Music festival goes from tech back-slapping to brooding introspection

The annual event in Austin, Texas starts Friday and features art shows, film screenings, tech demos and speaker panels exploring the intersection of politics, innovation and culture

The South by Southwest festival is normally a celebration of technology and a frenzied search for the hottest new startup. This year's event will be dominated by somber assessments of the industry's impact on society.
 
The annual event in Austin, Texas — sometimes described as spring break for Silicon Valley —  starts Friday and features art shows, film screenings, tech demos and speaker panels exploring the intersection of politics, innovation and culture.
 
While discussions about tech ethics are a perennial favorite, the topic has taken on fresh urgency and is the focus of more than a dozen panels.