Two people working on a writing project. Photo by: Pexels.com
Two people working on a writing project. Photo by: Pexels.com

An Artifical Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

SXSW 2017 will once again be hosting an essay style contest for the David Carr Prize.

  • Deadline to enter the second annual David Carr Prize is Friday, December 16, 2016 at 11:59pm CT.

For those unfamiliar with David Carr, he was a brilliant journalist that wrote for the New York Times, and a professor at Boston University.

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“THE ABILITY TO DO JOURNALISM, TO REACH AUDIENCES, HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER. I LIKE YOUR ODDS. I DO,” – DAVID CARR

During his career he focused on a wide range of topics that showcased his depth in writing. His work with civil rights, politics and technology remain relevant today.

SXSW is currently hosting a contest to honor his achievements in journalism. The festival notes:

‘The essay prompt this year: What will it mean to be human in the age of machine learning and artificial intelligence? What will this mean to you in terms of human creativity, identity, love, communication, and community? Given that current AI-based algorithms are a big part of today’s fake news problem, your essay might also address human solutions to this pressing issue.’

The festival has shared some links to past winners to give the public an idea to what they are looking for in submissions. Scan over material from Brooke Baker Belk, Lena Huang, and the winning entry by Jaime Boust.

Watch over footage from Carr addressing the graduating Class of 2014 at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism on May 17, 2014

2014 Commencement: David Carr