Top global AI leaders to gather in Valencia for the 7th edition of VDS

Top global AI leaders will gather on the 23rd and 24th of October for the seventh edition of VDS in Valencia. The international tech event organized by Startup Valencia will analyze the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on society. The event aims to address the market demands created by this technology, which is revolutionizing every aspect of the world: development, integration, application, and investment.

VDS2024 will host more than twenty AI-related talks, aiming to examine the role of this technology across various sectors and domains. Topics like how to tackle AI funding challenges, AI’s impact on people management, and the ethical and legal challenges of AI for the audiovisual sector will be explored on three stages: the Main Stage, the Santander Stage—sponsored by Banco Santander—and the Audiovisual Stage, supported by the Generalitat Valenciana, Ciudad de la Luz, and the Comunitat Valenciana Film Commission.

Among the leaders in this technology who have already confirmed their presence at the tech event are Randi Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook Live and Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and HUG, who will share insights on personal development and scaling a business around AI, and Joaquín Cuenca, CEO of Freepik, who will participate in the panel discussion on leadership in AI and the direction it is taking alongside Álvaro Martínez, CEO of Luzia, and Carlos Santana, partner at the investment firm EQT Partners. Additionally, Armand Ruiz, Vice President of Product AI at IBM, will deliver a keynote on the future of work through AI.

On the first day, roundtable discussions will also take place, connecting key AI and financial players, featuring speakers like Samuel Gil from JME Ventures, Roman Orus from Multiverse Computing, and Ton van’t Noordende, partner at QDNL Participations.

Additionally, Jimmy Klein, Global Innovation Director at Diageo, Sara Martínez, Founder/CEO of Bentónico, Paz Vega, Founder of Aitaca, and Sonia Paz, Co-Founder of Miraiku.ai, will talk about the importance of collaborations between companies to drive sector growth.

Another leader to watch who will be participating in VDS is Ahmed Menshawy, Vice President of AI Engineering at Mastercard, who will lead the panel discussion on Advancements in Generative AI in Business alongside Neema Balolebwami, CEO and AI expert at Neema.ai.

The presentation also stands out, where Tony Beltramelli, Head of Products, AI, and Prototypes at Miro and Founder and Former CEO of Uizard, will share the success story of Uizard, providing a unique insight into its journey and achievements.

Leading AI tech event

Through various presentations, the role of generative AI in business transformation, the future of foundational models, and their transformative effect will be highlighted with leaders like Amr Awadallah, CEO & Co-Founder of Cloudera/Vectara, and Tom Mason, CTO of Unlikely AI.

The relationship between AI and people will also be part of the discussions at VDS, with roundtables featuring Maite Sanz, Director of ORH Editorial Group, Yolanda Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland, and Carmen Reina, Head of Data Culture at Orange.

The connection between investment and entrepreneurs will be a focal point throughout the tech event, with numerous networking spaces and leadership panels led by Alessandra Sala, Senior Director of AI and Data Science at Shutterstock; Javier Villamizar, Operating Partner at Softbank Investment Advisors; and María Wasastjerna, Managing Partner at Kvanted Ventures.

Additionally, at the VDS Startup Competition, AI emerges as the dominant technology, with more than half of the participating startups operating in this field, showcasing its growing relevance in the international tech ecosystem. Besides AI, startups are also integrating other key tools such as Big Data, followed by innovative technologies like Cloud Computing, ICT Information & Communication, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things. This focus on AI underscores its fundamental role in the development and success of tech startups.