The competition of artificial intelligence and technology is at the center of Lisbon

Hollywood-style excitement was mixed with cutting-edge technology at Lisbon’s annual Web Summit this week, where global tech leaders, startups and investors gathered to explore artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous vehicles, all under the shadow of escalating US-China tensions.

In four days, “Davos for geeks” is expected to host more than 70,000 visitors from 150 countries, including 2,500 startups and 1,000 investors. Attendees explored colorful booths highlighting humanoid robots, quantum computing innovations, and AI-based 3D printers, illustrating how artificial intelligence is moving from abstract software to the physical world.

Microsoft has grabbed headlines with a $10 billion AI data center project in Portugal in partnership with UK company Nscale, described as “one of the largest investments in AI computing capacity in Europe”.

Nvidia executives underscored concerns about China’s technological dominance, warning that the country’s engineers are making rapid progress in artificial intelligence despite export restrictions on high-tech chips. Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave noted that “the era of Western technology dominance is fading.”

Self-driving vehicles have been a major focus, with ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft showing an incremental path to self-driving cars. Uber chief operating officer Andrew Macdonald said that while the technology to outperform human drivers has been “largely solved”, commercialization remains a challenge.

Lyft chief David Risher predicted that even reaching 10% of rides autonomously within five years would be a big success. Both companies emphasized that human drivers will continue to perform most routes in the near future to provide safety, assistance and personal service.

Partnerships bridging the US-China divide were highlighted in the area of ​​autonomous vehicles. Lyft is working with Chinese company Baidu in Germany and the UK, and Uber is working with China’s WeRide in the Gulf alongside partnerships with Waymo in US cities. Such partnerships contrast with the intense competition in the AI ​​and semiconductor industries, reflecting a more pragmatic approach to the market.

The summit also showcased emerging applications of artificial intelligence. Swedish company Lovable introduced platforms that allow users to create chatbot apps and websites without coding, producing 100,000 new products every day.

Qualcomm unveiled AI chips poised to challenge Nvidia and AMD, while Chinese manufacturers such as Unitree and Bambulab showcased humanoid robots and AI-powered 3D printing.

Among the tech showcases, the European Commission’s head of digital technology, Henna Virkkunen, highlighted the EU’s push for technological dominance, calling for public procurement rules that favor European AI start-ups and reduce reliance on a single country. Meanwhile, gaming platform Roblox outlined its measures to verify underage users, highlighting ongoing regulatory scrutiny in the sector.

From artificial intelligence to autonomous vehicles, the Lisbon Web Summit has become a crossroads of innovation, investment and geopolitical tensions – a showcase of how technology, business and media intersect in an increasingly competitive global landscape.