Rage Against the Machines: Reshaping Australia’s AI Future

Rage Against the Machines: Reshaping Australia's AI Futre Australia is making decisions about AI: how it’s built, how it’s used and who answers for it. This one-day event brings together contrasting voices to work through those decisions and shape a better path forward. The title is deliberately provocative. Many Australians are angry at AI. Data centres are going up near them, their work is changing without consultation, and they’re speaking to bots instead of people. Others see real promise. The day takes an honest look at both, with a focus on what comes next. AI is here to stay. The question is how much say we have in it, and whether it rests on what we value: privacy, accountability, freedom of expression and a voice in decisions that affect us. You’ll leave with a clearer picture, practical ideas and new connections to help shape Australia’s AI future. The Conversations • Conversation 1: Opportunity, Climate, and the Data Centre. What would it take for a data centre to earn its place in a community and a landscape? • Conversation 2: Power, Security, and Independence. How do we keep AI’s power accountable, and protect the independence and agency of everyone else? • Conversation 3: Mind, Attention, and Dissent. How do we protect attention, trust and the freedom to disagree, and who is responsible when that breaks down? • Conversation 4: On Our Terms. Is the current direction of AI inevitable, or is it the story we’re being sold? What could we build instead? Format Each Conversation runs for 70 minutes, with a moderator and two or three speakers. Each speaker talks for 10 minutes, followed by moderated discussion and audience questions. Details • Monday 23 November, 9:00am to 4:00pm (doors open 8:30am) • Library at the Dock, Melbourne • Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea included for in-person attendees • In-person tickets available. • Early bird pricing for a limited time.