Whew! Day 3 was another day packed with a variety of lessons learned. Themes of stoicism, play, storytelling, and courage continue to emerge. I am so grateful I can share these experiences with you! Here are my lessons learned for SXSW Day 3.
- General SXSW 2019 lesson learned (LL):
- SXSW 2019 is the year of transformation. It’s a year when we are becoming more conscious. When I saw we I mean society. It’s a year when we’re becoming more conscious. We’re becoming aware/awake and as a result we can listen to others. When we listen to others, we can see them and truly understand who they are and where they’re coming from as people. Listening and connecting also help us truly connect on a human level which, is something that we’ve lost perhaps in the last few years or the last few decades with the emergence of new technologies in our lives. It’s time for us to rebuild our relationships and treat people with compassion and empathy. How else can we expect to build intelligent and empathetic AI if we, as a society, do not embody these qualities?
- Create your platform today. At any time and for any reason, the social media giants can disable your account. You need a list of your tribe too so you can send value-added content to them directly. The social media channels are only there to direct your tribe to your website, not the other way around. Don’t loose your tribe.
- We need to create compelling stories to engage humanity in creating ethical AI.
- Featured Session: The Power of a Story with Susan Fowler (what an amazing & powerful session)
- “Words can change the world.”
- We can use change the world by telling powerful stories. Each of us has an important story to share with the world.
- Each of us can be a force that changes the world.
- The companies we build need to generate value for humanity and be built on a foundation of compassion, creativity, inclusivity, diversity, and innovation.
- “Look for the love. Don’t look for the bad.”
- “You do not need to be an activist to change the world.”
- We need to read and study the great philosophers, specifically the Stoics, to remember and practice the fact that we can only control ourselves.
- Susan reminds us to be courageous. We all can be courageous if we choose it. Side note: Courage is another emerging theme of SXSW 2019.
- Featured Session: Tinker Hatfield with Scott Dadich
- We must look to the past to understand our present and our future.
- Look for ways to use design to tell a new and compelling story. How can products we build help others tell their stories?
- Inspiration surrounds us at all times. It’s up to us to observe and be curious around the world. Practicing observation and curiosity will help us be more creative and better designers.
- Session: Code is not Neutral: Ethics of Creating Software
- Let’s stop talking and start taking action to incorporate ethics into the AI we’re building.