Synthetic intelligence (AI) and automation took middle stage on the Sydney version of South by Southwest (SXSW) as specialists mentioned the longer term implications of those applied sciences. Whereas some attendees seen AI as a game-changer, others remained skeptical.
Ed Santow, the previous Human Rights Commissioner and present director of coverage and governance on the UTS Human Expertise Institute, believes that AI will change into more and more important. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that this transformation will current challenges for a lot of people.
Charlie Brooker, the creator of the Netflix collection Black Mirror, expressed disappointment with AI throughout his SXSW session. He discovered AI’s makes an attempt to emulate the present’s episodes boring and spinoff, describing it as merely regurgitating info from varied sources.
At an moral use of AI panel, Kate Bower, a client information advocate at Selection, highlighted the potential risks of AI’s invisible presence in on a regular basis providers. She emphasised that individuals might unknowingly expertise hurt because of algorithms, similar to discrimination in credit score scores or lack of inclusion.
Justin Stevens, the director of reports on the ABC, expressed pleasure about AI’s potential, significantly in investigative journalism. He mentioned how AI may expedite information assortment and assist determine deep-fakes.
Whereas AI dominated discussions, different matters additionally made appearances. Cryptocurrency was a topic of curiosity, with Fred Schebesta, co-founder of Finder, suggesting its resurgence alongside rising inflation. NFTs, the digital paintings commerce that gained recognition final yr, garnered blended reactions at a panel titled “NFTs – sizzle or fizzle?”
SXSW Sydney, the primary version of the occasion held exterior of Austin in practically forty years, attracted consideration because of the metropolis’s vibrant tech and leisure industries. Nevertheless, some attendees felt that the occasion lacked a definite ambiance and resembled different tech conferences in Sydney.
The situation of the occasion in Darling Harbour, an space not usually frequented by Sydneysiders on weekdays, might have contributed to the subdued environment. Moreover, the excessive value of multi-day passes and restricted entry to particular person occasions created boundaries for contributors.
Whereas AI and automation took middle stage at SXSW Sydney, attendees expressed totally different views on their potential and affect. The discussions mirrored the prevailing ambivalence surrounding these transformative applied sciences.
Sources:
– (supply article)
