Four Buzzy Areas of Creative Tech at SXSW
With the conference in full swing, there’s a lot to be excited about
South by Southwest, Austin’s yearly beehive of all things media and tech, is finally here, and it’s a-buzzing with cutting-edge technologies, innovations, and creative energy. But with so many speakers, talks, and interactive experiences to choose from, things can get sticky and overwhelming. Here are some sweet highlights to help relieve some of that choice anxiety or to give you an extra spoonful of FOMO if you’re not able to attend.
Will AI Change the Future of Creativity?
It’s a good question, and one that is both easy to answer and also hard to explain. Artificial Intelligence is already changing the way we understand creativity, but whether or not it changes how humans approach creativity is a little more complicated. Speakers Christoph Auer-Welsbach, Elodie Mailliet, Mike Butcher, and Nicole McDonald try to come to some understanding about how AI might change the creative process as we know it — and whether it even should. Head to Fairmont Manchester EFG on Wednesday, March 14, from 12:30–1:30 p.m. for a lively discussion about the intelligent future of creativity.
This one’s a no-brainer. A lot of innovators see Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) as paths to the future of artistic production—us included. With the SXSW Virtual Cinema, filmmakers have the opportunity to showcase their VR/AR/MR projects to industry experts and laymen alike. From Tuesday, March 13, to Thursday, March 15, you’ll have the opportunity to view these groundbreaking movies, games, and projects on the fourth floor of the JW Marriott (luckily, each runs 40 minutes or less).
The Seven Hottest Topics in Music Tech in 2018
Music programming in the Startup & Tech Sectors at SXSW is sure to be interesting this year. With Wired recently covering five free music apps that facilitate songwriting through accessible technology and two of our own portfolio companies—ElectroSpit and Second Line Vinyl—launching their own technological visions for the future of music, the industry is quickly becoming one of the more exciting avenues for the intersection of creativity and technology. Join music technology insiders at the Hilton Austin Downtown (Salon D-E) on Wednesday, March 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to be in the know.
Decrypting the Universe: Science and Art at CERN
Typically, we look at how technology can advance the human impulse to create, but what about the reverse? CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has been trying to understand the universe at an atomic level for over 60 years, but particle physics has only taken scientists so far. Now, they’re recruiting artists and designers to help them think outside of the box. In what promises to be a fascinating discussion, artist/designer Laura Couto Rosado and particle physicist James Beacham, who spent three months together at CERN extracting complex patterns from the universe, pose the question: How can art and science work in concert to unravel the secrets of the universe? CERN’s Director of Arts Monica Bello will help answer that question on Sunday, March 11, at the JW Marriott (Salon E) from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While there’s so much more to be excited about at SXSW this year, it would be impossible to cover it all—from HBO’s interactive Westworld experience to the Gaming Expo, we’ve only just begun to dig into some of the more notable applications of technology to creativity and vice versa. So, without further ado, see y’all in Austin!
