With around 2,500 startups on individual platforms and over 7,000 others from around the world hosted by hundreds of large groups, multinational in some cases, as well as dozens of distinguished, sometimes controversial speakers, Vivatech’s annual four-day show in Paris, Make the best of Business Meets Innovation this year, starting June 14th.
However, even while the development of artificial intelligence (AI) dominates the world of technology and journalism, and has ordinary people everywhere either excited or very anxious, Maurice Levy, French business leader and founder of Viva Technology, has not forgotten the origins of “technology for the sake of the goodness” of the show.
Yes, M. Levy, former Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, the third largest ad group in the world, will go head-to-head on stage one at the Porte de Versailles Convention Center with the likes of Elon Musk of Tesla and Twitter fame, Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce, and Dan Schulman, CEO of Paypal.
With a powerful banker and economist from Nigeria, Tony Elumelu, whose foundation is said to have empowered more than 18,000 African entrepreneurs, will present the Africa Tech Awards to deserving startups from the continent, a Vivatech event of “critical importance every year,” he tells the Globes. “.
And on the list this year is a live on-site space dedicated to sport and digital innovation, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and workout capabilities, tied to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
But Levy is categorical about “technology for good.” Regardless of the current obsession with AI, “we remain fully engaged in clean technology, renewable energy technology, climate change, carbon emission reduction, plastic use, and education in all of these areas,” he assures Globes. to harm our planet, but artificial intelligence must be used to find solutions.”
At least ten energy and climate technology leaders are scheduled to speak. Among them is Ann Mittler, Vice President of Europe for Breakthrough Energy, accelerating clean technology innovation in the pursuit of climate neutrality and zero emissions. Nina Granucci, CEO of Green Spot Technologies, challenges the food waste paradigm and turns peels, seeds, and pulp into powerful nutrients; and Sophie Dembinski of Ecosia, a leading reforestation organisation.
Now, what about artificial intelligence? “This is a core discussion at Vivatech,” says Levy. “It can be the best thing in the world, or the worst thing. AI can reduce workloads and make life easier for blue-collar workers. It can help science, in research, in medicine. It has many good uses.”
He pauses, then adds, “But it could also become Frankenstein. It could put people out of jobs, destroying those jobs in the name of corporate profitability. And people might stop learning, causing educational and cultural problems. We could have generations of people who know.” less than previous generations.
“Europe lags far behind the Americans and the Chinese in the development of artificial intelligence,” he explains. “Europeans focus on regulations, and they are necessary, yes, but they must also invest.”
What about the Israelis on Vivatech? With the help of the Israel-France Chamber of Commerce, Yossi Dan, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Challenge Labs, leads a delegation of more than two dozen startups and about eight investors. “This is exceptional,” he told Globes. It’s the largest delegation ever.”
On site, Franco-Israel Chamber of Commerce President Michel Kaufmann and Executive Assistant Odilia Bohbot-Natav will lead the delegation through the grand planning of the exhibition’s pavilions and pavilions – a challenge in itself.
Participants include Aleph Farms, designing new ways to grow animal-based, “whole cow” and collagen-based products, ESGgo, a sustainable operating platform, and ITC.city, an AI-driven traffic management platform.
What about the political situation in Israel? As chronicled in “Globes,” tech leaders are taking to the streets with hundreds of thousands of others against the government and its judicial reform package. Levi is forthright about this. “Delaying this law on judicial reform may be a way for Prime Minister Netanyahu to get rid of it completely,” he says. “This is just my opinion and I could be wrong. But I hope this hiatus is temporary.”
One more thing: Nadav Zafrir, co-founder of venture capital firm Team8 and former commander of the IDF’s Signals Intelligence Unit 8200, is a regular speaker at Dominique Bora’s annual Paris Cybersecurity Forum with the Chamber of France and Israel. the offer. Levy told me: “Yossi Vardy and I convinced him to come.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on June 12, 2023.
© Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.