SXSW 2017 Main Insights

SXSW 2017, A PERSPECTIVE:
HUMANS ARE DEAD, LONG LIVE THE HUMANS.

Analyzing all the social media publications about SXSW 2017, I’ve come to a conclusion.
The human race will be extinct very soon.
But don’t interpret it as a mass suicide. It’s more like a butterfly metamorphosis.
We are making ourselves obsolete and trying to find meaning to our existence.

“If we do not inspire, we will expire.”
BUZZ ALDRIN, astronaut, at SXSW 2017
(he was one of the first two humans to land on the Moon)
Let’s use Aldrin’s quote to introduce our way of thinking, but with a little “twist”.

If we
do not inspire.
We will
expire.

If we
do not inspire.
We will
expire.
Everything is connected...

IoT (Internet of Things) have been
considered a dead-end street.
But, with AI (Artificial Intelligence),
AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality),
the concept of interconnectedness is growing with purpose.

#1 THE HEARABLES
Hearables recognizes your voice and interacts with you:
answering questions, reminding appointments, etc.
This year, at SXSW, it was said that hearables market
was estimated to reach more than US$ 20 billion until 2020.
For instance, Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa, alone, was
estimated to hit US$ 10 billion in the same frame time.
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/YRGlobal/yrs-sxsw-takeaways-2017

#2 LEVI’S + GOOGLE JACQUARD
Levi’s & Google Jacquard turned an iconic Levi’s denim
jacket into a smart wearable with a touch-sensitive
left sleeve that recognizes certain gestures like a screen.
It was made mainly for commuters who rides bicycles
allowing them to stay connected
without reaching for their phones.
Source: http://www.waytoblue.com/top-takeaways-sxsw-2017-interactive/

#3 SONY’S TOUCHSCREEN PROJECTOR
Sony has integrated their knowledge about imagery
with interactivity.
Their projector transforms the surface into an
interactive display that does 3D tracking of hand
movements and objects, as well as depth sensing.
Source: http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/12/14899804/sony-touchscreen-projector-display-prototype-sxsw-2017

#4 SNAP GLASSES: SPECTACLES
Snapchat is a disappearing messaging app that is
loved by teenagers.
Last year, they started calling themselves as “a
camera company” and launched Spectacles:
video recording glasses.
People from all ages went crazy with Spectacles
on SXSW this year.
Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/09/snap-spectacles-millenials-camera-glasses-weird-love-snapchat.html

#5 KASITA: “HOUSING AS A SERVICE”
Kasita has created this prefabricated,
208-square-foot smart micro-home prototype
that will form the basis of offering what it calls
“housing-as-a-service.”
There’s also an emphasis on integrated smart
home technologies, which would allow a Kasita’s
temperature, lighting and other functions to be
controlled via a smartphone app.
Source: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/five-takeaways-sxsw-2017/1427233

#6 FUJITSU SMART SNEAKERS
These sneakers are cloud-connected smart shoes
(with in-built sensors) that can track your
walking.
Right now beta testers are being encouraged to
try to walk more than fans of rival Japanese
baseball teams, for instance.
Source: https://www.wareable.com/footwear/fujitsu-snowrobin-smart-shoes-sxsw-4076

#7 OPNWATR MRI/TELEPATHY PROJECT
Mary Lou Jepsen, ex-Oculus engineering
executive, created a health tech startup called
Open Water.
Her aim is to build affordable, hi-res, wearable
MRI machines to help doctors detect all sorts of
diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, etc.
Also, these wearables would allow doctors to
"see inside our bodies in high resolution" which
could one day be used for telepathy.
Source: http://www.opnwatr.io/about-us

#8 THAD STARNER’S PIANO LEARNING GLOVES
Thad Starner – the tech professor and
mastermind behind Google Glass – previewed
some new advanced wearable gloves that teach
your muscles how to play the piano in half an
hour.
Source: https://www.wareable.com/SXSW/best-wearable-tech-vr-sxsw-2017

#9 PANASONIC’S SLEEPWISE MONITOR
Sleepwise is a wearable and bedside monitor
twofer that checks on how you're sleeping and
tells your smart home how to tweak itself
(temperature, light, humidity, etc) to help you
sleep better.
Source: https://www.wareable.com/SXSW/best-wearable-tech-vr-sxsw-2017

#10 VISA CONTACTLESS PAYMENT GLASSES
The glasses appear to be a regular pair of
shades — with the addition of a small
contactless card that allows the sunglasses to
work as a contactless payment method.
Source: http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/3/14/14926336/visa-contactless-credit-card-sunglasses-pilot-program-payment

If we
do not inspire.
We will
expire.
Everything is connected…
...and gaining artificial intelligence...

AI (Artificial Intelligence) was one of the most
discussed topics at SXSW 2017.
Things are gaining artificial intelligence in every
sector or area imagined in this rising
interconnected world.

