AFB's 2027 SXSW Proposals
AFB’s Public Policy and Research Institute wants to discuss our groundbreaking AI research with tech innovators and thought leaders. To do this, we have submitted three session proposals for the 2027 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, TX, next March.
Community voting has closed, but you're still welcome to explore our three proposals below!
Our Session Proposals
Working for the Machine: AI as Game Changer, or Game Over?
We all deserve to find work, but for people with disabilities, does AI help or hurt in the job search? Survey data from people with and without disabilities show a paradox: some people with disabilities encounter challenges with automated hiring while others find AI empowers them to show off their best self. We’ll discuss real data on how AI is reshaping access to jobs, skills, and information for people with and without disabilities, and what happens when AI use policies get access, fairness, and data security right (or wrong). Innovation only counts if it works for everyone.
LEARN MORE: Working for the Machine
Retooling Privacy and Independence: AI’s Disability Dilemma
Every time you use AI, you share a bit about your life with the system. What if it learned your bank account details? The results of your pregnancy test? For people with disabilities, using AI for autonomy often requires exposing deeply personal details about their lives. And regulatory policy rarely accounts for unequal choices. Drawing on a national survey of adults with & w/out disabilities, we’ll examine how AI expands access yet requires users to expose their info. We’ll identify design & development practices that prevent people from being forced to choose data security or independence.
LEARN MORE: Retooling Privacy and Independence
Students Left Behind: AI’s Shock to Higher Ed Accommodation
Disabled students are using AI to bridge a widening accommodation gap in U.S. higher education to avoid being left behind in their classes. As disability disclosures rise and institutional supports struggle to keep pace due to regulatory uncertainty and political tension, AI is filling this gap by providing always-available help with reading, writing, note-taking, planning, and access conversion. This session centers on disabled students’ experiences and discusses how universities can leverage AI to meet their legal obligations and how students are using it to fill gaps.
This proposal is specifically for SXSW EDU.