What was going on at this year’s CogX Leadership Summit?
Our Global Creative Technology Director, Simon Levitt and Realtime Lead, Jamie Shilvock shared their thoughts.
Simon
Has anyone mentioned AI to you lately? Unless you’ve been living in a simulation, it's been impossible to avoid the topic. AI is everywhere, with marketing teams slapping those two magic letters onto just about everything. The CogX Leadership Summit was no exception, and this year, it was entirely focused on Generative AI.
Held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, while the historic venue might seem at odds with such an innovative topic, the conversation around Gen AI hasn’t evolved much since last year. It’s still dominated by discussions about the why and what—when we should be talking more about the how. Yes, ethics and authenticity matter, but don’t they always? What’s missing is the practical roadmap for moving businesses from discussion to action. One of the most notable elements of this year’s summit was the conversation surrounding the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which will have far-reaching implications for all of us. But for us, the real highlight was the Startup Village, where we could finally see the how of AI in action.
Jamie
One standout at Startup Village for me was Ovomind, a company creating a wearable biometric device that leverages AI to interpret emotional states in real time.
While their current marketing focuses on applications within gaming, this real-time processing of biometric data unlocks a whole new realm of creative possibilities. Imagine immersive experiences where passive viewers become active participants—where their emotional responses to art or storytelling dynamically influence the experience. These shifts could range from maintaining a desired emotional state to pushing people toward the extremes of euphoria or despair.
Though Ovomind hasn’t shared exactly how the tech works, they’re soon launching their first development kit, which includes the Smartband, SDK, and integrations with major game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity.
We can’t wait to get our hands on this exciting tech and start experimenting in the Labs at Store Street!