SXSW Sessions That Rock: March 18
The Forrest Four-Cast: January 4, 2020
For SXSW 2020, some of the most intriguing panels and presentations occur in the days that follow the event’s opening weekend. Today we examine 10 particularly compelling sessions that are currently scheduled for Wednesday, March 18.
The Accidental Ethicist: Making AI Human-Centered: Jim Guszcza (Chief Data Scientist at Deloitte), and Molly Wright Steenson (an associate professor of design, AI and ethics at Carnegie Mellon) will show you how human-centered approaches to design can build your ethical toolkit. We all have ethics and AI questions and this session gives you a way to start to answer them. This session is part of the Design track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–20.
The Billion Year Archive and Lost Lunar Library: In April 2019, Space IL’s Beresheet crash-landed on the Moon. Aboard was the first installment of the Lunar Library, a 30M+ page archive of human history, science, and culture. Learn more about this ambitious project from Arch Mission Foundation Co-founder and President Nova Spivack. This session is part of the Space track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 18–20.
Creating Next Generation Entertainment: The panel will explore the potential of VR and XR in telling bold new entertainment stories, particularly focusing on how VR (currently in the hands of gamers), will become mass media entertainment to rival film, tv and theatre. This session is part of the XR track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–19.
Deepfake Art and the Bright Side of the Dark Web: We all know about the nefarious uses of deepfakes. But what if deepfakes actually provide opportunities for creativity, borderless language, or even eternal life? Learn more about the positive applications of deepfake technology from speakers such as Rohit Thawani (Media Arts Lab), Victor Riparbelli (Synthesia) and Dr. Fakenstein. This session is part of the Fantastic Future track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–21.
Empowerment for All: Cannabis and Social Justice: Former Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams serves as moderator of a session that tackles the question of how to create empowerment for all in the cannabis industry through access. This session is part of the Cannabusiness track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 18–21.
The Google Conversation Design Workshop: Attend this hands-on design workshop led by Wally Brill (Google’s Head of Conversation Design Advocacy & Education) to gain expertise in designing and prototyping a brand persona and conversational experience. This session is part of the Professional Development track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–21.
How the Rise of Short Form Content Impacts Music: As short-form content services like TikTok and Snapchat increasingly become a place of new music discover, this panel will discuss how content specifically tailored to capitalize on the strengths of these platforms can drive views, new sources of revenue, and more for artists. This session is part of the Creating & Monetizing Music track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 18–21.
Investing into Esports: Collaborating with Brands: This two-person presentation will discuss the approach that the largest global esport, League of Legends, has taken when it comes to partnering with consumer brands and how they have worked together to develop creative and effective strategies that authentically speak to fans. This session is part of the Game Industry track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–18.
Medical Cannabis: From Rogue to Recovery to Riches: How has medical marijuana gone mainstream from being an underground economy and an outlaw approach to healing, and what factors have transformed these commodities into the next wave of transformational medicine? This session is part of the Cannabusiness track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 18–21.
The Music Biz is Addicted to Data: New data privacy laws in Europe (GDPR) and California (CCPA) are trying to make the music biz go to rehab from its current addiction, with tough restrictions on how data can be used and traded. Could a healthier music biz and better music come out of these reforms? This session is part of the Future of Music track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 16–21.
Space Viruses! Preventing the Next Deadly Outbreak: Manned spaceflight has opened up humanity to new biological threats. Learn more about the small community of biosafety and biosecurity professionals who are entrusted with ensuring that viruses and bacteria in space don’t have the opportunity to infect humans, animals, or plants on earth. This session is part of the Space track at SXSW 2020 which runs March 18–20.
Other standout sessions scheduled later in the week at SXSW 2020 are as follows:
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17
Thursday, March 19
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21
Learn more about all the incredible panels and presentations on tap for March 2020 in Austin by browsing the SXSW online schedule. Attend these sessions, take advantage of all the incredible networking opportunities and make new connections at the SXSW Trade Show by purchasing a badge to the event.
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; posts also focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
