Trendster will likely be on the bottom at SXSW 2025 β the annual tech, music, comedy, and movie convention that kicked off Friday in Austin β looking for the zeitgeist of this AI-centric period.
Yup, weβre one sentence in and AI has already made its entrance. And why not? A fast scan of the huge SXSW schedule illustrates that AI is on middle stage in Austin β and globally. Itβs price noting that this 12 months there appears to be an emphasis on how AI is being utilized to the true world, not simply hypothesis on what it could possibly be.
SXSW tends to replicate what the tech ecosystem of founders and backers are engaged on. And it typically coincides with the hype cycle. Autonomous autos, scooter mania, crypto, psychedelics β theyβve all had their second at SXSW.
The tech portion of the annual occasion kicked off Friday and can run by means of March 13. The convention begins with a number of tracks that fall squarely in Trendsterβs space of curiosity, together with the creator economic system, tradition, startups, well being and medtech, and vitality. The AI monitor formally begins Sunday, nevertheless itβs already making cameos. For example, Sign President Meredith Whittaker, who was interviewed onstage Friday, referred to as out agentic AI as a safety and privateness menace, and a well being skilled warned that it may be harmful for folks to be too reliant on AI for companionship.
Deep tech like house and quantum computing may also make its mark on the present, as will local weather, sustainability β look out for Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringeβs keynote March 11 β and transportation.
Autonomous autos are again, however this time theyβre on the highway β not simply the subject of dialog in a panel. Earlier this week, Uber and Waymo launched a robotaxi service in Austin. The so-called βWaymo on Uberβ robotaxi service is accessible to any member of the general public who has an Uber account. And also you higher consider Trendster will likely be hailing these robots and speaking to human Uber drivers about what they suppose.
Trendster may also be speaking to the VCs, founders, and trade consultants at SXSW to get the heartbeat of how the tech world is adjusting to the Trump administration and, in fact, to seek out the following new new factor. Weβll even be listening to the quite a few keynotes and interviews with tech and enterprise luminaries, notably Alan Baratz of D-Wave Quantum, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon, Colossal Biosciences founder Ben Lamm, and Arm CEO Rene Haas.
Donβt fear, weβll have a little bit of enjoyable, too.