UT will host five panels about technology, health, science, sports and lifestyle during South by Southwest on March 8 and 9. The event will occur downtown at the Hook ’Em House at Antone’s Nightclub. 

The first panel, “Brain-Computer Interface: Bridging Technology and Health Care,” explores the wonders and ethics of technological advances in healthcare. Panelist David Paydarfar, professor and chair of neurology at Dell Medical School, said there’s a lot of emerging strength in engineering and computer science that can be applied to the medical school. 

“The research is the embodiment of hope,” Paydarfar said. “I want the audience to understand the excitement that a patient, or somebody who has a condition, would experience if this (technology) became available to the public.”

Amanda Pustilnik, a law professor at The University of Maryland, will also speak on the Brain-Computer Interface panel. 

The second panel, “AI-enabled Robots: Possibilities, Challenges and Ethics,” explores the future of AI-enabled robots in households. Moderator Jackie Snow said the panel is important because AI should not be dismissed in conversation. 

“I think we need to be having thoughtful discussions about AI and what we want out of it as opposed to a knee-jerk reaction,” Snow, a freelance journalist, said. “(AI) is complicated, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore it, and it can be used incorrectly. That is even a better reason to make an attempt to understand what the risks are and what the potential benefits are and how to guide it towards benefits as opposed to risk.”

Panelists include Peter Stone, UT computer science professor and executive director of SonyAI; Diligent Robotics CEO Andrea Thomaz and Bill Smart, a professor at Oregon State University.

The “Boomtown: Austin’s Next Startup Surge in Life Sciences” panel explores the bridge between life sciences and start-up companies. Moderated by UT President Jay Hartzel, the panel includes guest speakers Jim Breyer, founder of Breyer Capital; Thomas J. Cahill III, a founder and managing partner of Newpath Partners LP and Andre Esteva, founder of ArteraAI. 

Another panel called “Sports Performance and Health Wellness – Engineering Success” details how new technology is changing the game for athletes. The panel’s moderator, Ashley Jennings, said she is excited to learn how sports performance is evolving.

“I’m hoping students who show up to the panel walk away with a better understanding of the sports science arena and what’s happening when it comes to technology being utilized to enhance the overall holistic health of our athletes,” said Jennings, managing director for the Texas Innovation Center. 

Panelists include Kollective CEO Jeremy Hills, Sam Contorno, associate director of applied sports science for Texas Football and Phil Cullen, senior director of organizational development and basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs. 

The final panel, “Creator Economy – Digital Fame to Mainstream Success,” focuses on developing digital careers while navigating the mental health consequences of social media. Untitled Entertainment founder Jason Newman; Megan Bycel, director of Entertainment Partnerships at Meta and content creator Remi Bader will speak on the panel.