The global spotlight turned once again to Paris for the annual Viva Technology 2025. This year, with Canada as the invited country of honor, VivaTech underscored its commitment to fostering international dialogue and collaboration. VivaTech has grown into more than just a startup expo or innovation fair. It has become a crossroads for tech giants, startups, investors, and thinkers to challenge assumptions and share visions. The diversity of voices—from large corporates to startups—reflected an ecosystem in flux, grappling with both immense promise and critical questions.
Artificial Intelligence: Promise, Pitfalls, and Process
AI was undeniably at the core of this year’s discussions. But what emerged wasn’t just technological triumph—it was a nuanced, even divided, view of where we stand. While some celebrated AI’s transformative potential, others voiced caution about its ethical and social limitations.
Sovereignty featured prominently. On one side, start ups and companies are now embracing this new EU mission of “sovereign AI” to avoid dependence on US-led infrastructures as if it is a new trend. On the other, the decentralized tech community promotes personal sovereignty, emphasizing individual control over data and tools. However, the term “sovereign AI” often obscures the reality—one company, upon being asked, revealed their “EU sovereign AI” was funded by Middle Eastern capital, raising questions of narrative vs. ownership. To be careful with.
Key takeaways included:
- Find out what you want to solve first. Too many companies just want to embrace AI tools for the sake of it but AI isn’t a plug-and-play solution. Organizations must first identify pain points in their workflows before implementing AI and address their challenges.
- Education is critical. Teams need to be educated progressively: from initial awareness to active participation, and ultimately, confident usage of AI tools. It will require multiple workshops, trainings and ongoing updates but you need to make sure employees are embracing the change with awareness and understanding in order for the coming changes to be efficient.
- Not all AI is needed. A sentiment echoed across several panels: not every problem demands AI. Technology should serve a purpose, not just check an investor-pleasing box.
- Accountability in public LLMs remains an issue. How do we ensure accuracy? Who is responsible for errors or hallucinations? Without clear standards, trust remains fragile.
- Can AI replace us? The jury is still out. For some, AI’s statistical logic lacks the empathy and moral compass essential to human-centered decision making.
Yet, there’s a silver lining: when applied responsibly, AI can give us back time—time to focus on what humans do best: empathize, listen, build relationships.
The opportunity lies in using AI not to replace us, but to enhance our capacity for human connection again.
Decentralized Internet and the Rewiring of Economic Participation
Despite the growing relevance of decentralized technologies, the presence of decentralized applications and DeFi at VivaTech 2025 was surprisingly limited. The main blockchain-related content on the official program included a PwC-hosted panel discussing Decentralized AI—particularly the role of blockchain in supporting AI training and governance via networks like Bittensor. These discussions touched on blockchain’s meritocratic architecture and its role in enabling peer-to-peer intelligence, where contributors can earn through validation and computation rather than hierarchical structures. Another high-profile conversation happened on the main stage featuring the founders of Ledger, Pascal Gauthier and Chainalysis, Jonathan Levin. As the CEO of Ledger stated, “Without private property, there is no democracy,” underscoring the importance of ownership rights within decentralized frameworks.
Though technically outside the official VivaTech program — the Sui Foundation organized a side event, which delved deeper into how decentralized protocols may rewire traditional models of participation and funding. These systems promote a “people economy,” allowing anyone to contribute and access investment, signaling a shift in the role of stakeholders from passive participants to active.
The Most Talked-About Regulatory Topic
The Digital Product Passport initiative, led by the European Commission and piloted by brands like LVMH, is progressing under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force in July 2024. Designed to bring traceability and lifecycle transparency to products—particularly in sectors like fashion, electronics, and luxury goods—the passport is expected to become a mandatory requirement through upcoming delegated acts. While the DPP obligations are not yet in effect, their anticipated impact is already shaping how companies approach compliance, sustainability, and supply chain disclosure. The initiative also marks a concrete step in exploring blockchain and digital identity tools within public policy frameworks.
Women in Tech: Confidence, Community, and the Long Road
A standout moment came during a panel hosted by La Poste, where a speaker observed:
“Men are born ready, while women often think they never are.”
This insight resonated across the room and underscored a recurring theme: while representation is improving, confidence gaps and network access still impede women’s full participation in tech leadership.
That’s where movements like Furt’Her steps in to inspire, inform & connect women in Blockchain & AI. In Paris, the SUI Foundation hosted a side event including a Suisterhood moment which allowed us to discuss about emotional resilience, reminding us that cofounders can be challenging, the entrepreneurial road rarely follows a straight line, and trusting your gut is often more valuable than following a playbook. These spaces create the sororité—sisterhood—we need to thrive in a world still catching up to our potential.
Diplomacy, Finance, and Future Frontiers
Outside the conference halls, the Ambassador S.E. M. Jo Indekeu, Ambassadeur with the Belgian Embassy in Paris hosted a reception that blended diplomacy with entrepreneurial insight. Amid the polished setting, I found myself in deep conversation with two different minds (economist & entrepreneurs) exploring the convergence of central banks, commercial banks, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
This type of spontaneous, interdisciplinary dialogue captures the essence of VivaTech: technology is no longer the domain of engineers alone. It is political, economic, and deeply human.
As we redesign financial systems, legal frameworks, and cultural expectations, these cross-sector exchanges are not just enriching—they are essential.
Final Thoughts
VivaTech 2025 made it clear: the future of technology is not just about scale or speed. It’s about intention. The systems we’re building today—AI platforms, decentralized economies, digital identities—are not neutral. They reflect who we are, what we value, and how we treat each other.
The most pressing questions remain ethical, not technical: Can we build AI that is fair and accountable? Can we design economic systems that reward contribution over capital? Can we finally create environments where all genders feel not just included, but fully empowered?
These are the questions I carry with me after Paris. And they’re the ones we must all engage with, if we’re to shape a future worth living in.
Lorena
Founder of Furt’Her
