TNW Convention 2024 Day 2 Highlights

The TNW Convention grounds opened up but once more this morning for Day 2 full of many contributors coming again for extra (some much less contemporary than others after final night time’s karaoke cruise) and new audio system and contributors who joined us for the primary time, including some distinctive views to the combo.

Right here’s a wrap-up of 5 fascinating talks and concepts that floated round all through the day.

Past inexperienced merchandise: Change the system, not simply the design

On this eye-opening dialogue, Bas van Abel, Founding father of Fairphone, Matthew Cockerill

Impartial Design Innovation Advisor, and Linnea Ahlgren, Senior Editor at TNW, mentioned the necessity for a cultural transition in our relationship with merchandise.

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For example, Ahlgren posed the query: How many individuals thought of getting a brand new telephone after listening to the most recent iPhone updates?

“On the finish of the day, essentially the most sustainable telephone is the telephone you have already got,” echoed van Abel.

Cockerill identified that this duty doesn’t simply lie with customers. In his view, corporations ought to deal with their merchandise like their youngsters. Slightly than sending them off into the world to develop into orphans, companies ought to have a longer-term relationship with their merchandise, bringing their ‘youngsters’ (merchandise) again house once in a while to allow them to be refreshed and put out into the world once more.

“It’s silly that we don’t use merchandise longer. We’re seeing every product as a single entity — when the battery dies, we do away with it. However what are the totally different parts?” Cockerill stated.

One thought mentioned was a transfer in direction of zero-mined merchandise, or merchandise constructed from current supplies and inputs, with out the necessity for newly mined supplies.

Humanism: The philosophical debate for AI ethics

This panel dialog introduced collectively 4 AI specialists to debate how we are able to shift the dialog round AI from the know-how itself to the way it can truly profit and be put in service of humankind.

Ben Goertzel, CEO of SingularityNet, and a proponent of the concept that Synthetic Common Intelligence is simply across the nook stated:

“We’re prone to have AIs which are as good as people within the subsequent few years. Who owns and controls AI and what the AI is deployed to do is necessary. Is it developed within the curiosity of all or a small group of individuals?”

Dr. Vivienne Ming, Co-founder & Govt Chair at Socos Labs, offered some fascinating meals for thought:

“We must be considering not solely: ‘Am I higher once I use know-how?’ But additionally, ‘Am I higher after I exploit it,’” she stated. As our reliance on apps made to make our lives simpler grows, what would possibly the longer-term penalties be? For example, she cited the impression that our reliance on Google Maps may have on our capability for spatial navigation.

Balancing innovation with information privateness, but in addition making information accessible to all (corporations massive and small) have been additionally mentioned amongst different alternatives that might assist us develop extra moral makes use of for AI.

Laundering the loot from the world’s quickest heist

Journalist Geoff White took the viewers on a journey of thriller and intrigue as he mentioned his investigation of the Lazarus Heist — the quickest and arguably largest heist on this planet throughout which North Korean hackers have been capable of get away with $625,000,000 in 1 minute and 55 seconds.

However the cybercriminals weren’t home-free. With thousands and thousands in a digital pockets, the subsequent problem was determining learn how to launder such a lot of crypto-based money.

“Hackers don’t essentially know the way worldwide banking works — learn how to truly transfer the cash they’ve stolen. That’s the place cash launders are available,” he defined.

The hackers seemed to Twister Money, a crypto tumbler working on Ethereum.

This led to a transatlantic investigation, a debate over freedom of speech and privateness, and a prank involving unsuspecting celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Shaquille O’Neal. Learn extra about it in White’s e book, The Lazarus Heist.

Cultivating Champions: The Function of Ecosystems in Driving Sustainable Progress

Throughout this panel dialogue, policymakers Janette Wiget (Merantix), Clara Chappaz (French Tech Mission), Margot Roose (Metropolis of Tallinn), and Pedro Lopes (Authorities of Cabo Verde) mentioned finest practices and challenges in nurturing the expansion of startups and fostering a thriving entrepreneurial setting with TNW Head of Media Andrii Degeler.

Pedro Lopes, Secretary of State for Digital Economic system on the authorities of Cabo Verde, passionately shared his insights from constructing the ‘Tech islands of West Africa.’ Attracting expertise is vital to growing a profitable startup business, and Cabo Verde is approaching this by celebrating authenticity and creating an area the place everybody feels snug and free.

Seismic Percussion: Revealed Actuality

We witnessed people and machines merge to forge a brand new artistic drive: the cyborg artist.

Main us into this world was Moon Ribas, who biohacks her physique for her artwork. She’s best-known for implanting seismic sensors in her ft, which vibrated when an earthquake shook the planet. These rocky rhythms would then information her dance routines.

On the stage, Ribas banged a drum to the beat of the tremors. Such fusions with tech, she stated, can strengthen our bonds with nature.

“Now that I determine as a cyborg, I don’t really feel nearer to robots and machines, however to the Earth.”

Sustainability at TNW 2024

Persevering with our dedication in direction of making TNW convention as sustainable as attainable, the catering onsite featured all meatless choices, from steamy mushroom-based dumplings to Moroccan msemen. All cups, plates, and utensils have been constituted of recyclable supplies.

And that’s a wrap. The crew right here at TNW is already at work placing collectively an inventory of inspiring audio system, sizzling matters, and enjoyable aspect occasions for TNW 2025.

Keep tuned and see you subsequent yr!