The Austin Forum on Technology & Society

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The Austin Forum on Technology & Society

The Austin Forum is a monthly engagement activity to share information & stimulate collaborations to promote technology applications that advance society.

The Austin Forum is a monthly engagement activity to share information & stimulate collaborations to promote technology applications that advance and enrich society.

31/08/2026

"The Future is Low-Tech" is tomorrow - don't forget to register for free!

In the early 2000s, technology was a place we visited—we logged on, did what we needed, and returned to our lives.

Today, as AI and digital systems become deeply embedded, products are engineered for persistent engagement, making disengagement harder than ever.

Can modern AI learn to respect user attention and agency?

Tech anthropologist and low-tech futurist, Jésabel DC, will explore how early 2000s design principles can help us build better, human-centered technology today.

What we'll explore:
🔹 Orientation: Making digital systems visible and clear.
🔹 Useful Friction: Why intentional pauses increase user agency.
🔹 Boundaries: Designing clearer beginnings, endings, and off-ramps.
🔹 Letting the User Go: Creating successful tech that doesn't hijack focus.

📅 Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:15 PM – 7:45 PM (Pre-event networking at 5:15 PM)
📍 Location: ACC Rio Grande (Bldg 3000)
🍻 Post-Event: Free drinks & networking at Remedy (3rd & Nueces)

Register for free at the link in the comments! 👇

27/08/2026

Join us on September 1 for the next Austin Forum presentation event: "The Future is Low-Tech," where tech anthropologist and low-tech futurist, Jésabel DC, will explore how early 2000s design principles can help us build better, human-centered technology today.

In the early 2000s, technology was a place we visited—we logged on, did what we needed, and returned to our lives.

Today, as AI and digital systems become deeply embedded, products are engineered for persistent engagement, making disengagement harder than ever.

Can modern AI learn to respect user attention and agency?

What we'll explore:
🔹 Orientation: Making digital systems visible and clear.
🔹 Useful Friction: Why intentional pauses increase user agency.
🔹 Boundaries: Designing clearer beginnings, endings, and off-ramps.
🔹 Letting the User Go: Creating successful tech that doesn't hijack focus.

📅 Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:15 PM – 7:45 PM (Pre-event networking at 5:15 PM)
📍 Location: ACC Rio Grande (Bldg 3000)
🍻 Post-Event: Free drinks & networking at Remedy (3rd & Nueces)

Register for free at the link in the comments! 👇

25/08/2026

Early 2000s tech knew when to take a beat... can modern AI learn to do the same? 🤔

In the early days of the web, the family computer lived in one room—we logged on, finished our task, and went back to our actual lives. Today’s tech demands constant attention.

Join us on Tuesday, September 1st at ACC Rio Grande for "The Future is Low-Tech" with tech anthropologist Jésabel DC! She’ll be sharing how design principles from the early 2000s can help us design modern AI and software that respect human agency, focus, and time.

What we'll explore:
🔹 Orientation: Helping users know where they are.
🔹 Useful Friction: Why seamless isn't always better.
🔹 Boundaries: Designing clear exits and off-ramps.
🔹 Letting the User Go: Tech that helps without hijacking focus.

This event is free and open to everyone; especially designers, technologists, product managers, and curious minds!

📅 Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:15 PM – 7:45 PM (Pre-event networking at 5:15 PM)
📍 Location: ACC Rio Grande (Bldg 3000)
🍻 Post-Event: Free drinks & networking at Remedy (3rd & Nueces)

Register for free at the link in the comments! 👇

17/08/2026

Just 3 days left to register for our next virtual book discussion!

Join the Austin Forum this Thursday, August 20, for an interactive online conversation on "Annie Bot" by Sierra Greer.

We’re moving beyond technical blueprints to debate the human, moral, and psychological frontiers of AI:
🔹 Subservience by Design: The ethics of building AI human companions
🔹 Emergent Consciousness: How we define "personhood" in androids
🔹 The Reflection of Self: What synthetic intimacy reveals about human relationships

🗓️ Thur, August 20, 2026
⏰ 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM CDT
💻 Location: Virtual (Google Meet). Free to attend!

📖 Looking ahead to September?
Get a head start on our next pick: "Project Maven" by Katrina Manson which we will be discussing on Wed, September 23.

👇 Claim your FREE virtual spot for both events via the link in the first comment below.

14/08/2026

Just a few more days until our first-ever Community Town Hall!

Our July presentation on data centers generated far more questions, ideas, and debates than a single evening could hold. That’s why on Wednesday, August 19th, we’re handing the microphones over to YOU.

"The Data Center Dialogue" is an open, interactive town hall designed to bring together local residents, tech builders, policymakers, and community leaders for a candid conversation on:

🔹Success Stories & Positive Impacts: Share how AI tools (enabled by data centers) are improving your business, healthcare, education, or daily life.

