Our All-Star Speaker Lineup for AI x Journalism House at SXSW

Back again in 2025 - the AI x Journalism House at SXSW brought to you by Hacks/Hackers in partnership with the Online News Association and supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Join us for two days of workshops, speakers and networking alongside the SXSW conference to dive deeper into how artificial intelligence is changing how we create and distribute news and information.

When: Monday March 10 & Tuesday March 11
Where: The Texas Tribune

March 10

If, When & How to Use AI in Journalism –  and Tell 

9:45 am - 10:45 am
Center for News, Technology & Innovation has conducted four country focus groups & qualitative surveys, held three global convenings of thought leaders across journalism, tech, research & policy w/ reports on takeaways & next steps and commissioned multiple guest essays on this topic. (qualitative reports to be released in early February). A few consistent findings: Progress requires a better relationship between technology & journalists, more research on the tension between the public's expressed desire for transparency but rejection of certain AI label, learning from other industries, global sharing &  huge levels of experimentation.  We would present findings (inc. newly released data), ideas for next steps and engage discussion about paths forward.
Presented by
- Amy Mitchell, Executive Director, CNTI

Trust & Safety in Generative AI

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
Join Lavanya Poreddy, Head of Trust and Safety at HeyGen, for a discussion on implementing trust and safety measures in AI systems. This session will explore content moderation for AI-generated media, strategies to prevent misuse and fraud, and essential guardrails for ethical AI applications. Learn practical approaches to building and deploying AI systems that protect users while maintaining trust.
Presented by
- Lavanya Poreddy, Head of Trust and Safety, HeyGen

Real Talk About A.I.'s Newsroom Revolution 

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Step behind the curtain with three journalism leaders for an unvarnished look at A.I.'s impact on newsrooms. Building on their official SXSW session, this off-the-record session dives into thorny questions facing journalism today: How are newsrooms grappling with A.I. aggregation? When is A.I. most useful for journalists — and when should they avoid using it? Which advancements keep editors up at night? Which A.I. experiments failed – and what did they learn from them?
Presented by
- Aimee Rinehart, Senior Product Manager AI Strategy, AP
- Rubina Fillion, Associate Editorial Director of A.I. Initiatives, The New York Times
- Elin Wieslander, AI and News Personalization Editor, Aftonbladet

Sentient Design: Shaping Literacy through Design in the AI Information Age 

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
As we move from an era of algorithmic recommendations to AI-generated content, we face a paradox: information has never been more accessible, yet public trust in that information has never been lower. This creates both an urgent challenge and a unique opportunity for designing AI-mediated experiences. Traditional approaches to information design focused on distribution and personalization – getting the right content to the right person. But in a world where TikTok clips about news articles can have a bigger reach than the articles themselves, we need to fundamentally rethink how we present and contextualize information. The challenge isn’t reach; it’s literacy and trust.
Presented by
- Veronika Kindred, Associate Producer, Big Medium

FEATURED CONVERSATION
Independent journalism despite, with, or thanks to artificial intelligence? Our perspective on AI at Der Spiegel

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Presented by
- Stefan Ottlitz, Co-CEO, Der Spiegel
- Christoph Zimmer, Chief Product Officer, Der Spiegel

March 11

Lessons from The Texas Tribune: Building AI tools for accessibility

10:00 am to 11:00 am
At the Tribune, we've found many AI tools pitched to journalists don’t actually solve the problems we face covering our large and complex state. In this session, we'll share how the Tribune is using in-house tools to manifest a future where AI makes our work more efficient and our content more personalized and accessible.
Presented by
- Darla Cameron, Chief Product Officer, Texas Tribune

Interrogating Generative AI Through Community Juries

11:00 am - Noon
This session will examine how historically marginalized communities can have a direct voice in evaluating and shaping AI systems. Using the framework of "community juries," we will explore how collective decision-making can hold AI accountable, assess biases, and establish ethical AI standards. Through real-world examples and data-driven insights, we’ll discuss strategies to ensure AI serves all communities equitably—especially Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, who are often most impacted by algorithmic harm.
Presented by
- Meme Style, Founder & President, Measure

FEATURED CONVERSATION
How Bluesky is Reimagining Breaking News and Journalism

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
Join Bluesky's COO Rose Wang to explore how decentralized social platforms are reshaping news distribution and community building. As journalists seek new ways to reach readers, Bluesky offers innovative approaches for trusted news networks. Learn practical insights for newsrooms looking to build and engage audiences in this evolving landscape.
- Rose Wang, COO, Bluesky

Reimagining Roles for People in the AI-Powered Newsroom

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
While much of the discussion around AI and journalism focuses on its impact on editorial production, AI has potential for every role across the newsroom, from audience engagement to business. The efficiencies possible now and in the near future allow us to think bigger about what newsroom roles could become in this emerging workflow. With AI support for time-consuming but necessary work in roles across the organization, what can we make space for that only humans can do? In this participatory discussion, we’ll break up into small groups by role to discuss AI’s implications for different newsroom functions with your peers and reconvene to highlight key opportunities for the future of newsroom work.
Presented by
- Meghan Murphy, Director of Programs, Online News Association

From Archives to Audiences: The Future of AI-Enabled Content Discovery

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
In a world where content libraries are growing exponentially, media companies face mounting challenges in organizing, discovering, and monetizing visual assets. This session delves into how multimodal AI—encompassing images, audio, and video—is revolutionizing the landscape for media organizations, from top broadcasters to dynamic streaming platforms.
Presented by
- Kevin Hill, General Manager Media & Entertainment, Coactive AI