Signals

France – As Viva Technology 2025 opened in Paris, speakers explored how technology can be used to address and help solve global challenges in healthcare, travel and urban life.

In a session chaired by Wired deputy global editorial director Greg Williams, healthcare leaders discussed the real-world applications of AI in medicine. Clara Léonard, product medical director of Doctolib, made a compelling case for deploying AI as an ethical imperative, stating: ‘If we did not leverage this technology for healthcare, we would be doing a disservice to humankind.’

Shez Partovi, chief innovation officer at Philips, cited the Lumify Handheld Ultrasound as a case study. This AI-enabled tool simplifies key measurements to identify abnormalities during pregnancy and reduces training time from weeks to just hours. As a result, more frontline health workers can use the technology and integrate it into routine care. Here, AI isn’t about replacing humans but about augmenting capacity and helping to overcome systemic bottlenecks in global health systems.

Elsewhere, attention turned to the role of infrastructure in designing sustainable tourism futures. Catriona Meehan, director of public affairs at Omio Travel, emphasised the need to bring tourists and locals closer together. ‘We need to think about what is already there,’ she said, calling for greater transparency around local services. She argued that to encourage lower-impact travel, users need intuitive access to regional transport networks.

Over on The Discovery Stage, Dmytro Kornilov, founder of innovation tech studio FFFACE.ME, led a Live Phygital Catwalk with an interactive demo of fashion and beauty products. By scanning QR codes stitched into the garments, audiences could unlock augmented reality layers on their phones – transforming the runway into a hybrid, participatory experience. Head to our Three Key Takeaways From NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show report for more insights on how brands can incorporate phygital into their retail strategies.