The morning started out a bit cold, but temperatures eventually warmed up to the mid-60s. So far, so good, weather-wise. Somehow I chose mostly heavy topics for today’s sessions: online safety and privacy, antiracism, and homelessness. Even Amy Webb’s usually upbeat Trend Report held some ominous predictions. So, Conan O’Brien and Nick Kroll’s antics were a welcome mid-afternoon break.

Amy Webb Launches 2024 Emerging Tech Report

Amy Webb is perhaps my favorite reoccurring speaker at SXSW. Her session started about ten minutes late, which is unusual for SXSW.  She explained that she caused this problem because she submits her presentations at the last minute.

She defined trends as “long-term patterns that indicate change over time.” This year’s Trend Report explores 695 trends. Amy believes that we are on the cusp of a Technology Supercycle, which is creating Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD). Recently there have been huge jumps in Artificial Intelligence, Connected Ecosystems of Things, and Biotechnology, and these three areas have been converging:

1. Artificial Intelligence

• Large Language Models haven’t made much progress in a year.
• AI companies are inviting developers to write little AI applets.
• Pika: concept to concrete AI
• Unsecured AI: open-source AI, but have more points of vulnerability 
• Scenarios: creating deepfake events

2. Connected Ecosystems of Things 

• Large Action Models (LAMs): wWe will soon be surrounded by millions of sensors (“connectibles”), mostly bizarre devices at first. Example: Rabbit 1. 
• Face Computers: Apple Vision Pro. Designed to read your intentions. Expensive now, but this will change. “The tech market doesn’t reward privacy.”
• Scenarios: hallucination risks, social scoring, large death models for insurance purposes, deepening digital divide, malware triggered just by your movements

3. Bioengineering

• Materials Science: Evo (predictions), generative biology
• Organoid Intelligence: tiny replica of tissue OI,
• Scenarios: biocomputers made of human brain cells

Amy is concerned that power is now concentrated in a small group of tech leaders (Musk, Zuckerberg, etc.). She called this “Free Market Techno Authoritarianism.” Here are her suggestions for reducing this risk: 

• For the U.S. Government: Create a Department of Transition and a Hospice for Business to focus on trades, tax-deferred bank accounts for transition.
• For businesses: Map your Value Network: for your business
• For individuals: Fight for our Future

SHE Media Co-Lab: Whole Life Health

In search of a free lunch, I paid a quick visit to this pop-up in the Wanderlust studio on E. 4th. I was too early for lunch, but did pick up juice and a granola bar. 

Masterclass: Storytelling for Social Impact

Due to the lunch search, I was late to this session with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi (author of How to be an Antiracist) and Amber Payne (publisher of The Emancipator digital magazine). Even so, I was surprised at the small audience in Ballroom D. In answer to a question, Ibram said, “When an idea is complicated, we should not dumb it down. … We should clarify it using language that everyday people use.” Their tips on using effective storytelling to ignite audiences: Say something and be unapologetic. Be based on evidence or research. Use your own personal story to explain a larger story.

Keynote: Privacy-in-Progress: Redefining the Boundaries of Being Online

Interestingly, Ballroom D was not full for this session either. Block Party CEO Tracy Chou started out as a diversity activist. She began Block Party with a mission of “making good on the promise of the Internet” and soon was harassed online and by stalkers. She clarified that online safety is protection from possible harm of being online, while privacy is controlling your personal data. Just being online means that you are connected at a global scale. Online safety regulation is widespread throughout the world, but privacy regulation is less common. 

Block Party’s Head of Product Design, Deonne Castaneda, spoke about three UX habits of online privacy. First: Listen for users’ concerns. Second: Decide on data needs purposefully. What data is really necessary? Third: Tie together transparency, control, and value.

Miscellaneous information that is interesting / may be useful some day:

• Block Party started as a middleware app for Twitter, but after Elon Musk’s takeover, that interface is no longer available to them. 
• Some options to reduce your online footprint: Permission Slip (from Consumer Reports), DeleteMe, and Privacy Party (a new product from Block Party), DuckDuck Go (doesn’t track search history)
• It takes 6 clicks to make one Facebook photo album private.
• Most companies track IP addresses.
• Google Timeline gives you monthly summaries to help you make decisions on how to set your privacy settings.
• Some browser extensions may help manage cookie privacy pop-ups. 

Conan O’Brien Must Go

Schedule two comedians, and Ballroom D will fill up quickly. Comedian Nick Kroll came out first and joked about all the photographers standing in front. Conan O’Brien then entered and teased him: “You’ve done no preparation, right?” Nick didn’t deny the accusation as the conversation degenerated into Preparation H jokes. Nick’s first question was: “Let’s talk about RFK, Jr…” Conan talked a bit about himself: “I think I’ve been doing improv since I was out of the crib.” and ”I’m a connection junkie.” He clearly loves interacting with people.

Conan showed several clips from his new travel show which features people that he has met only virtually through his podcast. The first four shows were filmed in Norway, Ireland, Argentina, and Thailand. Conan and his crew typically spent 7-9 days in-country for each show. “When something happens organically [i.e., not scripted], people just know.” He said that he loves doing the podcast and plans to visit his fans in other countries. 

2050: Reimaging Cities Without Homelessness

Panel: Jasmine Simpkins (Reporter KTLA), Pastor Troy Vaughn (The Los Angeles Mission), US Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Jeff Olivet (US Interagency Council on Homelessness)

This session began with a video about The Los Angeles Mission. Jasmine asked the panelists about the current causes. Responses included: low-paying jobs, high rents, drugs, jail and prison, and lack of affordable housing. Jeff said there is a 7.3 million deficit of affordable housing units in the US. Pastor Troy noted that relationships are important, and “we must lead with compassion.” Rep. Waters has led 55 Congressional hearings on homelessness. She believes that more government resources (including funding) are needed. Banks are not interested in providing smaller mortgages and lower down payments. “I have a real problem with the biggest banks in America.” Jeff noted that we are getting better at getting people out of homelessness, but we’re not getting better at preventing it.

Registrant Lounge

This year, the Registrant Lounge is a group of tents and trailers in a 5th parking lot near the Convention Center garage. Badge holders receive one ticket for a free drink each day plus some free snacks. It’s not too exciting.

Tide Laundry Experience

Tide has developed a new pod technology called “evo”. Excuse me…it’s no longer a pod, it’s now a “fiber tile.” Also, autocorrect does not like this product name. In my world, if the words “laundry” and “experience” are in the same sentence, it’s not a good thing. Time will tell with this product.

The Wear House

I felt underdressed when I stepped into this pop-up space. Now that I look back at this photo, absolutely no one even noticed me. Maybe I was intimidated after following three models inside, or maybe I was still thinking about laundry experiences. In any case, the emphasis here was on high-end fashion and beauty products. Still fun to look around and sip.