Intelligent Future at SXSW: March 9–15
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 20, 2018
SXSW 2018 includes 24 different tracks spanning a variety of topics relevant to today’s creative class. Scheduled March 9–15 at the Fairmont, the Intelligent Future track explores the realm of future possibilities where computer-aided machine learning is embedded into almost every aspect of life. Eight of the most intriguing sessions in this track include:
2018 Emerging Tech Trends Report. In this provocative session, futurist Amy Webb (pictured above), a professor at NYU Stern School of Business and the founder of the Future Today Institute, will release her 11th annual Tech Trends Report. She will provide a data-driven analysis for the emerging tech trends that need to be on your radar in 2018 — and she will also draw on those trends to show you scenarios for the future of business, governing and society. Scheduled Sunday, March 11.
AI Creativity in Art, Neuroscience, and the Law. Will the creative outputs of AIs upend our conception of autonomy and personhood? Will they change our basic understandings of human intelligence and subjectivity? Two artists, an attorney, and a neuroscientist will grapple with these questions in a provocative conversation and demo. Scheduled Thursday, March 15.
Alien Worlds: NASA’s Quest for Life. You’ve seen aliens in science fiction, but did you know NASA missions are really looking for extraterrestrial life? Three NASA scientists and one artist will describe missions to icy moons and planets outside our solar system as we look for signs of life on alien worlds. From science discoveries to iconic images to visualizations, find out how NASA is bringing these intriguing worlds to life for people on Earth. Scheduled Saturday, March 10.
Exploring Innovations in AI. A group of extraordinary leaders and AI experts will discuss and debate some burning questions around AI. Where AI is being practically applied in industry now, along with the “unexpected” applications? And, what’s next? Learn how biology and medicine are a big AI frontier and more. Scheduled Saturday, March 10.
Pre-Crime: It’s Not Just Science Fiction Anymore. In Philip K. Dick’s 1956 “The Minority Report,” murder was eradicated due to the “Pre-Crime Division,” which anticipated and prevented crime before it happened. Sixty years later, elements of pre-crime cybersecurity technology are already in place. But how do we toe the line between safety and Big Brother? This panel will discuss the history of predictive analytics, privacy implications of monitoring and how AI/machine learning will shape society in the future. Scheduled Wednesday, March 14.
Rogue Robots and the Potential for Cyber Attack. This session will examine current robots and their implementations and demonstrate whether it is possible to compromise them. Beyond examining the core issues, this session will discuss what can be done to improve the security of the ecosystem and how we need to shift our thinking around industrial robots. Scheduled Monday, March 12.
Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads: Fly eVTOLs. The Brazilian aerospace conglomerate EMBRAER and Uber will present the new possibilities for urban transportation generated by their partnership in the development and deployment of small electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) for short urban commutes. Scheduled Tuesday, March 13
Will AI Change the Future of Creativity? As AI and machine learning are rapidly growing, they’re being applied to creative fields like art, photography, music, video and more. AI is writing songs, curating exhibitions, designing buildings, and more. How will AI change the creative process? Can a machine be a creative, or aid to the work of creatives? Or should machines be left completely out of this space? Scheduled Wednesday, March 14
Click here to see the full schedule for SXSW 2018. Use the search bar at the top right corner of the interface to find the programming and networking events that most appeal to your interests. After you purchase a badge, then start connecting with fellow digital creatives from across the US and around the world via SXSW Social.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
