role in protecting digital infrastructures.

• The ethical implications of AI-powered quantum cyberattacks.

Key Insights

• Quantum-AI threats are imminent: Experts warned that quantum computing could break existing encryption protocols within a decade, necessitating an urgent transition to PQC.

• Financial institutions are vulnerable: Without quantum-resistant security, banking and economic systems face potential catastrophic breaches.

• Humanitarian concerns: Cybersecurity failures in healthcare, refugee aid, and disaster response could disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.

Outcomes & Future Commitments

• SEALSQ unveiled the QS7001 secure microcontroller, designed to withstand quantum decryption attacks.

• A UN partnership was announced to test post-quantum encryption in humanitarian and financial sectors.

• Governments were urged to accelerate adoption of quantum-resistant cryptography to ensure digital sovereignty.

Chapter 4: The Risks of AI — Insights from the World Economic Forum

1. AI and Misinformation: A Crisis of Truth

Generative AI has exacerbated misinformation risks:

• Deepfake political manipulation threatens democratic elections.

• AI-generated content erodes trust in media.

• Social engineering scams leverage AI to impersonate high-profile figures.

Proposed Solutions:

• Regulating AI-generated content through mandatory watermarking.

• Developing AI-powered fact-checking tools to detect misinformation.

2. AI-Driven Cybersecurity Threats

• AI-enhanced malware and self-learning cyberattacks are increasing in sophistication.

• Quantum computing threatens traditional encryption and AI-based cybersecurity.

Proposed Solutions:

• Adoption of post-quantum cryptographic standards.

• Development of ethical AI-based cyber defense systems.

3. AI and Economic Disruption

• AI threatens white-collar jobs in law, finance, and medicine.

• Economic inequality is widening due to automation-driven layoffs.

Proposed Solutions:

• Government-backed AI reskilling programs.

• Universal Basic Income (UBI) and AI taxation to support displaced workers.

4. AI and Ethical Challenges: Who Controls AI?

• Autonomous weapons raise moral concerns.

• Bias in AI decision-making reinforces discrimination.

• Lack of AI accountability poses governance challenges.

Proposed Solutions:

• Establishing a global AI regulatory body (similar to the IAEA for nuclear weapons).

• Enforcing ethical AI development standards.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

Key Takeaways:

• Quantum resilience is a human right: Protecting digital infrastructure from quantum cyber threats is essential for global security.

• AI governance is critical: Without ethical oversight, AI could become a tool of oppression rather than liberation.

• Collaboration is the way forward: Governments, corporations, and civil society must work together to shape an intelligent, inclusive, and secure digital future.

SEALSQ’s Commitment Beyond Davos

Moving forward, SEALSQ will:

• Expand partnerships with global institutions to implement quantum-safe security solutions.

• Advance research into post-quantum cryptography to protect digital identities worldwide.

• Continue advocating for AI and cybersecurity policies that prioritize humanity over profit.

At Davos 2025, SEALSQ didn’t just pioneer technology — it redefined the role of cybersecurity in an intelligent and inclusive age. The journey towards a quantum-secure future for all has only just begun.