São Paulo Innovation Week showcases AI debates, robot maestro and Spike Jonze panel
The São Paulo Innovation Week, a three‑day festival organized by Estadão and Base, gathered over a thousand experts in Brazil to examine innovation across science, technology, culture and sustainability.
On the second day, a humanoid robot conducted the Bachiana Filarmônica orchestra, prompting the human pianist João Carlos Martins to remark, “Nothing replaces the heart and soul of a human being.” The event also featured a drone light show over the Pacaembu stadium and panels on the human cost of rapid technological acceleration, with neuro‑scientist Suzana Herculano‑Houzel warning that digital passivity “robs us of our cognitive abilities.”
The final day highlighted filmmaker Spike Jonze, Oscar‑winning director of Her, who discussed how surreal contemporary reality demands equally surreal cinema and called for a positive use of artificial intelligence. His remarks linked the film’s prophetic view of AI to today’s social media landscape.
Speakers also addressed climate concerns, indigenous perspectives and philosophical questions about humanity’s future amid the AI boom.