20DASH
SXSW by 20DASH
Stela.AI, the AI assistant on WhatsApp created by 20DASH for SXSW, guides the festival in real time with curated content, multilingual support, and coverage of the entire program.
A conversational guide: AI on WhatsApp to experience SXSW in the now
In 2024, 20DASH put a 'SXSW expert' in participants' pockets who chats via WhatsApp: a generative AI assistant that understands context, suggests panels, shows, and experiences, and helps navigate the festival at the city's pace. In 2025, the project returned more mature as Stela.AI, built on the 20Studio [AI] framework and in partnership with the Institute for Tomorrow, offering active curation and personalized recommendations via text and audio, free on WhatsApp.