The World AI Cannes Festival, a leading showcase of artificial intelligence innovation, concluded this weekend at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. The three-day event, held from 13th to 15th February, brought together top AI developers, businesses, and public sector representatives to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
French AI Minister Clara Chappaz and Luxembourg Finance Minister Gilles Roth were the keynote speakers who opened the festival, which attracted more than 10,000 attendees. The event’s main partner was the Département des Alpes-Maritimes, and discussions centred on AI applications in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and financial services.
The exhibition floor featured 218 companies, including major industry players such as Tesla, IBM, DXC Technology, and AWS, alongside a wide range of AI startups showcasing cutting-edge innovations.
Notable demonstrations
Among the standout presentations was Digiotouch AI’s meeting management system, which drew attention for its ability to “overview, summarise, translate, and retain data from meetings”. Giorgia Pappalardo, a representative from the company, highlighted its benefits, stating, “Have you ever forgotten to take notes during an important meeting? With Digiotouch AI, you never have to worry again.”
Understand AI Tech also made waves with its approach to AI reliability. “Our new private model can fact-check, but it can also say no,” explained Florian Fromager, addressing concerns about AI-generated misinformation. “The problem with existing models is that they can produce unverified information, creating copyright issues.” He said that their model ensures accuracy by relying exclusively on user-provided documents and only conducting web research when explicitly commanded.
Another notable demonstration came from Lutech Brain, whose customised AI system was designed to convert both structured and unstructured data into coherent text while maintaining reasoning capabilities. Claudio Peroni, a company representative, noted that while the model is primarily aimed at large businesses, it showcases AI’s ability to demonstrate common sense rather than simply regurgitate information.
Concerns over AI replacing human labour
DXC Technology’s manufacturing robots sparked debate about AI’s impact on employment. When asked whether AI would replace human workers in factories, a DXC representative suggested that AI would “replace jobs that are not pleasurable to do”. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from another major company, speaking anonymously, stated that AI would “replace the jobs of people who refuse to use it”.
The festival concluded with a public open day, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the latest developments in artificial intelligence.
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Photo credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life