New Delhi, Jan. 24 -- Biting cold, political tensions and doubts about artificial intelligence did nothing to curb the enthusiasm of business leaders in Davos over technology's ability to create jobs.

Top executives at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting said that while jobs would disappear, new ones would spring up, with two telling Reuters that AI would be used as an excuse by companies which were planning layoffs anyway.

Flag bearers of AI's trillion-dollar expansion, including chip titan Jensen Huang, said the technology heralded higher pay and more jobs for plumbers, electricians and steelworkers.

"Energy is creating jobs. Chips industry is creating jobs. The infrastructure layer is creating jobs," the Nvidia CEO told the me...