At tech-centric SXSW, technology is now getting a skeptical look

A man's reflection can be seen on a schedule board while a woman (L) looks at it inside the Austin Convention Center on the second day of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, USA, March 10, 2018. AUSTIN--After years of being seen as a hothouse of exuberance about technology, this year's South By Southwest conference has soured a bit on its prospects. Social media in general and Facebook in particular have taken a beating in multiple panels, and one of America's foremost tech entrepreneurs used his SXSW talk to warn about the dangers of artificial intelligence. A Friday-evening panel about Facebook's relationship with news publishers set the tone early on. Facebook's news head Alex Hardiman said the company, having recognized that its News Feed had traditionally rewarded "stuff that did well in raw engagement and clicks," was trying to do better.