The third day of SXSW once again offers some exciting events. Perhaps the most coveted is Tesla CEO Elon Musk's appearance, which will be followed by a Q&A session. And once again, attendees are faced with the difficult task of choosing between various events and simultaneously deciding against others.
After trying out and comparing the "planning" and "going with the flow" models over the past two days, I've decided to go with planning again today. Not an exaggeration, but you should definitely establish a few cornerstones for such an extensive program.
The era of smartphones is over
At 11 a.m., we'll be discussing Amy Webb's "2018 Emerging Tech Trends Report." The founder of the "Future Today Institute" is a renowned author who identifies future topics and trends and summarizes them in the report. She emphasizes right at the beginning of her talk that she will share all of her findings with the world free of charge. Her primary goal is to ensure that trends aren't missed.
At the same time, she points out that not everything that's trendy is a trend. In her very comprehensive and impressive presentation, she picks out a few groundbreaking trends from the report and presents them in a clear and concise manner. At the same time, she tweets some of the most important key messages from her account. For example, she predicts the end of the smartphone in 2018 and ushers in the era of smart glasses and digital assistants.
Key Finding One: 2018 is the beginning of the end of smartphones. #TechTrends2018
— Amy Webb 🤷🏻♀️ (@amywebb) March 11, 2018
She also takes a realistic view of the topic of AI: she describes the fear of "machine dominance" as exaggerated. At the same time, we must be aware that artificial intelligence isn't just coming, but has long been a part of our daily lives. Some may have imagined the implementation of AI differently, but that doesn't change the fact that it has long since arrived.
Key Finding Two: AI is already here. It just didn't show up as we all expected. #TechTrends2018
— Amy Webb 🤷🏻♀️ (@amywebb) March 11, 2018
She also touches on biotech trends and several other industries. For each trend, Webb presents possible future scenarios and assesses their actual occurrence with percentage probabilities: from the best-case scenario to the most catastrophic outcome imaginable. I'm not the only one in the audience who is noticeably disturbed by some of the ideas.
Key Finding Three: Biology is emerging as the most important technology platform of the 21st century. #TechTrends2018
— Amy Webb 🤷🏻♀️ (@amywebb) March 11, 2018
But Webb gives us hope: It's not too late, we can still make an impact. Nevertheless, a somewhat queasy feeling remains. But more importantly, the feeling of having learned a great deal. You realize how comprehensive the topic of tech trends is and how much work went into the report. So if you're interested in glimpsing the future, I highly recommend downloading and reading the "2018 Emerging Tech Trends Report." For me personally, Amy Webb's presentation was by far the best so far. It's precisely for insights like these, and also for the style of presentation – understandable, exciting, and pointed – that the trip to Austin is worth it. Many other visitors with whom I exchange ideas agree.
SXSW and its Happy Little Accidents
Since I wanted to go to the Interactive Keynote with Melinda Gates in the afternoon—it should be said that I decided against Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was on stage at the Hilton next door at the same time—I decided to secure a seat in Ballroom D at the Convention Center early, and ended up at a talk with marketing icon Bozoma Saint John. She, formerly of Apple Music, among other companies, has now been entrusted with the mission of saving the Uber brand, where she has been Chief Brand Officer since last year. The marketing specialist captivates with her authenticity and charisma and answers questions from the audience with enthusiasm. Seeing this performance is another one of those little lucky coincidences that seem to surprise you around every corner at SXSW.
In addition, the panel with Melinda Gates, the wife of Bill Gates, with whom she co-founded and heads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was hopelessly overcrowded, and I felt like I was one of the lucky few who managed to secure a seat in the room. The discussion primarily focused on topics like equality and diversity. Nina Shaw, founder of the Time's Up movement, was also present. All in all, a good and important part of the program, but unfortunately, it petered out a bit after half an hour. Nevertheless, I'm glad I was there.
After a tour of the Exhibition Hall, which, compared to everything else at SXSW, is more reminiscent of other events and trade shows you've attended so far, the day is already drawing to a close. Time flies at this festival, and you always feel like you still want to see so much. But I'm satisfied with Day 3 in Austin, which, in terms of content, was the most worthwhile day for me so far.
SXSW 2018: Between queuing and standing ovations
Day 2 at SXSW: If you arrive late, go somewhere else
“A conference to think outside the box” — The conclusion of SXSW 2018
