DLD founder Steffi Czerny and actress, producer, and MaLisa Foundation co-founder Maria Furtwängler invited experts from politics, technology, business, and culture to the DLD Nature to build alliances and develop innov…
Rarely before has the world encountered a multitude of global challenges simultaneously, while concurrently experiencing such disruptive technological leaps, as it does at the commencement of 2024. This underscores the heightened significance of diverse disciplines, spanning from science and technology to art and philosophy, collaborating in dialogue to devise solutions. This principle has been upheld by Europe's most important innovation conference, DLD, since 2005, encapsulated this year under the motto "Dare to Know!”
On Thursday, Steffi Czerny, founder and host of DLD, challenged the 1,300 participants hailing from diverse corners of the globe, including Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder and several ministers from his cabinet.
"Only if we dare to know, to learn, to understand, can we unlock our full potential, place trust in our own judgement, and collectively construct the world we aspire to live in with a judicious blend of critical thinking and optimism!"
Steffi Czerny, founder and host of DLD
Florian Haller, CEO of Serviceplan and host at the House of Communication, echoed this sentiment, stating, "Fill our house with innovative ideas and optimism. Only through a profound sense of optimism can we navigate through multiple crises and steer transformative change in a positive direction."
Artificial intelligence is on the verge of becoming as ubiquitous as electricity
AI is reshaping our world at an unprecedented pace, surpassing the impact of any preceding technology. Addressing how our businesses, societies, and individual lives can effectively navigate this transformation formed the central focus of DLD 2024. Approximately 200 speakers, including business leaders like Jonas Andrulis (Aleph Alpha), technology experts such as Werner Vogels (Amazon), world-renowned scientists like Maja Göpel, critical thinkers including Gary Marcus, and inventive minds like architect Rem Koolhaas, discussed the topic passionately and controversially from diverse perspectives.
AI is a very powerful technology that is reshaping every facet of our existence, yet it remains fallible. Unlike DLD Munich 23, when Generative AI was still a novel concept, this year, the query wasn't about whether people would embrace AI but about its inevitability. The consensus among all panelists was that artificial intelligence will seamlessly integrate into our lives, akin to electricity, undergoing such rapid evolution that we will barely recognise it a year from now.
Integrating AI in harmony with our core values and cultural norms
DLD Munich this year delved deeply into the human-centric utilization of generative AI and explored ways to advance human and machine intelligence collaboratively. The emphasis was on a future where humans leverage their intrinsic qualities of creativity and empathy, while in the background, machines amplify our productivity manifold. AI needs very large amounts of data to do its job, and at the same time people and businesses need to be protected from being exploited and manipulated by AI. Consequently, the regulation of AI took a prominent stance at DLD Munich 24, championed notably by EU parliamentarian and rapporteur for the European AI law, Eva Maydell.
Another exciting insight from DLD 2024 is the acknowledgment that the future of technology isn't solely confined to the USA and China, with Central Europe playing an increasingly pivotal role. Notably, significant momentum is also emanating from Africa and Eastern Europe. A noteworthy observation pertains to the higher representation of women in the technology sector in Central and Eastern Europe, surpassing the average of around 16% in the rest of Europe. Bulgaria leads with over 30%, while Romania and other countries maintain a commendable level of around 20%. This trend extends to engineering, IT, and management positions, where the gender distribution remains remarkably consistent.
Fighter for sustainable change receives Aenne Burda Award
The emotional highlight of DLD 2024 unfolded during the Aenne Burda Award presentation to Sandrine Dixson-Declève, an energy policy expert and Co-President of the Club of Rome. Since 2006, this award has recognised women for their exceptional entrepreneurial and creative contributions, paying homage to the legacy of Aenne Burda. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, a dedicated advocate for global sustainable change, expressed deep gratitude for the special honor, conveying her sentiments with profound reflection.
“We need to become human again. I oscillate between hope and despair every day. I’m telling you this to demonstrate the vulnerability we all share as individuals and as humanity. We must return to a spirit of humanity, loving deeply as a collective and taking pride in being part of the human species and part of this planet we call home."
Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President Club of Rome
All DLD panels are available as video recordings here.
All DLD 2024 images are available here.
All information on the speakers and topics can be found here.