#1 KINDRED: MISSION TO BUILD MACHINES
WITH HUMAN-LIKE INTELLIGENCE.
Inmar Givoni is the director of machine learning
at Kindred, which develops algorithms to help
robots better interact with humans. She offered,
at SXSW, a primer on the technology that’s
increasingly entering our daily life.
Source: http://www.salon.com/2017/03/08/sxsw-interactive-2017-artificial-intelligence-smart-cities-will-be-major-themes-this-year/

#2 CHANGE SCIENCES: EMOTIONAL-AWARE
TECHNOLOGY.
Digital anthropologist Pamela Pavliscak, founder
of Change Sciences, discussed advances in AI
that are enabling machines to accurately read
emotions and respond accordingly.

#3 SPACEKNOW: AI FROM SATELLITES.
Spaceknow is building an AI system that can
process the petabytes of data from the hundreds
of commercial satellites circling us up above.
One example is Africa Night Lights Index, an index
that “is based on the light intensity measured by
satellites and then aggregated according to
individual countries” as a more reliable economic
indicator for developing countries in Africa.
Source: https://thenextweb.com/artificial-intelligence/2017/03/11/future-satellites-ai-smartphone/

#4 DISNEY: PARKS IN THE FUTURE WITH A.I.
Disney’s VP of R&D, Jon Snoddy, said that they
adopt technology to create storytelling.
In this case, they are investing in A.I. to create
an experience in which its guests will be
emotionally invested via characters and tales
that interact and relate.
It’s something like the HBO Series Westworld
becoming real.
Source: http://www.insidethemagic.net/2017/03/disney-reveals-tangled-robot-for-disney-parks-at-sxsw-panel/

#5 IBM WATSON: THE A.I. COMPUTER
Rob High, VP and CTO for IBM Watson, highlighted
Watson's unique combination of technologies that
enable it to ingest the same kind of information we
humans use and deliver responses with
confidence.
For example, a recent ground-breaking discovery
on the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),
was made through a partnership between Barrow
Neurological Institute and the artificial intelligence
company IBM Watson Health.
Source: http://schedule.sxsw.com/2017/events/PP65987

#6 INTEL: A.I. TO CHANGE LIVES
Intel Executive VP Diane Bryant shared Intel’s
vision for unleashing AI with 2 main examples.
Feeding the Hungry. She introduced FarmLogs
and its cutting-edge farm management software
that provides timely, actionable and unbiased field
insights and recommendations to help growers
effortlessly and remotely achieve optimal yield.
The Way We Work. Bryant also covered how AI
can benefit the workplace by introducing Clinc, an
innovative AI startup that developed Finie, a
customizable, voice-activated personal financial
assistant and intelligence platform for banks.
Source: http://insidehpc.com/2017/03/intels-diane-bryant-ai-will-change-lives/

#7 MESSAGING APPS > SOCIAL NETWORKS AND
THE RISE OF CHATBOTS.
The dramatic rise in messaging app adoption set
the stage for almost every conversation around
artificial intelligence and specifically chatbots.
Beyond conversing with friends, messaging
applications serve as platforms that enable users
to communicate directly with brands and
automate their daily tasks.
According to Kik’s Laura Newton, 70% of chat bots
are not meeting user needs of expectations.

#8 SELF-DRIVING CARS
Dieter Zetsche, the head of German automotive
giant Daimler that makes Mercedes-Benz luxury
cars, talked about how digital mapping and
artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly
important role in the accuracy of connected and
autonomous vehicles.

#9 JOBS REPLACED WITH ROBOTS
Otto, the startup behind the self-driving tractor
trailer that recently completed a 120-mile beer
delivery, discussed automation and the effects it
will have on society.
Many experts say that driving jobs will be among
the first and biggest casualties, thanks to the
growing capabilities of autonomous vehicles.

#10 A.I. TO HELP NURTURE HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.
Adam Cheyer, who founded and sold Siri to Apple and
who is building a new more advanced cross platform
version called "Viv", was keen to emphasise how the
singularity is unlikely to come any time soon and we
should view AI as just another evolutionary tool to
augment human intelligence – so we should think of
AI as Augmented Intelligence.
Source: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2017/03/10/watch-live-sxsw-2017-trends-for-artificial-intelligences-social-impact-sxsw/

If we
do not inspire.
We will
expire.
...and gaining artificial intelligence…
...and resignifying ourselves.

Our self-imagery is related with the width of our vision of
the world.
We were the kids on the block.
We were patriots.
But now, with artificial intelligence, robots, chatbots,
interplanetary travel...
What do we call ourselves? Humans? Flesh and blood
people? Earthlings?
This implies a lot in the way we resignify ourselves.
And, also, how do we inspire ourselves.

If we
do not inspire.
We will
expire.
We are on the verge of an existential crisis.

We will
expire.
If we
do not inspire.
We are looking for inspiration outside our routines...

We are looking for inspiration outside our routines.
Be it in other planets,
Be it in other realities.

