6 talks you won’t want to miss on Day 3 of Web Summit Rio

From robot nurses and AI-aided organ transplantation to the future of design and bias in tech, Day 3 of Web Summit Rio promises a smorgasbord of speakers and talks for you to enjoy.

We’re sorry to say it’s the final day of Web Summit Rio. But there’s good news too: we’ve saved some of the best talks for last…

Below are some exciting sessions and inspiring speakers you should check out today. Don’t forget to add them to your personal schedule on the official Web Summit Rio app!

1. Where is your next job in tech?

Stage: Center Stage

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the tech industry these past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic brought remote working into the mainstream, and tech workers were the first wave to adapt and even embrace the change. Many tech companies thrived between 2020 and 2021. Then, from Amazon to Zoom, the layoffs started.

What does this mean for graduates looking to get a foot in the door, and for the experienced programmers, marketers, financiers and others who have worked in the tech industry for many years?

Join this session to find out what areas of tech are still hiring, what industries are on the rise, and where you should be looking to find your next job.

2. Biomimicry: Creative inspiration rooted in nature

Stage: creatiff

Tátil Design is a Brazilian design agency founded in 1989 by Fred Gelli. The company is known for its work in branding, user experience design and sustainability. Tátil has worked with high-profile clients, including the 2016 Summer Olympics and Rio Carnival 2022.

In this session, Fred explores biomimicry – an approach to design that takes inspiration from nature’s solutions to problems. The study of spider webs, for example, inspired the development of strong, lightweight materials used by the aerospace industry.

How might the next generation of designers be inspired?

3. Meet Grace, the robot nurse

Stage: Auto/Tech & TalkRobot

In 2017, Web Summit – our flagship event, held each year in Lisbon, Portugal – hosted Sophia the robot, a humanoid robot created by Hanson Robotics. Named as the UNDP’s first Innovation Champion, Sophia was the first non-human to be given a UN title.

This year, we’re excited to have Sophie’s ‘sibling’, Grace, on stage.

Grace is humanoid too, but, instead of making appearances on chat shows and painting portraits, she’s designed to be an assistant for eldercare and biodata management.

In this session, SingularityNET founder and CEO Ben Goertzel – whose blockchain-based AI helps power Grace – explores the future of healthcare robotics and gives us a live demo of how humanoid robots can help provide companionship, empathic communication and more.

4. Putting the ‘i’ in pig: Innovations in transplantation

Stage: HealthConf

Are our porcine pals the future of organ transplantation?

Researchers have already genetically modified pig hearts in an attempt to resist rejection upon transplantation into both baboon and human hosts, and there have even been successful attempts at kidney transplants. But there is quite a way to go before this is a viable alternative to human-to-human transplants.

In this session, NYU Langone Health professor of epidemiology Dorry Segev explores what could happen at the intersection of AI, gene editing and organ transplantation.

5. Do founders make good CEOs?

Stage: Center Stage

As a founder, your startup is your baby. But does this passion and expertise mean you should take the helm as your company grows, scales and changes? Can founders adapt and learn to become the CEO their company needs?

Join this session, during which Loggi CEO Thibaud Lecuyer, LaunchDarkly co-founder and executive chair Edith Harbaugh and MadeiraMadeira co-founder and chief growth officer Robson Privado share their personal experiences.

6. Afrofuturism, AI, and improving inclusion

Stage: Startup University

Amanda Graciano (a partner with Brazilian VC firm Fisher Venture Builder) and Robson Privado take to the stage to talk about economic development and wealth creation within the Black community in Brazil.

This conversation, while examining the challenges and opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in Brazil, will touch upon the topic of bias in the tech world, addressing the lack of diversity and inclusion within the sector, and the effects that can have on tech products and services.

Don’t miss out on other Day 3 talks, panels and more. Catch the highlights by following #WebSummitRio across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Main image: Web Summit