Tim O’Reilly on How to Do Things You Thought Were Impossible at SXSW 2018 [Video]

At SXSW 2018, Founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, Tim O'Reilly discusses machine learning, humanity, and the future of tech. In his Featured Session, "Do More. Do Things That Were Previously Impossible" O'Reilly poses an important question to the audience.

"What's keeping us from working on the stuff that matters?"

O'Reilly believes we are at a crossroad as we confront the technological future. A crossroad that could determine the future of humanity and what it means to work. How we use technology should not only be a business decision - but a moral decision. According to O'Reilly, right now, we are about 80 years into a 100-year cycle of growth and have only begun to recognize the capabilities of the technology available. First and foremost, we must recognize how human values and morals fit into the picture.

Technology is limited only by the creativity of its developers - the same drone technology is used in a startup that delivers Starbucks orders at conferences as is used in a startup called Zipline that delivers on-demand blood and medicines in countries without developed roads or infrastructure. Within 15 minutes, Zipline is able to deliver blood to a person in need and save a life.

According to O'Reilly, technology should be used to augment humans so that we can focus on real issues and dedicate more resources to building a better world. Startups like Zipline are "showing what the future could be for all of us if we start working on the right things with today's technology." Machines are amazing at making a better world. Without machines, we wouldn't be able to feed 7 billion people. But, we need to shift our focus towards solving the real issues affecting our world.

"There's plenty for humans to do...dealing with climate change, rebuilding our infrastructure, feeding the world, ending disease, resettling refugees, caring for each other, educating the next generation, and best of all if we could put all these machines to work we could together as a world, enjoy the fruits of shared prosperity."

Learn more about O'Reilly's vision for the future of technology and the human race in the full Featured Session at the 2018 SXSW Conference. Browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

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SXSW 2018 Session Do More. Do Things That Were Previously Impossible - Photo by Debra Reyes