It is necessary to regulate to contain exaggerations and not to censor
The second edition of Web Summit Rio began this Monday (15), at Riocentro, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The expectation is to receive 40 thousand participants from more than one hundred countries by Thursday (18). The space increased by around 25% to accommodate the volume of visitors, with two new stages and three content tracks added to the total of 18 themes.
In 2023, there were 21 thousand people. The meeting should bring together around 600 speakers, 700 investors and 1,500 startups. The opening was led by Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, alongside Luis Manuel Rebelo Fernandes, executive secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCTI), and Antonio Florencio de Queiroz Junior, president of Sistema Fecomércio RJ.
Debates about social intelligence took over the stages on this first day. Although repetitive, the content raised pressing questions. “It is necessary to regulate to contain exaggerations and not to censor. We need new strategies”, observes Carine Gomes Roos, founder of diversity and inclusion consultancy Newa.
She draws attention to the possibility of having manipulated municipal elections next October. “Fake overrides facts”, she laments. Carine remembers that regulation improves people’s lives by promoting advances in a safe and sustainable way.
Professor Eduardo Magrani does not believe in a single regulation. “It depends on local culture and demands. But the attempts made so far have not been enough to face the advancement of technology and deep fake”, he comments. For lawyers specializing in technology, the moment of change requires strategy, ethics and education. Carine Gomes Roos and Eduardo Magrani participated in the panel ‘How geopolitics will shape AI regulation’.
Jeff Geheb, global chief experience officer at VMLY&R, is enthusiastic about the transformations brought about by artificial intelligence in marketing, especially the ability to promote connections and experiences that differentiate themselves amid the overload of interactions offered in the digital environment.
The brand must understand its role in people’s lives. “These are new ways to connect brands with consumers. Artificial intelligence helps to understand contexts by collecting first party data. It’s the key to reaching customers”, highlights the executive who participated in the ‘Marketing in 2025’ panel, alongside Renata Bokel, CEO of WMcCann.
Those who support technology say that the wave of investments is just beginning. “Years of evolution will still come. We made our first contribution in 2023, and the results are coming quickly”, guarantees Tamara Steffens, managing director at Thomson Reuters Ventures. According to the executive, artificial intelligence applied to processes optimizes business and contains disruptions. “But regularity is important”, she reinforces. She was on the panel ‘The future of AI investing’, alongside Santiago Fossatti, partner at the venture capital firm Kaszek.
In ‘How AI is transforming businesses and the workforce’, Justina Nixon-Saintil, VP & chief impact officer at IBM, and Marcelo Braga, president of the company, spoke about the prerogatives required before investing in AI. Specific skills and training were the highlights. “Trained professionals are better prepared to make decisions and follow an ethical strategy”, highlights Justina.
For Braga, discussions must be elevated to the level of the companies’ board. “Governance and executive engagement are fundamental because artificial intelligence brings new management processes to companies. It is another level of engine and governance is the brake to continue safely”, ponders Braga.
Michael Koch, co-founder and CEO of HubKonnect, agrees. “CEOs, CMOs and CTOs are the leaders who need to be involved in the changes brought about by artificial intelligence in business management.” He shared the stage with Serhat Soyuerel, co-founder & chief revenue officer at Insider, in the session ‘How AI can help create a marketing plan’.
From artificial intelligence to neural networks and algorithms, the Web Summit tries to spread quick pills of knowledge, which serve as a prompt for deeper reflection. Diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship ecosystem, robotics, Web 3, automotive technology, media and combating misinformation, creator economy, expansion of fintechs and startups, influencers, environmental and indigenous activism, climate measures and innovation in green technology are the other topics explored throughout the week.
