New + Next

The winners (Big Tech) and losers (musicians) of SXSW 2023

In Austin, SXSW is a (sip in the sunshine, dance all day and all night) state of mind —whether you have an official badge or not. The unofficial theme of SXSW 2023: Big Tech Inside the sprawling bottom level of the Austin Convention Center, a 12-foot holographic image of Mark Cuban spoke to me. In a nearby booth, someone used a high-tech suit to reach around, touch his own shoulders and feel what it would be like to hug himself. Elsewhere, a woman put on a VR headset that gave her the vibrational sensation of eating a snack as she chewed on imaginary digital “food.” These were just a few of the technological splendors on display as part of SXSW’s Creative Industries Expo, a multi-day event featuring hundreds of exhibitors vying for attendee eyeballs with free candy, live 3D printing and photogenic places to sit. (I stopped by the Slack booth, happy to let them swipe my badge for a free cup of coffee.)  At SXSW 2023, the future of tech and specifically AI, was the topic of conversation on everyone’s lips. (Last year’s tech chatter was all about NFTs; this year, it’s like they never existed.) SXSW’s innovation track...