The good, the bad and crypto: How Web Summit tackled tech’s biggest trends
Global News
On the opening night of Web Summit, one of the world’s largest tech conferences, the final speaker, though high profile, was not someone associated with the tech industry. Quite the opposite. In a surprise appearance at the annual event hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska told a rapt audience about how Russian...
On the opening night of Web Summit, one of the world’s largest tech conferences, the final speaker, though high profile, was not someone associated with the tech industry.
Quite the opposite.
In a surprise appearance at the annual event hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska told a rapt audience about how Russian forces use advanced machinery and engineering to wage a brutal war.
“Your chosen profession, your field of expertise, is now a battlefield in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenska told the crowd of tens of thousands. “The dystopias we read about in science fiction novels and all the threats of life destruction are much closer than you think.”
And so began Web Summit 2022, with a passionate appeal to the audience to consider the real-life impact of the technological advances being shaped by the more than 71,000 attendees.
This year’s top trends include a nod to the fact that ‘tech’ is ubiquitous and applies to all aspects of our lives, whether we like it or not. There was acknowledgement that leaders in the industry have a responsibility to consider the future their inventions are creating, from Artificial Intelligence to robotics and cryptocurrency.
Geopolitics take centre stage
Web Summit founder and Irish entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave told Global News during the conference the decision to have the first lady of Ukraine as the key speaker was one that organizers didn’t take lightly.
