The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has had far-reaching effects, extending beyond the realm of politics and into the technology and artificial intelligence sector. In a surprising turn of events, several influential industry leaders have chosen to withdraw from the renowned Web Summit in Lisbon, Europe’s leading technology conference. This decision comes in response to the event’s founder and CEO, Paddy Cosgrave, publicly condemning Israel’s retaliatory actions against Hamas as “war crimes.”
The Web Summit is renowned for its impressive lineup of global tech luminaries and innovative startups. It serves as a crucial platform for networking, showcasing cutting-edge technology, and facilitating critical discussions about the industry’s future. The notable withdrawals from the event by these industry leaders could potentially disrupt the summit’s influence, marking a significant development at the intersection of technology, politics, and global issues.
Cosgrave, an outspoken Irish entrepreneur, used X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) to express his views on the matter. In a post last Friday, he expressed shock at the rhetoric and actions of many Western leaders and governments, except Ireland’s government, who he praised for “doing the right thing.” He emphasized that war crimes should be called out regardless of the perpetrators, even if they are allies. His unwavering stance was clear as he affirmed that he would not back down.
In response to Cosgrave’s criticism, several AI and tech leaders have announced the cancellation of their appearances at the Web Summit. Garry Tan, President and CEO of Y Combinator, announced via Twitter that he would no longer be attending. Ori Goshen, co-founder of AI21 Labs, also canceled his keynote speech. Ravi Gupta, a partner at Sequoia, and Keith Peiris, co-founder and CEO of Tome, followed suit by canceling their respective engagements at the summit.
These leaders have chosen to take a stand by withdrawing from the event, demonstrating their disagreement with Israel’s actions and supporting Cosgrave’s stance. Furthermore, some attendees and social media users have called on the Big Tech sponsors of the Web Summit, such as Intel and AWS, to cancel their sponsorships in solidarity. The hashtag #cancelwebsummit has gained traction on social media as a means of expressing dissent and urging others to support the cause.
In a further blow to the Web Summit, the Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Dor Shapira, announced that Israel would not participate in the Lisbon event. Shapira took to X/Twitter to inform the mayor of Lisbon about Israel’s decision to pull out of the conference. He cited the “outrageous statements” made by Cosgrave as the primary reason behind Israel’s withdrawal.
