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5 takeaways from HumanX: How key speakers looked past the industry’s hype

At HumanX in Las Vegas, tech leaders discussed AI’s impact on business. Speakers like Kamala Harris emphasized collaboration between the tech industry and government. Despite high AI enthusiasm, many attendees focused on practical ways to drive company revenue.

This week, thousands of startup founders, investors, and tech industry executives gathered in Las Vegas for HumanX to discuss AI’s value proposition and the future. The four-day conference featured remarks from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who called for stronger cooperation between the tech industry and the federal government. Panels included veteran investors like Vinod Khosla and Tim Draper, alongside rising AI stars like Hugging Face’s Thomas Wolf and Mistral’s Arthur Mensch.

Key takeaways from the conference include:

1. Patience is a virtue when it comes to ROI. Speakers advised companies to establish an “AI team” and focus on education before immediate ROI.

2. Vibes and valuations. AI startups are fetching high valuations, but the question remains whether they’re in a bubble. Investors are betting on future cash flow, with some valuations based on “vibes” but grounded in growth potential.

3. New job roles. Expect to see a new wave of highly compensated “product engineers” as AI makes coding easier.

4. Governance is a pain point. AI governance is still murky, but Credo’s data shows companies with strong governance are getting better ROI.

5. More people are sounding the alarm on deflation. Silicon Valley leaders fear AI will spur deflation, though the US is still experiencing inflation. Technological shifts often correlate with deflation due to increased productivity and lower production costs.