Lisbon, Portugal — The Lisbon Web Summit 2024 made artificial intelligence (AI) its star attraction, drawing in over 3,000 companies from around the globe to showcase the latest advancements in AI technology. Hosted at the Lisbon Exhibition Centre, the summit highlighted transformative solutions in sustainable forestry, affordable travel, urban mobility, and educational robotics, reinforcing AI’s role in reshaping industries and addressing critical global challenges.
AI Innovations for a Sustainable Future
WoodChat: Tackling Illegal Logging in Brazil with AI
One standout AI innovation at the Web Summit was WoodChat, an AI-driven platform aimed at curbing illegal logging in Brazil. With Brazil facing severe deforestation challenges, WoodChat uses artificial intelligence to identify and authenticate wood types through WhatsApp, ensuring compliance with federal logging regulations.
“WoodChat allows loggers in Brazil to certify wood legally,” explained WoodChat founder Fernanda Onofre. In Europe, importers can also rely on WoodChat to verify that their Brazilian wood sources are certified, helping prevent illegal timber from entering the market. This solution showcases AI’s potential to protect forests while promoting sustainability in the global wood trade.
Tryp: AI-Powered Travel Planning on a Budget
Tryp, a start-up founded by Portuguese entrepreneur André Sousa, is leveraging AI to make travel more affordable. Tryp’s technology draws on a massive database of over 70 million travel options, including flights, trains, and buses, to generate budget-friendly travel combinations in real time. For instance, Tryp offers an all-inclusive four-flight package (Lisbon-Malta-Rome-Lisbon) for just €66 per person.
“By calculating millions of routes instantly, Tryp’s AI finds the best deals,” Sousa shared. Tryp’s real-time travel planning exemplifies how AI can create personalized, cost-effective travel solutions, expanding access to affordable vacations for users around the world.
AI and Urban Mobility: Future of Eco-Friendly Air Travel
Another headline-grabbing innovation in AI was a hybrid multicopter-airplane concept designed for urban mobility, aiming to ease urban congestion and cut down on pollution. This AI-powered vehicle could potentially transform city transportation for people and goods alike, with development backed by Infineon’s advanced semiconductor technology.
“With Infineon’s chips, futuristic urban transport like this could soon be reality,” said Martin Schiestl, a systems engineer at Infineon Austria. Designed for faster, greener commutes, this hybrid vehicle could make AI-powered air travel a practical solution for crowded cities within a decade.
Stella the Robot: Interactive Robotics for Education
Stella, a modular robot designed by robotics firm Ahead, drew considerable attention for its educational and practical uses. Featuring resilient 3D-printed parts, Stella is a self-assembly robot that can carry up to five kilograms, making it suitable for both industrial tasks and educational settings.
“Stella’s design inspires creativity and teaches fundamental robotics skills,” explained Gaelle De Ruyter of Ahead. With Stella, students can explore robotics and technology hands-on, highlighting how AI and robotics can enhance education and creativity while developing skills for the future workforce.
The Path Forward: AI and Robotics Reshaping the Future
The innovations displayed at Lisbon’s Web Summit highlight how AI and robotics are evolving to solve real-world problems across sectors. However, these advancements also pose challenges, especially concerning job automation. As the AI industry grows toward a projected €780 billion market value by 2030, finding a balance between innovation and its impact on the workforce will be essential.
Lisbon Web Summit 2024 offered a glimpse into a world where AI and robotics drive progress and sustainability. As Europe emerges as a leader in tech, the summit’s showcases reinforce the global potential of AI and robotics to revolutionize industries, improve lives, and pave the way for a future shaped by intelligent, ethical innovation.
