Web Summit 2023: Bringing Anti-Racism and Inclusion to the Heart of European Tech Innovation
Lisbon, Portugal, November 13-16 – At the 2023 edition of the Web Summit, Europe’s biggest tech festival, ENAR sparked up meaningful conversations about the societal impact of tech innovation. The event, bringing together over 70,000 attendees, helped us build new bridges between tech leaders, activists, and entrepreneurs who share ENAR’s anti-racist vision.
Web Summit is regarded as the place to go to discover the future of technology in the world. ENAR was privileged to attend this year’s conference in Lisbon, and share our vision and mission for a more inclusive Europe, and the role tech plays in making that possible.
The society of the future is digital and therefore it’s critical for us to ensure that the architects of this society, digital firms and entrepreneurs, do not recreate or amplify biases found in the real world. our involvement aims to shift paradigms now before it is too late.
– kim smouter, enar director
Designing Inclusive AI Systems
ENAR Policy and Advocacy Advisor on Digital Rights Oyidiya Oji filled the room with a Master class on crafting inclusive AI systems that uphold the ideal of fairness for all. Technology has historically failed racialised people and it is only by ensuring inclusion at the design stage that bias can be tackled. We were deeply inspired to see the enthusiasm among everyone who approached us, eager to learn how to incorporate inclusive principles into the design process.
Fostering Inclusivity in European Tech
ENAR Director Kim Smouter took the Future Societies stage to champion the importance of cultivating inclusivity in the European tech industry.
In a debate with Cecília Olliveira, Co-founder of Intercept Brasil and Ana Catarina Mendes, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs at the Government of Portugal, we discussed how racism is rife within our societies, including the tech world, and how we must collectively cultivate inclusion as a central pillar of tech innovation.
We are thankful to the team of Web Summit for carving up space for these critical conversations about the societal impact of tech – too often left behind for the sake of swift progress.
Hopefully, we will see you in Lisbon next year!
