Four conversations

Questions on the table

Each conversation brings together a wide range of ideas and viewpoints. The aim is to listen across our differences, connect with one another, and leave with a shared sense of how we move forward together.

1. Keynote

   Setting the Scene

   The day opens with a keynote that paints a picture of AI’s near-term future, and the role we can all play, as citizens, in shaping how Australia engages with it.

2. 01

   Opportunity, Climate, and the Data Centre

   Data centres underpin daily life, and demand keeps growing. They bring investment and capability. They also draw heavily on energy, water and land, change the places they’re built in, and carry a climate cost through the chips and components inside them. What would it take for a data centre to earn its place in a community and a landscape, and to serve the public interest?

3. 02

   Power, Security, and Independence

   AI is a source of power for the states and corporations that own it, and it’s already used in surveillance, war and political control. Some argue that building our own capability is how Australia stays secure and self-reliant. Others look to new forms of cooperation and shared governance across borders. How do we keep this power accountable, and protect everyone else’s independence and agency?

4. 03

   Mind, Attention, and Dissent

   People find AI genuinely useful for learning, creating and building. Others have experienced real harm. How these systems are designed shapes what we notice, trust and believe, and they can be used to harass and silence people, especially those who speak up. How do we protect attention, trust and the freedom to disagree, and who is responsible when that breaks down?

5. 04

   On Our Terms

   We are told the current direction of AI is inevitable and that we have to keep up. Is that true, or is it just one story? What has worked for communities that have pushed back, and what could we build instead?