At Web Summit opener, Palestine gets a brief mention and the loudest cheer

Paddy Cosgrave welcomed thousands of Web Summit early arrivals to Lisbon on Monday night, telling them the future of technology was “increasingly Chinese”, with “more than 50 superstars from China’s leading AI labs” attending the technology conference.

“This year’s Web Summit has, without a doubt in my mind, the most important line-up of technology speakers we have ever had,” he said. “They are not from California – they are from China, because Chinese companies are building more for our shared futures than companies from anywhere else. This is just a fact.

“We’re of course grateful to have speakers and partners like Apple, Meta and Google – they are the prominent technology companies of today,” Cosgrave said as he stood alone on stage, with two jumbo-screens of his face bookending the Web Summit logo. “These companies are all, almost without exception, started in California.

“But, increasingly, the superstars of the future are not coming from California, they’re coming from China. They’re the future stars in AI, in robotics, in cars . . . in energy and in so much more.”

Kicking off the opening ceremony was a two-minute dance routine performed by nine humanoid robots created by the Chinese company AgiBot.

Agibot robots swept athletics categories in the first world Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing three months ago.

[ More than 100 Irish start-ups head to Web Summit alongside largest-ever Chinese delegationOpens in new window ]

Addressing the crowd gathered in the centre stage of the MEO Arena, Cosgrave wore a speckled moss green Aran jumper. It looked strikingly similar to a jumper that is available to buy for €895 from his wife Faye Dinsmore’s fashion brand.

This one, however, was more bespoke than an off-the-rack knit. It had the phrase “keep the triple lock” stitched across its chest in a not-so-subtle reminder of Cosgrave’s view on the Government’s recent move to reform the traditional pillars of the State’s military neutrality.

Appealing to his techie audience, the triple lock was represented with three padlock emojis.

The mere mention of Palestine would deliver a less predictable gauge of audience views. Three years ago, Cosgrave resigned as chief executive of Web Summit amid controversy caused by him tweeting: “War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are.”

Two weeks after Hamas’s attacks of October 7th, 2023, Cosgrave’s condemnation of Israel’s assault on Gaza prompted international companies to withdraw from the high-profile tech conference.

He returned to his post six months later. On Monday, 2½ years on from Cosgrave’s return as chief executive, Casey Lau – host for the first night – decided to roll the dice. Lau shouted out “Palestine” in acknowledgment of one of the countries that has sent start-up delegations to the conference.

“We have people from Paraguay, from Pakistan, from Palestine . . .” he said, trailing off in suspense (or nervousness). But the gamble paid off. It garnered the loudest cheer of the night.

Lau tried to follow up with its flag-bearer – who walked alongside a man carrying the Irish Tricolour in a parade of nationalities represented at the conference – to ask him what his start-up’s purpose is, but to no avail.