The man who acquired Twitter, rebranded it as “X,” and witnessed a decline in advertising revenue is set to attend the Cannes Lions ad summit in France next week. This time around, his appearance is anticipated to be different, with a focus on discussing the influence of technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, on creativity, business, and society, as well as the future of X. Regarding his participation, it remains unclear whether he will attend in person or virtually, as he did at a recent tech conference in Paris.
Cannes Lions is recognized as the most significant event in the advertising industry, attracting prominent figures, including those from Big Tech, who seek to engage with advertisers. Musk’s attendance at the summit is noteworthy due to his absence last year and a general avoidance of ad-centric events. Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of Musk’s company, also has a scheduled appearance at Cannes this month.
Following his acquisition of Twitter/X, many advertisers have steered clear, resulting in strained relationships between Musk and ad buyers. Musk has expressed his vision of a future where the company will not rely on advertising revenue, but rather generate profits from subscriptions and other revenue streams. However, this transition has yet to yield significant results, and advertisers remain cautious of Musk’s platform. Despite this, Musk is gearing up to attend the Cannes Lions summit, where he hopes to engage with industry professionals.