The great physicist Albert Einstein once said: “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”. Nearly a century later, the debate around technology and how it affects our communications, communities and even consciousness rages on.
Perhaps the most fundamental question is how technology can be used to strengthen the connections we have, not only with each other and wider society- but with our memories and understanding of the past.
This year in Austin, Karmarama and The Drum, will explore tech’s role in connecting us back together. The Drum's Speakeasy will be the watering hole for creatives and industry folk in Austin, looking for an alternative buzz at SXSW.
Dr Kate Stone, creative scientist and founder of award-winning lab Novalia, using her experiences will talk about how technology can be used for good in society. With a degree in electronics and a PhD in physics from Cambridge University, her work explores the space where traditional print and conventional electronics converge.
Lawrence Weber, managing partner, innovation at Karmarama will talk about marketing’s obsessing with millennials, with advertisers placing a huge value on building long lasting relationships with this generation.
Karmarama will also introduce a new ‘skill’ for voice command technology Amazon Echo, which will give the younger generation access to the insight older people have, regardless of how fast modern life is changing. It will contain hundreds of recordings of pieces of wisdom and perspectives from those who have lived long lives.
Join Dr Kate Stone, Lawrence Weber and Barbara Guerpillon, global marketing manager at Unilever Foundry SEAA, in conversation with The Drum, to hear a fascinating debate around:
- Technology’s role in society: what responsibility do we all have?
- How tech can be used to help today’s generation learn from the wisdom of older people?
- Older people in the digital age: is data skewed towards the younger generation?
The event, Reconnecting Tech, will take place on Monday 12 March at The Drum's Speakeasy at The Prohibition Creamery in Austin, USA. Register your interest here.