SXSW Speakers

SXSW announces first keynote and more featured speakers coming to Austin in 2023

SXSW announced its 2023 featured sessions, including keynote from Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert.

Photo by Daniel Cavazos

For Austinites, if there's one major milestone that truly puts the pandemic behind us, it's the in-person return of SXSW. We got a taste of it this year with the hybrid online/in-person format, but 2023 will likely be the first festival that truly feels like a "return to normal." And the newly released lineup is definitely something to look forward to.

On Tuesday, November 15, SXSW announced the first keynote for the 37th festival, taking place March 10-19, 2023. The 2023 conference will include a keynote address from Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert.

Also announced were featured speakers, including New York Times bestselling author David Chang; New York Magazine editor-at-large and podcast host Kara Swisher; and Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalistValerie June.

“At SXSW, we thrive on creative ideas that lead to bold action when it comes to addressing society’s biggest challenges,” said SXSW's chief programming officer, Hugh Forrest. “Our first announced keynote speaker, Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert, is a true leader in the world of business who is unafraid of pursuing the systemic reform needed to protect our planet in the face of climate change.”

Organized into 25 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats, SXSW celebrates the convergence of technology, film, television, and music. Tracks include civic engagement, climate change, design, film and TV, psychedelics, sports, travel, and more.

Other newly announced speakers joining the 2023 lineup are:

Chemistry professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Kate Biberdorf
Founder of Royal and DJ, Justin Blau, aka 3LAU
Gonzo journalist and creator of Channel 5, Andrew Callaghan
Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author, Dolly Chugh
Director and screenwriter, Julia Ducournau
Emmy and Tony Award-winning producer, co-founder and managing partner of Get Lifted Film Co., and fellow and professional-in-residence at the University of Texas’ Moody College of Communication, Mike Jackson
CEO of Luminate, Rob Jonas
Founder and CEO of KORA Organics, entrepreneur, and supermodel, Miranda Kerr
Actor, director, writer, comedian, and musician, Cheech Marin
New York Times bestselling author, Heather McGhee
Psychotherapist, New York Times bestselling author, and podcast host, Esther Perel
Author and former chairman, president, and CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty
Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, Boyan Slat
Mycologist, entrepreneur, author, and inventor, Paul Stamets
Associate professor of environmental politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Leah Stokes
Founder and CEO of Strangeworks, whurley
Co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki

This announcement comes on the heels of SXSW and Rolling Stone magazine announcing an inaugural emerging artists showcase taking place during the music portion of the festival in March 2023. For a full lineup and more information on featured sessions, visit SXSW.com.

Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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