Lisbon is set to host Europe’s biggest annual tech conference, Web Summit, this week. The event will gather tech industry leaders and top European officials to discuss a range of pressing topics, including the potential consequences of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Executives from major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Meta will share the stage with policymakers to debate the future of artificial intelligence, social media regulation, and how a second Trump presidency might impact Europe.
Trump has claimed he could end the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours if re-elected. Ukrainian officials Alex Bornyakov and Mykhailo Fedorov are scheduled to speak at the summit, focusing on how Ukraine has managed to keep innovating despite the conflict. John Adam, chief revenue officer at Aimprosoft—a software development firm with 70% of its workforce still in Ukraine—expressed concerns. “There’s mixed feelings because the Trump approach looks like it’s more geared towards the present lines of conflict, which is not an ideal scenario for Ukraine, and there’s a reluctance to accept that. At the same time, we would like this to have an endpoint,” he said.
Tech mogul Elon Musk, despite not attending, is expected to be a recurring topic. Musk’s influence ranges from his satellite service Starlink’s role in Ukraine to SpaceX’s advancements and his controversial management of X, formerly known as Twitter. A panel will discuss if Europe can create its own SpaceX rival and if Musk has “destroyed Twitter”. Joe Benarroch, who left his role as head of business operations at X, will participate in a panel titled “What to do about social media”.
Mark Weinstein, founder of MeWe, pointed out that Trump’s past criticism of online moderation could influence major social networks. “Historically, Trump has been highly critical of online moderation,” he said. “To avoid political retribution, major social networks are likely to continue becoming more permissive with content.”
Photo credit: websummit.com
