VivaTech 2024: too much AI innovation?

An increasingly international trade show: no fewer than 120 countries were represented, spread across 40 exhibition pavilions. Europe, America, Africa, and even Asia were all present! And for this 8th year, Japan has been given top billing as “Country of the Year”. A Japanese delegation featuring 40 innovative businesses visited Paris to present their latest technological feats in several key sectors. 

The flagship themes of this year’s event included the ever-present (perhaps even somewhat over-present) Artificial Intelligence. Significant focus was placed on innovation for the climate in an attempt to combine these two themes, but mobility was less visible than previous years, despite the participation of Airbus, Stellantis, and even Tesla. 

Artificial Intelligence: what challenges in terms of ethics? 

This is 2024’s flagship theme and the focus of a number of conferences, solutions and products. However, other key issues are emerging, particularly cybersecurity, healthcare and governance linked to the rise of AI. It’s not a question of whether AI can create value, but how this creation can be managed in a controlled, ethical and responsible manner. 

AI innovation and security  

A few gems seen at the trade show illustrate this approach, such as CST (Crime Science Technology), which develops technologies capable of identifying individuals and securing identity documents against fraud. These solutions create a link between the physical and digital worlds, aiming to combat identity theft and authenticate people remotely. 

Everdian, a solution capable of analysing flows in real time to monitor latest events, is also worth a mention. It detects fake news based on established truth (for instance, a media outlet) and analyses misinformation on a topic by detecting nuances and positive points in a negative phrase, and vice versa. 

AI innovation and healthcare  

In addition, Ensweet a telemedicine startup that develops tele-rehabilitation solutions for patients with chronic diseases, aims to improve access to cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation with AI-based custom programmes. Ensweet is supported by La Poste group’s French IoT, Impact x Technologie accelerator. 

AI innovation for the climate  

Responsible AI played a central role, with a dedicated 1,500m² space - the “impact bridge” - taking up nearly 10% of the trade show floor. This zone showcased solutions focused on the circular economy and naturalisation of resources, underlining the importance of sustainable development. Significant acceleration in the development of technological solutions for the climate, particularly using AI, was observed. Although AI is a strategic asset in combating climate change, its integration must be managed prudently to guarantee a net positive environmental impact. That’s the real challenge! 

 AI innovation and decarbonisation 

Among the AI innovations for the planet, technologies improving the energy efficiency of buildings are worth noting. For example, Bioteos uses microalgae to purify air in transport systems and indoor spaces, and Value Park provides an air-conditioning system using deep sea water. 

Reduction of carbon emissions is promoted by the startup MarinaChain, which is aiming for green logistics targeting zero emissions. It provides carbon accounting and regulatory compliance services for maritime transport and ports. Its AI-powered MarinaNet platform optimises observation of the performance of vessels and emissions, helping businesses to develop emissions reduction strategies to achieve 2030 goals. 

Innovation in the field of the circular economy 

E-commerce was also given top billing in this field, with a number of solutions developed focused on the circular economy. These included Circulae, which integrates the circular economy into your payment card via a platform that provides the possibility of referencing and historizing your purchases, increasing sustainability and selling your products more easily with a product return guarantee (Circulae accepts product returns up to 24 months after their purchase). This optimised product management is part of a financial and ecological strategy. Circulae is incubated at platform58, La Banque Postale’s fintech incubator. 

Luxury and Beauty Tech: creating custom content via AI innovations 

Ultimate customisation is now within reach for the world of luxury goods and beauty based on advances in generative AI. Creating and modifying images and videos inspired by brand style guides is now simpler than ever! 
L'Oréal launched its generative AI laboratory, CreAITech, to facilitate the creation of marketing content for its 37 beauty brands. This laboratory also trains marketing teams in new creative technologies. L’Oréal is collaborating with Meta and content creators to boost its creativity. The business is using AI models specifically trained for each brand to match their visual identity and style guides. However, L’Oréal is maintaining a responsible AI approach by avoiding use of realistic AI-generated images to illustrate the benefits of its products in its external communications.

AI innovation and data quality 

Tale of Data is an AI-optimised platform to improve data quality. It is capable of auditing data quality, identifying errors, and ensuring information integrity using Data Discovery tools. The platform also provides features to correct detected anomalies, guaranteeing reliable and compliant data. With Data Observability, Tale of Data helps to maximise data value, take informed decisions, and optimise business processes. Its no-code tool favours user autonomy, without them needing extensive training. 

AI innovation and data governance 

Cleyrop, a French publisher, is providing a sovereign platform to free data uses and help organisations to become data-driven within a framework of confidence. Its unified and secure DataHub collects, stores, transforms, analyses and delivers data, integrating advanced governance features, and serving as a basis for all generative AI applications. 

Likewise, Holistic AI is an AI governance platform that provides businesses with the opportunity to adopt and upscale AI with complete confidence, by integrating the regulatory dimensions of the AI Act as well as each business’s compliance systems. It provides tools to direct, manage and observe AI activities, ensuring transparency, responsibility and security. The platform provides AI audits, AI monitoring and safeguarding measures to guarantee AI system effectiveness, robustness, confidentiality, lack of bias, and accountability. Holistic AI also focuses on risk management, security and compliance, providing a comprehensive solution for confidence in AI and supporting teams to not only minimise risks but also maximise returns on investment. 

Times have changed: Artificial Intelligence was once mainly promoted via solutions and products with a sharp focus on marketing, but now AI is natively integrated, leaving no room for surprises. AI has actually become ever-present in our daily lives and in the technologies we use. It’s found in many products and services. This means that AI has become an integral part of our daily lives, without us always being aware of it. This integration has advantages, because AI improves the effectiveness and convenience of many products and services. But this can also result in a lack of surprise about new uses of AI or new AI-based technologies. We’ve got used to seeing it everywhere, which can reduce our ability to marvel at new advances in this field. 

Further innovation will now be seen with the next stage of AI, which uses action models, as demonstrated by start-up H that recently raised $220 million to work on these models designed to increase worker productivity. These fundamental action models will be capable of reasoning, planning and collaborating, paving the way for artificial general intelligence. 

We look forward to seeing you in October to check out the latest AI innovations at the 2024 Big Data & AI Paris conference.