Park City was invaded by techies this past week for the 22nd annual FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech conference. The conference first began in 2001 as a summer retreat for people in the industry interested in discussing global business issues and innovation. It has since evolved into one of the most well-known tech events in the country.
Andy Dunn of Bonobos
The theme of 2023 was “Reset and Reinvent” and featured a large pool of high-profile speakers including Wemimo Abbey of Esusu, Immad Akhund of Mercury, Deborah Liu of Ancestry, Dr. Lisa Dyson of Air Protein, and founder Andy Dunn of Bonobos. This year’s focus was selected due to the tumultuous nature of the past couple of years. The event looked at emerging technologies, leaders and places leading the charge and the various opportunities and responsibilities the tech industry faces as it works to become more resilient and responsible. Topics included:
- Transformative Technologies
- Navigating and Shaping the Future of Tech Policy
- Tech’s New Innovation Hubs
- Future of Work
- Privacy and Security
- Mobility’s New Roadmap
- Clean Tech for the Climate
- Building (and Keeping) User Trust
Marissa Mayer
Conversations ranged from sustainable food (burgers made from air!) and energy consumption to inequities in connectivity and mental health, with an overarching theme of AI and how it will continue to become integrated into our daily lives. Highlights included a presentation from Marissa Mayer discussing how we can use AI in daily tasks. “What we are about to see is amazing. I don’t think it’s overhyped,” said Mayer.
Al Gore
Al Gore spoke about Goldman Sachs’ estimate that the Inflation Reduction Act will result in over $1.2T in clean tech investment because of tax credits, but does not come without flaws. Olympian Lindsey Vonn attended and spoke about the importance of prioritizing mental health, which has been given more thought since the pandemic. “Mental health is a big part of my life. Just because you’re successful, it doesn’t mean you’re OK on the inside,” said Vonn. Andy Dunn discussed his own personal struggles with mental health and said that “founders should tell VCs about mental health diagnoses.”
It is going to be very interesting to see how AI continues to integrate into our lives and how the brilliant minds in the tech world utilize it to better our communities. We appreciate the focus of this year’s FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech – it is always refreshing to hear about positive change and potential.