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Viva Tech daily recap: Putting the ‘we’ in AI

VivaTech, France

France – The seventh edition of Viva Technology, Europe’s biggest start-up and tech event, kicked off yesterday, June 14th.

Spread across four days between June 14-17 2024, VivaTech is bringing together business leaders, start-ups, innovators, investors, researchers and curious minds in Paris. The motto of the event, ‘In tech we trust’, hints at how wide the scope of topics addressed is. Talks and exhibitors were categorised under eleven tracks, including deeptech & AI, retail, mobility, climate tech, gaming and more.

On the inaugural day, AI was the topic on everyone’s lips. ‘Before talking about industries, our lives are impacted by AI,’ shared François-Xavier Pierrel, Group CDO at JCDecaux Global. ‘This is the first time I can talk about tech with my stepmother.’ Even French president Emmanuel Macron, who was in attendance, made a case for the huge social impacts that artificial intelligence is catalysing. ‘When it comes to AI, we need to accelerate research, innovation and the creation of a powerful ecosystem,’ pleaded Macron. ‘At the same time, we have to take part in regulation at the broadest scope we can.’ Although the challenges AI brings weren’t excluded, the general sentiment was AI-positive and opportunity-oriented.

Strategic opportunity

Stay tuned for the rest of our daily coverage of the event, exploring ket takeaways for the retail, media and luxury sectors

The Future Laboratory and JCDecaux launch Gen Z: The IRL Opportunity

Australia – The world’s largest outdoor advertising company, JCDecaux, has collaborated with The Future Laboratory to produce a foresight report that delves into understanding the values and needs of Gen Z in Australia.

One notable finding is that these digital natives are consistently rejecting the notion of online-only identities and actively seeking Out-of-Home experiences.

This rebellious demographic poses unique challenges for marketers as they join the workforce and start spending on goods and services. Their entry will have a significant impact on business, retail, technology, politics and culture. Their collective voice demands to be heard, and our report provides insights on how brands can understand their preferences and meet their needs.

The Gen Z: The IRL Opportunity report was launched on 13 June with a presentation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. The event featured a panel of marketing and Gen Z experts discussing how this generation are altering the demographic landscape of Australia and beyond. You can download a copy here.

The Future Laboratory at Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia

Strategic opportunity

Our bespoke reports combine innovative thinking and original research to empower businesses and brands to build profitable futures. Let us help you identify fresh sector opportunities and maintain a competitive edge in an unpredictable world

Lemons receive the status of healthiest fruit in the world

Finematter, UK

US – A 2023 study published by researchers from William Paterson University in New Jersey named lemons as the healthiest fruit thanks to high levels of vitamins, fibre and nutrients.

The study evaluated the concentration of 17 essential nutrients in 41 foods and analysed this proportion of nutrients in relation to the number of calories. Researchers then ranked each food item from the healthiest (full of nutrients and low in calories) to the least healthy.

The 10 healthiest foods only included green vegetables, with watercress receiving the status of healthiest food, followed by Chinese leaf lettuce and chard. The first fruit, lemons, only ranked 28th overall. Due to high levels of sugar, even the apple, traditionally supposed to keep the doctor away, did not make it into the top 41.

The study hints at multiple opportunities for the weight loss industry to turn to lemons as a healthy alternative to sugary fruits. In Redemptive Diets, we previously analysed how brands and consumers are uniting to build future-fit food systems that support changing social values – including demand for new and trendy produce boosted by the diet industry.

Strategic opportunity

Players in the food and drink industry should consider how to update their menus, recipes and product offers to tailor to consumers only seeking weight loss-friendly options. Are you ready to meet simultaneously a growing demand for healthy, sustainable, locally produced and unprocessed food?

Stat: Gender equality is regressing, according to the UN

Photography by R.F. Studio, South Africa

Global – Research from the UN’s 2023 Gender Social Norms Index reveals that gender equality progress has gone into reverse. Nine out of 10 people of all genders have a bias against women, a figure unchanged from data collected more than a decade ago.

The index, which covers 85% of the global population with data collected between 2017 and 2022, also finds that nearly half of the world’s population believe that men make better political leaders than women, and two out of five people believe that men make better business executives than women. These biases hold across regions, income, level of development and cultures, making it a universal issue.

Researchers were shocked at these figures. ‘My expectation was that we would see some progress. How can it get any worse?’ Pedro Conceição, head of the UN Development Programme’s human development report office, tells The Guardian. These figures show how, despite the #MeToo movement and the proliferation of feminism discourse on social media, the barriers for women continue to prevail and affect women’s futures, as tracked in our Identities series.

Strategic opportunity

Having a productive female workforce hinges on women feeling secure, empowered and respected. Consider implementing strong D&I trackers and lay out clear paths to progression – starting with gender-equal pay