Caast at Maddy Keynote 2024: An AI-Focused Edition

On March 28, the Palais Brongniart hosted the unmissable event of the French tech scene: Maddy Keynote 2024. This year, AI was at the heart of the debates and keynotes, with dedicated talks and relevant discussions on the stakes and future of this technology and its applications. Caast attended this edition to explore and better understand the challenges shaping the tech landscape.

Opening Keynote: Marina Ferrari, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs

The day kicked off with a keynote from Marina Ferrari, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs. She emphasized the importance of gathering, celebrating, and exchanging ideas around the French digital ecosystem, highlighting the hybrid political and digital model. She also presented her roadmap, focused on supporting the French tech ecosystem, spreading digital culture, and launching initiatives such as France 2030 — backed by 3 billion euros earmarked for digital innovation.

The minister also spoke about supporting AI in France through a joint call for projects on the topic, and another focused on AI use cases in the Cloud — while referencing the report submitted to the President of the Republic by the Commission on Artificial Intelligence on March 13, 2024. This report contains 25 recommendations for positioning France as a major player in the AI technological revolution.

"Faster, Better, Beyond: How Is AI Redrawing the Boundaries of Business?"

A roundtable explored the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the business world. Speakers included:

• Cédric O, Co-founding Advisor at Mistral AI & Artefact
• Éléonore Crespon, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Pigment
• Cyrille Vincey, Partner at Bain & Company

"Every sector is affected, but not in the same way," said Cyrille Vincey. "Every SaaS publisher is integrating generative AI to offer a complete service." The Bain & Company partner added that AI tools are already good assistants and have been integrated into internal processes across many industries.

The speakers also addressed strategic approaches for companies looking to adopt AI, offering perspectives on how it is redrawing the boundaries of the business world.

"Generative AI Between Ethics and Performance: Where Is the Right Balance?"

Another roundtable examined generative AI through the lens of ethics and performance. Experts in attendance included:

• Raphaël Doann, Philosopher / Author
• Julien Nicolas, Chief Digital Officer of Groupe SNCF
• Grace Mehrabe, Co-founder and CEO of Outmind

The session opened by defining what performance means and how it is impacted by AI. Grace Mehrabe, CEO of Outmind, cited figures from a Boston Consulting Group study on the subject: "90% of participants experienced an average performance increase of 40% compared to those completing the same task without AI."

The speakers analyzed the potential of this technology in terms of productivity and creativity, while also addressing its limitations and ethical implications — a crucial reflection as AI continues to develop and shape our society.

Maddy Keynote was also the occasion for the Maddy Awards:

• Claire Bretton, founder and CEO of Underdog, won the Impact Personality of the Year award for her work promoting appliance refurbishment in France.
• Aurélien de Meaux, co-founder and CEO of Electra, was named Entrepreneurial Personality of the Year for his role in deploying EV charging stations across France and Europe.
• Pauline Roux, managing partner of Elaia, received the VC of the Year trophy, recognizing her support for Deeptech startups.
• Benoît Roblin, director of Bpifrance Le Hub, was honored as Service Provider of the Year for his role in supporting French startups.

Maddy Keynote 2024 was a day rich in exchanges and insights about the growing role of AI in our world. Caast closely followed these fascinating discussions to continue innovating in the field of Live Shopping. Stay tuned for more updates on our upcoming initiatives and collaborations in AI and online commerce.