SXSW 2025: What we’re paying attention to
TechCrunch will be on site at SXSW 2025-de annual technology, music, comedy and film conference that started on Friday in Austin-Op search for the spirit of this AI-Central era.
Yup, we are one sentence in and AI has made all its entrance. And why not? A quick scan of the huge SXSW scheme illustrates that AI in Austin is central – and worldwide. It is worth noting that this year there seems to be the emphasis on how AI is being applied to the real world, not just speculation about what it could be.
SXSW tends to indicate what the technical ecosystem of founders and backers is working on. And it often coincides with the hype cycle. Autonomous vehicles, scooter mania, crypto, psychedelics – they all had their moment at SXSW.
The technical part of the annual event started on Friday and runs until March 13. The conference starts with various songs that fall square in the area of WAN, including the maker -economy, culture, startups, health and medtech and energy. The AI number officially starts on Sunday, but it already makes cameies. For example, signal president Meredith Whittaker, who was interviewed on stage on Friday, called Agentic Ai as a threat to safety and privacy, and a health expert warned that it can be dangerous for people to be dependent on AI for company.
Deep technology such as space and quantum computing will also leave its mark on the show, just like climate, sustainability – watch out for Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe’s Keynote 11 March – and transport.
Autonomous vehicles are back, but this time they are on the road – not just the subject of conversation in a panel. Earlier this week Uber and Waymo launched a robotaxi service in Austin. The so-called “waymo on uber” robotaxi service is available for every member of the audience who has a Uber account. And you better believe that WAN will go to those robots and talk to human Uber drivers about what they think.
WAN will also talk to the VCS, founders and industry experts from SXSW to get the pulse of how the technical world adapts to the Trump administration and, of course, to find the following new one new thing. We will also pay attention to the many keynotes and interviews with technical and business luminaires, in particular Alan Baratz of D-Wave Quantum, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon, founder of the Colossal Biosciences Ben Lamm, and Arm CEO Rene Haas.
Don’t worry, we will also have a little fun.
