• The Canary Islands Business Digitalization Show is being held these days with the participation of around twenty digital transformation experts who will share their knowledge through talks and roundtable discussions
• Some fifty companies are showcasing the products and services they offer to facilitate the digitalization of SMEs at this event

The fourth edition of DigiON Canarias kicked off today at Infecar, the Gran Canaria Trade Fair, an event that, in the words of the President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, “brings to social and economic reality” the island’s economic diversification. The president highlighted “the consolidation, development and credibility generated by spaces like this one,” where “exchanges of ideas and knowledge take place, but also real project proposals and development initiatives from various local SMEs.”

“When opportunities arise to create working frameworks around new economic developments, emerging sectors show an extraordinary capacity to put forward proposals for technological innovation, knowledge development, and the projection of local talent,” the president stated, adding that “this generates a fabric of local small and medium-sized enterprises that are forming the solid foundation of an economic transformation model.”

In this context, over two days, professionals and technology companies will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and tools, learn from the experiences of other professionals, and make valuable connections with businesses.

On one hand, DigiON Canarias features a large exhibition area with 49 exhibiting companies showcasing to professionals and general visitors a range of tools and services to help them tackle their modernization and digitalization journey. On the other hand, the event offers professionals the opportunity to hold B2B meetings to forge strategic connections and generate business opportunities.

Talks and Roundtable Discussions

Throughout today, technology innovation experts have taken part in several talks, roundtable discussions, and workshops addressing topics related to digital transformation — including the challenges of artificial intelligence in the business environment, cybersecurity, and regulation in a changing digital landscape.

The day began with a talk by María Aperador, CEO and founder of BeValk, who demonstrated how to harness AI safely to automate everyday business tasks such as invoice and expense management, social media management, and customer service. She encouraged attendees to use artificial intelligence as a tool, “but safely — automation yes, but you need to know how to do it, you need to think about the risks, and there must always be human oversight.” In short, she advocated for “implementing automation, but doing so with human awareness.”

Next, Yunior González, CEO and AI Wizard at SQUAADS, invited attendees to collaboratively build a startup and a course using artificial intelligence, which he said requires “practicing at least one hour a day” to truly understand it. Following this hands-on workshop, entrepreneur and AI communicator Pau García-Milà compared several different language models for data analysis to illustrate that “AI is accelerating, and that makes us wonder where we’re headed.” “The important thing is to ask ourselves how we integrate AI into our workflows, and whether we would keep doing things the same way if AI did everything much better than us,” he said.

The day’s first roundtable tackled issues related to regulation and ethics in AI use. Participants included Ingrid González, Head of Data Protection and Digital Law; Angélica Darias, Business Development and Legal Compliance Coordinator at Proyectran; and Jeimy Poveda, specialist attorney in Technology Law and managing partner at Dataseg. The professionals agreed on the need to maintain strict control over data protection when applying AI in any technological development, as well as on the importance of identifying who bears responsibility in each case and assessing the risks of each subject matter to be handled. They also stressed the importance of always having human oversight in AI-driven business projects and keeping thorough documentation to avoid errors and penalties.

To close today’s program, this afternoon David Delgado, Head of IT Security at Edataconsulting, will explain how corporate AI can be both the best ally and the most silent enemy; and Raúl Ordóñez, AI trainer and communicator, will provide guidelines for creating AI assistants focused on learning and productivity.

DigiON Canarias will offer further talks and roundtable discussions tomorrow on the transformation of the workforce, data management, and reputational risks in the digital environment. Cristina Aranda, AI consultant and co-founder of MujeresTech, will explore the new educational paradigm and how human talent relates to artificial intelligence; Mannix Manglani, CEO and CTO of MNX Online and TOURLab, will address the strategic use of data spaces to drive business decisions based on integrated information; and Selva Orejón, CEO of OnbrandinG and digital reputation expert, will reflect on how companies can protect their digital reputation from risks associated with automated disinformation.

A roundtable titled “Humans + AI: Creativity, Ethics and Well-being in the Workplace” will also take place, in which Mélida López, CEO of Kanzo Tech; Maica Amador, CEO and co-founder of Sparkling Tech Solutions and researcher at IUCES-ULPGC; and Ángel Gutiérrez, CEO and CPO of Catalyst Tools, will discuss the connection between innovation, ethical responsibility, and working conditions in the digital age.

The closing remarks will be delivered by Carlos Santana, AI communicator, with his reflection on “The Future of Artificial Intelligence Beyond the Hype.”

DigiON Canarias is an initiative promoted and funded by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, and organized by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, with the support of Cajasiete and the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce.