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January 19, 2023

Director Wray Speaks with Government and Private Sector Leaders at World Economic Forum

FBI Director Christopher Wray attended the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering of business, government, and law enforcement leaders, in Davos, Switzerland, this week. The trip was part of the FBI’s continuing commitment to ensure government and private sector leaders receive information on such global threats as ransomware and other cyberattacks, economic espionage, and hostile nation-states. The discussions also included the challenges posed by the governments of China, Iran, and Russia. 

During a panel discussion on technology, Director Wray noted China does not play by the same set of rules as the U.S. and other democracies when it comes to the use of technological advances such as artificial intelligence: “The Chinese government has a bigger hacking program than any other nation in the world and their AI program is not constrained by the rule of law”, said Director Wray. “It is built on top of the massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they’ve stolen over the years and will be used—unless checked—to advance that same hacking program, to advance that same intellectual property theft, to advance the repression that occurs not just back home in mainland China but increasingly is a product that they export around the world.”

Director Wray’s panel on national security and the impact of the expansion of dual-use technology may be viewed here.

Director Wray previously provided virtual remarks to the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity on November 16, 2020, where he discussed the FBI’s work with government and private partners to tackle cyber threats.