Trump Looms Large Over This Year's South by Southwest Gathering
- Two days of panels to focus on adminstration’s effect on tech
- Different vibe from 2016 when Barack Obama was big attraction
Why Obama Made SXSW A Priority
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Donald Trump won’t be attending this year’s South by Southwest conference, which started Friday in Austin, Texas. But the president will be very much in evidence -- if only in spirit -- at the annual gathering of technologists, musicians and wannabe entrepreneurs.
After the election, event organizers added panels reflecting a new political era many had believed impossible. The technology industry, much of which opposes the administration’s stances on immigration and social issues, has been allotted two full days of Trump-related sessions. Among them: “The Future of H-1B,” “Our Bright, Jobless Future: Trump Policy vs. Artificial intelligence,” and “Startup Investing During Trump Years.”