Gitex Europe: AI luminaries, start-ups and "exciting night culture" in Berlin

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The tech trade fair Gitex Europe, which will take place in Berlin for the first time from May 21 to 23, is casting its shadow. The renowned AI pioneer and Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton will shed light on "the existential risks of so-called agentic AI technology" at the trade fair, the organizers from the United Arab Emirates announced in Berlin on Wednesday. According to rumors, OpenAI boss Sam Altman is also expected to attend.

AI critic Hinton has long been calling for a kind of "kill switch" for AI –, i.e. strict regulation of large AI models with the option for politicians to press the stop button. The dangers posed by AI "call into question the foundations of the economy and society".

AI, quantum and security

According to the organizers, security experts will also be analyzing how AI is "changing the rules of the game in cyber security and international defence" at the accompanying congress. The growing fintech ecosystem will also play an important role. The organizations want to establish the newly created Gitex Quantum Expo as a "platform for groundbreaking research and international cooperation".

"Gitex Europe x AI Everything" is the official motto of the trade fair. Global players such as AWS, IBM, Cisco, Cloudflare, Dell, Lenovo, NTT, Nvidia and SAP will be represented, as will smaller players from the fields of AI, quantum research and sustainable technologies.

Gitex Europe will bring together around 1,500 companies in six halls at the Berlin exhibition grounds, explained Trixie LohMirmand, head of organizer Kaoun International. Around 700 of these are start-ups and over 30 so-called unicorns with a valuation of over one billion US dollars. 34 European countries were represented. However, 75 percent came "from the rest of the world".

"The biggest tech show in Europe"

The organizers hope it will be "the biggest tech show in Europe". They are not necessarily aiming for large visitor numbers, as crucial discussions are more important, said LohMirmand. Between 10,000 and 100,000 visitors are expected. Gitex Europe should not be a "vanity event" and should not just generate hype, but should bring results for everyone involved and bring together new investors and companies, for example. The decisive factor will be: "After the three days, the real work begins." For example, the industry must learn that AI "is now open source" and that every company is an AI company.

The organizers want to help answer the most pressing current tech questions. According to them, these include: How can artificial intelligence (AI) be used responsibly? What strategies does Europe need to achieve digital sovereignty? And what solutions are there for new threats from cyber attacks and autonomous systems?

LohMirmand explained why Gitex is moving to the German capital: "Berlin is one of the most important hubs in Europe." Energy, openness and ambition can be felt here. This was grist to the mill for the governing mayor, Kai Wegner (CDU): "Berlin is Germany's start-up metropolis" with around 100,000 employees in young tech companies, he emphasized. Berlin also stands for the networking of founders, investors and scientists. In addition to cosmopolitanism, innovation and a great deal of creativity, the Spree metropolis also offers an "exciting nightlife culture".

A match made in heaven

Wegner expressed the desire and will for Gitex to remain in Berlin in the long term. This would certainly apply for the next three years, with an option for two more until 2030. At the same time, the Senate will do everything in its power to attract more international flights to BER. Fittingly, Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) spoke of a "heavenly connection" in view of the organizers' choice of location. Many "hidden champions" from the capital "want to make the world a better place with technology".

The roots of Gitex go back to 1981. It has blossomed into one of the most important technology events in the world. Over the years, the range of topics has grown. Today, the trade fair attracts exhibitors and visitors from areas such as AI, cyber security, cloud computing, big data and metaverse. Gitex Global takes place annually in the Dubai World Trade Centre – with almost 200,000 participants according to the organizer – and competes primarily with CES in Las Vegas. There are now also offshoots in Africa (Morocco) and Asia (Singapore). Another edition is planned for Vietnam in October.

(mma)