WebSummit 2024
The WebSummit is one of the few events I attend annually and, in my view, among the best tech conferences worldwide. Here are some thoughts and impressions from this year’s WebSummit.
This is MadeMeThink – A Weekly Publication with Curated Content for Visionaries, Innovators & Critical Thinkers Exploring the World of Tomorrow. Written by Prof. Thomas Metzler, Ph.D.
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WebSummit 2024
Year in, year out... the WebSummit in Lisbon is one of the few events I attend every year. In my opinion, it is one of the best tech conferences in the world. With 3000 exhibiting companies, 1000 investors, 70000 visitors and about 1000 speakers on site, you never get bored. Below is a picture of the Center Stage at the Opening Night.
Many countries are investing heavily in their WebSummit presence. Austria is doing a great job again, Germany is also strongly represented, Robert Habeck (German Vice-Chancellor) is here with an all-female delegation of female founders (to draw attention to the topic of female entrepreneurship and existing inequalities).
The different countries sometimes also have their own small startup expo and often they have their own small stage with a content program over the days. There are usually also many network meetings or events organized by the countries. I usually stop by the Austrian Night, which is always quite funny and you meet a few familiar faces… and this year they also had quite an Austrian attraction (see below) 😅🤷♂️
A little about the content. Next week I will write a post about startups or solutions that have I found interesting. But here are a few thoughts from the Keynotes that MadeMeThink. The presentation by Cristiano Amon (CEO & President of Qualcomm) definitely got me thinking. He talked about how AI is turning existing user experiences upside down. His thesis is that we are moving from vertical solutions (e.g. apps that can do one thing well, e.g. book a table in a restaurant) to horizontal solutions (the AI now books the table, makes a calendar entry, books an Uber, etc.). User experiences must therefore be completely rethought. And as AI models become smaller and smaller, Thomas Wolf from Hugging Face believes they will also run on all devices in the future, from smartphones to watches to refrigerators. This opens up a whole new world for innovative solutions 🤯👀
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President at Microsoft, also gave a thought-provoking talk. You can see the IMHO most interesting slides below. He talked about single purpose tools (such as the Telegraph) and general purpose tools (such as the Steam Engine) and their impact on humanity. General purpose tools have initiated major industrial revolutions. He showed in his talk how electricity has changed everything and drew an analogy to artificial intelligence, very well done Brad...
Well, that's it for this week, and by the way, many of the talks from the WebSummit are available online, so best to check out the WebSummit YouTube Channel... and below are a few more impressions.
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Disclaimer: The thoughts published in this publication are my personal opinion and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation for any type of action. I am not a financial expert. The startups, organizations or corporates highlighted in this publication have caught my interest. This mention is not an endorsement or recommendation to engage with them. Readers should always do their own research. I registered at the WebSummit as a media representative, was accepted and received a free entry ticket without any strings attached.