From science to design, South by Southwest offers a wide range of topics with speakers from all over the country. The Daily Texan compiled a list of UT-affiliated speakers and their events to check out this SXSW.
Decoding Nature: How AI is Learning to Program Biology
March 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m. at JW Marriott, Salon FGH
With advances in technology, AI gained the ability to write DNA and enable precise gene insertion. Ilya Finkelstein, professor of molecular biosciences, along with three other speakers, will discuss AI-designed biology and the importance of creating safe medicine when using the tool. Finkelstein’s research at UT focuses on molecular machines that repair genomes, the complete sets of genetic instructions needed to maintain and build organisms.
March 17, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Austin Marriott Downtown, Waller Ballroom C
Covering topics such as autonomous vehicles and emerging education, Doreen Lorenzo, assistant dean of the School of Design and Creative Technologies, along with three other speakers, will analyze the role of design in the future. The speakers will preview the annual iF Design Trend Report, which identifies current design trends, and discuss the key insights for 2026. Lorenzo co-founded Vidlet, a mobile video insights firm, and writes a monthly column, “Designing Women,” for Fast Company Co.Design.
Revolutionizing Astronomy with Next Generation Big Data
March 15, 4-5 p.m. at JW Marriott, Salon D
In a panel led by researchers from NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (CosmicAI), Stella Offner, an astronomy professor, will help lead a conversation on AI and astronomy. Focusing on datasets used to develop new AI tools to expedite discovery in the universe, the panel will present visualizations of datasets built on observations and simulations of the universe. Offner works as the director of Cosmic AI, with her research exploring star formation and effective AI use.
Humanoid Robots are Clocking in: Meet Who’s Putting Them to Work and Is Reinforcement Learning the Real Future of AI?
March 14, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at JW Marriott, Salon D; March 14, 4-5 p.m. at JW Marriott, Salon AB
Professor Peter Stone will participate in two events discussing AI innovation. Stone will join a panel with founders and researchers to discuss the advancements needed to push humanoid robots out of the lab and into the world. For his individual talk, he will present on reinforcement learning, the process of training a system through trial and error and its role in the development of the next generation of AI technology. Stone works as a department chair and the founding director of Texas Robotics.
