Inaugural kickoff of SXSW Sydney and few insights

SXSW is making history as it kicks off its first-ever event outside of Austin, landing in Sydney, Australia. With a whopping 19 conference tracks running in parallel, the schedule is brimming with seminars, discussions, and panels.

Australia, despite being tucked away in its own corner of the world, has always punched above its weight in numerous innovations. From creating WiFi by CSIRO, pioneering biotechs like Resmed, healthcare AI such as harrison.ai, to producing digital unicorns like Canva and Atlassian, there's a wealth of talent and ideas here waiting to be tapped into.

The first day of SXSW in Sydney vividly illustrates this. Armed with my badge, my mission for the week is to immerse myself in the dynamic atmosphere, absorbing what everyone has to say, what dreams are being woven, what keeps them up at night, and what they're crafting. As someone who loves technology and it's implications to business and wider, I'm excited to see what may emerge as a group of passionate people come together to one place.

I can't help myself to draw some observations from the first day.

AI is everywhere, but not everything

AI is ubiquitous, but it isn't the be-all and end-all. You can't stroll 3.5 meters without overhearing discussions about AI. There are diverse perspectives on the implications of this technology. Dom Price from Atlassian emphasises the need for "do-ocracy" and a focus on Modern Work, acknowledging that while AI will create jobs, it will also displace many. Kath Blackham from Versa highlights the benefits of AI in retail, creating hyper-personalized experiences and boosting productivity by reimagining call centers. Amy Webb urges caution, reminding us that we hold the wheel in steering AI towards benevolence rather than catastrophe.

Yet, looking beyond AI, SXSW reveals that the world of innovation and creativity is much broader. Conversations with CSIRO scientists highlight progress in augmented reality visualisation of protein structures for personalised cancer mutation diagnostics. Innovators from UNICEF are accelerating lab inventions into real-life solutions. Talking to entrepreneurs who are excited for the potential of biomarkers for advanced human-computer interfaces.

In the words of Amy Webb, focusing solely on one trend is shortsighted. Our future is shaped by the convergence of multiple forces.

The pendulum will swing but eventually settle

As people grapple with the implications of technology, there's a tendency to swing between extremes. AI, for instance, is either seen as the harbinger of doom or a boon to humanity. In reality, the world is more nuanced. Striking a balance between these extremes is essential, but by immersing ourselves into these extremes without getting lost is important as it allows us to understand the boundaries of the potential future and provide more clarity in how to steer it. Despite what the major firms say, that point of which the pendulum settles isn't yet determined, and we all have the power to influence it.

Ideas are cheap but invaluable

In this first day, I've been awed by the multitude of innovative ideas that people have to bring about change. Yet, as ideas get louder, so does the “so-what’ parrot that lives on my shoulder gets louder. The question of how to transform these ideas into sustainable initiatives remains. This is a topic that doesn't receive enough attention. The "art of the possible" and the "wouldn't it be great" concepts abound, but the path to making them practical is the real challenge.

But. There is no replacement for good ideas. The ideas shared are what ignites peoples imaginations, created the desire for so many innovators to take the leap and create change. Without good execution we don't have something that is lasting, but without good ideas, the world is a less interesting place.

As I write down these thoughts on the bus en route to the International Conference Center for the next day of SXSW Sydney, I invite you to follow along. I'll continue to share any learnings and insights as I go.