This year over 70,000 visitors attended Web Summit 2023 and GPMD had the privilege of taking part in the event’s extensive offerings. There were over 25+ content tracks over 16 stages discussing the future of technology. In this dynamic environment, our Chief Technology Officer Tamas, Chief Executive Officer Mark and Chief Customer Officer Rabia were able to gain a lot of insights, which we will be sharing in three instalments. We’re kicking off with our Chief Technology Officer, Tamas and his highlights and takeaways from Web Summit.
The Future Potential and Risks of AI
Most of the talks were about AI and how it will help us work more efficiently. We are currently living in a time where the use of AI is rapidly changing, and it will keep improving, making our lives easier. For me, there was one talk that stood out, which was Mo El-Barachi's 'AI, Bots, and the Future of Automation at Work.' It provided an insightful look into the future and how much it will change. Will AI take over our jobs? Certain jobs most likely. But there is still a long way to go.
Douwe Kiela also gave a very good speech about 'How to Train Your AI' and summarised the challenges:
- The quality of AI is dependent on the quality of data. Obtaining good quality in a vast amount of data is challenging.
- Another challenge with AI is hallucinations, which occurs when the AI lacks data and attempts to provide an answer by filling in the gaps, providing inaccurate answers
A particularly eye-opening session was 'Defying Time: The Future of Longevity' with Amol Sarva, Michael Geer, and David Luu. They discussed important factors for longevity and how AI will change today's norm (e. g. life expectancies of up to 120 years). It will shift its focus from treating diseases to preventing them.
The discussion underscored the significance of social connections in longevity, suggesting that the absence of those could be more detrimental than habits like smoking or drinking.
Another significant takeaway was the exploration of AI's role in sustainability, highlighted in the insightful speech titled 'Accelerating Climate Solutions with AI' by Melanie Nakagawa, Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
Taking inspiration from Web Summit
The insights gained from these sessions made the Web Summit a truly enriching experience. It was a refreshing break from the daily routine. I like to call this Web Summit my little IT El Camino. Taking a step back from the daily routine allowed me to reflect on the present and future. The inspiring talks provided new perspectives, pushing me to reconsider our focus areas and identify areas for improvement.
As a team, we’ve already discussed following up with a few of the startups we saw and exploring how we can integrate their innovations into our day-to-day operations to enhance our processes. The platform is ideal for networking and learning about new innovations. Hopefully, one day, we can return as an Alpha or Beta participant (with a product to pitch).
If you want to find out more about GPMD’s insights at Web Summit - have a look at our CCO's top 3 speakers and our CEO’s top 7 startups to watch out for.
