What Fire on the Hill learnt at VivaTech 2024

What Fire on the Hill learnt at VivaTech 2024
A delegation from our UK and US offices traveled to Paris for an exciting week at VivaTech, listening to debates and keynote speeches from innovative luminaries, and mingling with the more than 13,000 start-ups in attendance – here’s what we found…
 

VivaTech pulls together the many disparate strands which make up the future of innovation. As a truly global conference dedicated to breaking barriers, more than 120 countries were represented at the show, with over 40 having national pavilions.

With AI the undoubted centerpiece of conversation this year, key themes and sessions in Paris dove into its inner workings but also explored the consequences of the technology and what it means for the future of society as a whole.

We had the opportunity to hear from key visionaries like Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Yann LeCunn (Meta), Robin Li (Baidu), and Elon Musk (Tesla, X, SpaceX) on what’s happening at the frontier of AI development, with deep dives into the various philosophies driving their AI development, predictions and scientific approach.

At the same time, others like Werner Vogels (Amazon), Mitchell Baker (Mozilla) and Meredith Whittaker (Signal) discussed how AI has the power to transform society and the massive impact it can have on democratic society and elections with the rise of misinformation, and how AI can empower citizens to come together.

Some other key speakers we had the chance to hear from include tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams on their venture capital activities, Faye Iosotaluno (Tinder) on the future of dating, Hiroshi Mikitani (Rakuten), and Bernard Arnault (LVMH).

The innovations of tomorrow 

With mobility, sustainability, and augmented reality all being themes at VivaTech, there was a huge variety of innovations on display from companies large and small.

Some exciting new innovations unveiled at VivaTech include:

  • Skin Technology from L’Oréal: A new bioprinted skin that more closely mimics real human skin
  • U1st Vision from Software République: A first in mobile services focused on citizens and health
  • BiPed AI: Robotics software for visually impaired people integrating obstacle detection, turn-by-turn GPS and scene description with GPT to improve mobility and independence
  • Everdian: An AI-powered real-time data analysis solution with a dynamic display to anticipate, detect and overcome crises
  • Bioteos: A solution that tackles indoor air pollution through an air purifier incorporating bio-simulants and micro-algae in a 3D-printed housing

Some highlights included the chance to encounter the 16-rotor Volocopter and Tesla Cybertruck, alongside less familiar innovations from startups such as a stair-climbing wheelchair from Scewo BRO, the touchless gesture interfaces of VTouch, and Scentronix’s text to perfume invention.

Attendees also had the opportunity to ride on a cutting-edge flight simulator from MotionXP and have IBM analyze their ping pong serve in front of a crowd.

It was wonderful to experience the air of creative energy and excitement that comes with building and encountering something new for the first time

The future for communicators

VivaTech was also a big event in the world of communication and marketing – with the CMO/Chief Brand Officers of P&G, L’Oréal, Nestle and more all in attendance.

Fire on the Hill Co-founder, Chris Clarke, had the privilege of hosting a fireside chat during the conference with Neil Rogan from Amadeus on how technology companies can foster trust.

In a world where it is becoming more difficult for companies to navigate an increasingly fractious and contentious political landscape, Chris communicated the importance of building and developing true corporate character. He also highlighted how it underscores the relationship between brands and consumers when brands communicate authentically.

Linda Yaccarino (X) hosted a ‘Future of Content’ session and the panel on ‘The Advertising Renaissance’ featuring Adam Bishop (Deliveroo), David Steinberg (Zeta) Milka Privodanova (Pinterest) and Pippa Scaife (NBC) also highlighted the greater demand nowadays from consumers for more interactive and personalized content from brands.

As communicators we have to adapt to a reality where companies are under scrutiny for what they say (or don’t say) on every single issue at any given moment. The only way to meet the moment is to communicate with honesty and authenticity and striking the right balance will be key.

If you’d like to learn more about how to do so – we’ll be sharing more on this subject and the other lessons we learnt from these jam-packed and fulfilling four days. Stay tuned, and if you have any burning questions in the meantime, feel free to drop us a message.

Au revoir Paris, we’ll see you again next year!

 
 
Image: Fire on the Hill 

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Ian Teoh
Senior Account Executive