🔹Real Concerns: Voice your personal, local, or global anxieties regarding grid reliability, water usage, land development, or societal shifts.

🔹Burning Questions: Get direct answers from peers and experts on the numbers, timelines, and technologies shaping our infrastructure.

🔹Constructive Suggestions: Offer ideas on how Austin and the broader tech ecosystem can better balance the demand for computing power with responsible stewardship of our resources.

📍 ACC Rio Grande (Bldg 3000) | The Center for Government & Civic Service
🗓️ Wed, Aug 19 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CDT
🍻 Bonus: Free networking & drinks follow right after at Remedy (3rd & Nueces)!
👇 Claim your FREE ticket via the link in the first comment below!

12/08/2026

Just 1 week left until our first-ever Community Town Hall!

Our July presentation on data centers generated far more questions, ideas, and debates than a single evening could hold. That’s why next Wednesday, August 19, we’re handing the microphones over to YOU.

"The Data Center Dialogue" is an open, interactive town hall designed to bring together local residents, tech builders, policymakers, and community leaders for a candid conversation on:

🔹Success Stories & Positive Impacts: Share how AI tools—enabled by data centers—are already improving your business, healthcare, education, or daily life.
🔹Real Concerns: Voice your personal, local, or global anxieties regarding grid reliability, water usage, land development, or societal shifts.
🔹Burning Questions: Get direct answers from peers and experts on the numbers, timelines, and technologies shaping our infrastructure.
🔹Constructive Suggestions: Offer ideas on how Austin and the broader tech ecosystem can better balance the demand for computing power with responsible stewardship of our resources.

📍 ACC Rio Grande (Bldg 3000) | The Center for Government & Civic Service
🗓️ Wed, Aug 19 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CDT
🍻 Bonus: Free networking & drinks follow right after at Remedy (3rd & Nueces)!
👇 Claim your FREE ticket via the link in the first comment below!
💬 What is the #1 question or concern you want addressed on August 19? Drop it in the comments below to help guide the discussion! 👇

10/08/2026

Got 2 minutes? Help us shape the future of the Austin Forum! (Survey closes on Wed 8/12)

We want to ensure our upcoming events, panel discussions, and tech topics deliver maximum value to our community. To help us do that, we’ve put together a 2-minute, completely anonymous community survey.

👇 Take the quick survey via the link in the first comment below!
Thank you for your time and for helping us make our community even stronger!

07/08/2026

From human-robot companionship to the dawn of AI warfare, how are algorithms rewriting our ethical boundaries?

Join the Austin Forum ONLINE for two thought-provoking book discussions on the human and geopolitical impacts of AI:

📖 "Annie Bot" by Sierra Greer
📅 Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM CDT
🔹 Shifting from tech blueprints to human-robot interaction. We'll discuss the ethics of creating subservient AI, defining personhood, and what companion AI reveals about human psychology.

📖 "Project Maven" by Katrina Manson
📅 Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM CDT
🔹 Exploring the real-world clash between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon. We'll dive into AI on the battlefield, tech employee ethics protests, and accountability for autonomous decision-making.

💻 Location: Online via Google Meet (Free registration required)

👇 Claim your free spot via the link in the first comment below!

💬 Which session are you most excited to join? Let us know in the comments! 👇

06/08/2026

Got 2 minutes? Help us shape the future of the Austin Forum!

We want to ensure our upcoming events, panel discussions, and tech topics deliver maximum value to our community. To help us do that, we’ve put together a 2-minute, completely anonymous community survey.

👇 Take the quick survey via the link in the first comment below!

Thank you for your time and for helping us make our community even stronger!

05/08/2026

Following our packed July event on data centers, we’re shifting the spotlight directly to YOU for our first-ever interactive Community Town Hall!

Join us on August 19 for "The Data Center Dialogue: A Community Town Hall on the Realities, Risks, & Rewards of AI Infrastructure."

Data centers power the AI revolution, but they also bring real questions for our local energy grid, water supply, and community resources. One session wasn't enough, so we want to hear your voice!

Whether you're a local resident, tech leader, policymaker, or advocate, bring your perspective to the room:
🔹 Success Stories: How AI tools are driving real local impact
🔹 Real Concerns: Grid reliability, water usage & land growth
🔹 Burning Questions: Direct answers from peers & community members
🔹 Solutions: Smart, sustainable ways forward for Austin

Event Details:

📅 Wednesday, August 19, 2026

⏰ 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CDT

📍 The Center for Government & Civic Service Acc Rio Grande 3000 Bldg | 1218 West Ave.

🍻 Bonus Networking: The conversation continues right after at Remedy Austin (3rd & Nueces) for drinks and networking!

👇 Register for FREE here:
https://www.austinforum.org/events/august-19-2026

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