This week, CNN’s brand studio Courageous is partnering with Square Enix® to host a first-of-its-kind conference on human augmentation. The conference is being called Human by Design and will be held at the Paley Center* for Media in New York City this Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Human by Design will explore the intersection of technology and humanity with the objective of bringing together top minds to debate, question, and challenge what it means to be human.
Square Enix is aligning the Human by Design Conference to support the upcoming release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided® on August 23, 2016.
Set in the year 2029, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided features a world that has become so divided by hatred, prejudice, and fear that many countries are enacting harsh laws aimed at segregating mechanically augmented humans and “Naturals” from each other.
The many parallels of the near futuristic Deus Ex Universe® will be explored at the conference, particularly around how technology is rapidly shaping the human condition and the ethics of self-regulation.
Since the launch of Courageous, we have been committed to pioneering the evolution of branded content to help brands tell more powerful stories. Human by Design greatly embodies this approach, as we’ve assembled a group of thought-leaders across the fields of science, technology, ethics, and cyborg activism who, for the first time, will come together to discuss the cutting-edge technologies and innovations that are shaping human augmentation.
—Otto Bell, Vice President and Group Creative Director of CourageousHuman by Design goes beyond bringing to life the key themes of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. This conference is a special opportunity for a video game to take pause from the limitless world we play in, and to drive the conversation around what is really happening in the space of human augmentation. Our hope is that the gaming world tunes into the conference and is inspired to get involved as well.
—Jon Grant, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Square Enix
Additional Details about Human by Design Conference
To bring global access to the live event and provocative conversation, Courageous will capture original video of the conference that will be distributed in ad space across CNN’s digital and social footprint, including CNN’s Snapchat Discover channel and Turner’s social distribution platform, Launchpad.
The conference will also be streamed live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/deusex.
Please visit the Human by Design website for access to the conference agenda, bios of the speakers and more information of the Ethical Framework: www.humanxdesign.com.
About Courageous
Courageous is Turner’s first-ever brand studio with global opportunities for marketers across the company’s multi-screen brands CNN, HLN and Great Big Story. Launched in June 2015, the studio’s unique approach is anchored in brand journalism, the discovery of great stories and the production of powerful branded content. From concept development to production to multi-platform distribution, Courageous leverages its distinct point-of-view, while delivering on business objectives for advertising partners.
Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, kids and young adult, and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
About Square Enix
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics®, and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/
†Source: Square Enix Press Release/Human by Design Website
