It’s your final instalment of B&T MD Rosie Oakshott’s recollections of SXSW Austin. This time, we’ve got less jet lag than on the first and second days and fewer robots than on days three to five but an awesome cast of celebrities.
I’m leaving Austin exhausted but in the best way!
SXSW has really given me the space to focus on the future—both from a professional and personal perspective. Personally, my cup has been filled with art, music, comedy and a good few A-list celebs. Professionally, I’m bringing home new storytelling skills and I have so many ideas for our Cairns Crocodiles experience! Also, watch this space for a B&T AI agent…
My highlights from the last couple of days included:
Sandy Carter, founder of Unstoppable Domains busting 10 AI myths. Yes, another AI session but this one was a favourite for Carter’s listicle and practical approach. From the 10 myths, one that stood out to me was that ‘AI will replace jobs’. I’ve had many debates around this topic in my time.
Carter explained that yes, 92 million jobs will be displaced, particularly roles that can be automated such as data entry clerks, administration, postal service clerks, bank tellers.
At the same time, 170 million jobs will be created in big data, fintech, security management, AI and machine learning.
Carter said that one company preparing well for this shift in the job market is Australian-owned SafetyCulture. “They’re using AI to create personalised education plans for each of their employees and showcasing upcoming jobs that could be created in the next couple of years,” she said.
SXSW’s legendary art exhibition, Flatstock, is now open. The exhibition features gig posters by artists from around the world. I bought a Tame Impala poster and two others before stopping myself. The american dollar exchange is no joke.
The original member of rock band, Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, was next speaking with Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) singer and songwriter, John Fogerty. My favourite and very SXSW response from Fogerty was, when asked about how he crafts his set list for a show he said “well, you know, I just go back on ChatGPT”.
The next day, Greg ‘Graham’ Sparrow and my new friend Adrianne Nixon a senior innovation consultant at Mastercard, met super early to get in the queue for former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama’s session.
The security was extreme and we were of course not allowed to photograph or record. What I can say is that Obama and her brother Craig Robinson’s relationship was refreshingly authentic and they spoke with hope and positivity. They were clear that it is important for them to share this perspective rather than the opposite, despite the current climate in the US. I will absolutely be tuning into her and her brother’s podcast IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.
I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience SXSW Austin for 2025 before it all changes. SXSW President, Hugh Forest, confirmed that the Austin Convention Centre is due to close for the next four years to be rebuilt. Over the next few years, they’ll be running the conference from the various hotels which, as they already run events from these hotels, should work well but I can’t help feeling that this is the end of an era!
For now, over and out. I’ll leave you with this photo of me enjoying even more Austin BBQ!
