Wednesday’s DEI in Tech panel underscored the importance of sustaining – and amplifying – commitments to diversity in the rapidly changing tech world. Paria Rajai from ModelExpand moderated the conversation with Iesha Berry (DocuSign), Erin L. Thomas (Upwork), and Emil Yeargin (Gusto).

What is the role of a city museum? What comes to mind for most people is a stuffy, academic institution where you have to whisper and can’t touch anything. For Sean Decatur, president of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We happened to sit next to Da’Taeveyon Daniels, a 17-year-old high school student from Fort Worth, at Monday’s panel on the book ban crisis – 1984 or 2024? Book Bans. Censorship. The Fight for Democracy.

As has been noted, South by Southwest is lousy with panels on artificial intelligence this year. One of those filled a conference room at the Thompson Hotel and kicked off with a useful definition from panelist Steven Rosenbaum of that ineffable ideal before which poets and philosophers have prostrated themselves since the time of Plato.

The AI track at SXSW consisted of roughly 150 panels, certifying artificial intelligence as this year’s hot topic. Sunday, leading experts in the field of neurotechnology discussed how recent breakthroughs broaden the horizons for brain computer interfaces (BCI).

In a Sunday panel moderated by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Stern, pop singer and Emmy-nominated actress Selena Gomez discussed the importance of prioritizing mental health in everyday life.

During the 2023 Texas legislative session’s peak, thousands showed up at the Capitol to “defend their humanity and the rights of LGBTQ people,” said Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, an organization that advocates for the state’s LGBTQ+ community.

Maleeha Aziz knew she needed an ultrasound but couldn’t afford one. So, she turned to what she believed was a clinic offering free services. It was only later that she learned it was a Crisis Pregnancy Center – an anti-abortion nonprofit meant to dissuade pregnant individuals from getting abortions.

It’s really hard to be a human – and even harder to be a teenager. Navigating physical, mental, and emotional changes, while also balancing growing expectations and relationships, is particularly difficult in a tech-centric world. Adults have a responsibility to hear teen voices and respond with empathy.