In other planets…
Elon Musk's far-fetched plan not only to get humans to
Mars, but to inhabit it, has evidently driven interest in the
Red Planet.
For instance, at SXSW, a team of NASA scientists talked
about the challenges of living on Earth's neighbor.
Also, Lockheed Martin and NASA combined to talk about
the interplanetary travel systems that will take us there.
And for the even more romantic types, a talk featured a
collection of astrophysicists looking to answer the
existential question: Are we really alone?
Source: http://www.inc.com/kevin-j-ryan/sxsw-2017-themes.html

In other realities…
No matter where you walk at SXSW, you’ll see someone
talking about or demoing a VR headset.
The Dell Lounge, Capital Factory Mega Lounge, and a
handful of other lounges all feature VR headsets for
anyone to enjoy. Beyond the lounges, everyone around
the conference is talking about their experiences.
VR is still in the early days with everyone trying to
understand the technology. It’s exciting watching
everyone talk about VR, whether or not the technology
fails or succeeds.
Source: http://digitalbounds.com/2017/03/11/sxsw-2017-trends-talking-points/

This excitement for other realities and
other planets whose access to the masses
will take a long time doesn’t show that we
are loving these things.
Otherwise, it shows how desperate we,
human beings, are in search of a kind of
escapism for our existential crisis.

We will
expire.
If we
do not inspire.
...and within ourselves, embracing diversity...

Looking inside ourselves, despite race,
religion, gender and Facebook likes, we
are beginning to see ourselves, somehow,
as Earthlings.
We have brought 3 perspectives about
diversity.

1. The age of diversity
Diversity is not just on the agenda this year, it is arguably
the agenda at SXSW.
From fixing the leadership pathways for women, to
liberating third world entrepreneurs to compete on a level
playing field with western start-ups, the theme is one of
effective action.
Mentorship, flexibility and financial support to mend
‘broken pipelines’ is at the forefront of the proposed
solutions and it is something we should all be getting
behind. More than that - the call is pretty simple - it is
time for everyone to act.
Source: http://www.adnews.com.au/opinion/key-themes-from-sxsw-2017

2. Diversity rightly continues to be fought for
There was much content this year on the need for greater
diversity in the tech community, business and society at large.
The tech billionaire Chris Sacca – who invested early in Twitter,
Uber and Instagram – said, "If you don't invest in diversity you
must hate money".
The founder of female empowered dating app Bumble, Whitney
Wolfe, talked about more women "being the CEO your parents
wanted you to marry".
Wharton's top rated professor on management, Adam Grant,
warned against the pitfalls of hiring too similar people when the
focus is on "cultural fit" as opposed to "cultural contribution".
Source: https://www.teamaustin.org/blogs/3-things-we-learned-from-sxsw-2017

3. Tech + Diversity: still an issue
The tech industry is under pressure to diversify their workforce.
Big tech companies, like Pinterest, Facebook, and Google, made
moves toward hiring more women and minorities in 2016.
Candice Morgan, Head of Diversity at Pinterest stated:
"Diversity and inclusion don't slow things down - they make things
more efficient."
Diverse teams produce 15% higher ROI.
Source: https://www.teamaustin.org/blogs/3-things-we-learned-from-sxsw-2017

We will
expire.
If we
do not inspire.
...and resignifying ourselves: becoming more empathetic.

Despite our Facebook feeds that only tells us what
we want to hear, we are becoming more
empathetic, putting ourselves in other people’s
shoes because the interaction and interconnection,
nowadays, is inevitable.
We, the humans, are together in this world.
It’s important for us as human beings;
also important for brands to communicate with us.

As human beings
Empathy is a huge theme here this year.
America is in the middle of an empathy crisis and there
are lots of arguments that technology is complicit in
creating this distance.
The call here is to build empathy back in and as social
brand builders we should all take the time to explore
how we can build more genuine connections and
develop deeper human understanding.
Everything suggests that empathy could be the most
important topic of the year so far.
Source: http://www.adnews.com.au/opinion/key-themes-from-sxsw-2017

As brands
In today’s connected world, people want to see their
values and attitudes reflected in their brands.
Some brands have balanced authenticity and empathy
on social media by encouraging people to use their
pseudo-anonymity to be the best version of themselves.
Imgur founder Allan Scaaf argued that encouraging
vulnerability is the best way to create this meaningful
connection with consumers.
Community helps people feel they are a part of
something bigger than themselves, and they’re more
likely to feel understood.

1. Listed all SXSW Schedule
HOW WE DID IT:
2. Generated a mind-map 3. Listed all +2k sessions 4. Generated a word cloud
5. Correlated most discussed topics with the Mind map
6. What does this mean?
Analysis. Scenarios… exercises...
7. Develop the structure and
collect the benchmarks to tell
and straighten the story.

This study was brought to you by:
http://www.benchz.com/wordpress
Liked it? Contact us today for a benchmarking quotation ! :)

SXSW 2017 Main Insights

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SXSW 2017 Main Insights