The inaugural SXSW London has officially been opened by London mayor Sadiq Khan.
In a speech at the Truman Brewery in the creative neighborhood of Shoreditch on Monday morning, Khan hailed London as a “creative hotbed,” a “gateway to the world,” and a “hub for talent, trade, tech and innovation.”
He also used to opportunity on stage as a pitch to lure investment to the British capital by highlighting what he described as the “uncertainty and political turmoil” and an “inward-looking mentality” in the U.S., and taking aim at the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump since he started his second terms as president.
“London is somewhere that is resolutely pro-business, pro-growth and pro-freedom of expression. And following new trade deals with India, the U.S. and the E.U. — which mean the UK is tearing down barriers to trade, not putting up walls — there’s never been a better time to come and create, collaborate and invest in our city,” he said.
“Elsewhere you might see uncertainty; unpredictability; and efforts to wind back the clock on individual liberties, the freedom of the press, and democracy. Not in London. In London, you don’t just find stability and certainty. You find a city which stands strong as a bastion against hate. And a city which shines bright as a beacon of hope, progress and possibility.”
In keep with the theme, Khan added that in London “we don’t simply tolerate diversity, we celebrate inclusion” and in another comment that could be seen to be directly aimed at the current U.S. administration, said the city was a “welcoming hub for international students.”
Khan noted that he spoke at SXSW in Austin in 2018, where he said he called for the tech revolution to be steered in a way that was beneficial for society. Given the huge leaps made in AI since, he said the conversations at SXSW London were “so consequential,” and that he was pushing to make London a “global center” for AI investment and innovation.
“Because I want the defining technologies of the 21st century not just to be pioneered in London, but to be shaped by our values,” he said. “It’s how we can mitigate potential harms; It’s how we can mitigate potential harms; Eliminate bias and discrimination; And ensure the moral dimension in any new tech is given equal weight to market considerations.”
The first SXSW London run June 2-7, with speakers including Idris Elba and Gillian Anderson alongside the CEOs of Twitch, WPP, OnlyFans and Google Deepmind.
Variety parent company PMC owns the SXSW franchise.
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