Wednesday 30 October - Day One

PRE-CONFERENCE MASTERCLASS

Day two agenda Register

08:00

Registration and welcome coffee

08:50

Opening remarks from the Chair

Kylie De Courteney
Managing Director
NSW Telco Authority

What’s next in generative AI?

09:00

Shifting horizons: The public sector implications of generative AI's dynamic evolution

Chronicling the rapid evolution of generative AI technology to identify emerging opportunities and areas for investment
Assessing how changes in generative AI's influence on business models and operations could impact the APS
Projecting future generative AI disruptions to prepare for the next waves of change

Dr Michael Kollo
Chief Executive Officer
Evolved AI

09:30

Trust in the age of AI

Jennifer Mulveny
Director, Government Relations, Asia-Pacific
Adobe

09:50

Developing conversational AI analytics capabilities to reduce cultural and financial costs

Leveraging conversational interfaces to make data exploration more intuitive and dynamic by allowing users to interact with data through natural language queries
Maximising the potential of conversational AI interfaces to respond to an ongoing array of user queries with customised data narratives
Utilising conversational AI to significantly reduce traditional cultural and financial costs

Andrew Spiegelman
Head of Data & Analytics
Service NSW

10:20

Morning Tea and Networking

Transparency and Governance

11:00

PANEL DISCUSSION: What emerging threats and opportunities will generative AI expose the public sector to over the next 6-12 months?

How will the evolution of generative AI impact the public sector in the next 6-12 months?
What areas are the ripest for transformation and how can the government capitalise on the opportunities?
What strategic shifts does government need to make to integrate advanced generative AI technologies more fully?
What ethical considerations should be prioritised to ensure responsible AI use?

Moderator:

Distinguished Professor Fang Chen
Executive Director – UTS Data Science Institute
UTS

Panellists:

Andreas Bleich
Assistant Secretary – Data, Systems and Information Management
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Mark Higgs
Executive Director – Digital Channels
NSW Department of Customer Service

Rebecca Ostergaard
Chief Digital Officer
CSIRO

Dan Bridgman
Senior Manager Data Science
Transport for NSW

11:50

Understanding and managing the risks in developing and deploying generative AI

Mitigating potential deployment risks by identifying and addressing exposure areas when it comes to generative AI in government
Learning strategies to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks while enhancing existing security protocols
Managing AI deployment risks through effective governance frameworks
Utilising continuous monitoring to ensure the responsible and secure use of AI in public sector operations

Bill Simpson-Young
Chief Executive Officer
The Gradient Institute

12:20

Lunch and networking

Generative AI and customer delivery

13:20

Artificial Intelligence, the economy and the role of the Australian public sector

Transformation and potential of Generative AI
How to use technology in a safe and responsible way
Role of the Australian public sector in being an exemplar

Anthony Murfett
Head of Division – Technology and Digital
Department of Industry, Science and Resources

13:50

Generative AI showcase

The generative AI showcase features rapid-fire 10-minute sessions where AI experts and solutions providers will present emerging technologies that offer a glimpse into the future of AI in government.

Generative AI and Its Transformative Potential in the Power Platform

Luca Caruso
Business Applications (Dynamics 365) Practice Manager
SOCO

These showcases are reserved for subject matter experts. If you wish to sponsor one of these sessions, please get in touch with Milad Etemadi at milade@questevents.com.au

Accuracy and accountability.

14:00

PANEL DISCUSSION: How can the public sector ensure the validity of AI-generated information?

How can government develop effective training programs to enhance employees' ability to understand and critically assess AI outputs?
What essential elements should be included in a framework for critically examining AI-generated information and existing decision-making processes?
How can secondary checks and cross-referencing with human expertise be systematically integrated into departmental workflow to ensure accuracy and fairness?
How can ethical considerations be embedded into the routine evaluation of AI outputs to maintain public trust and accountability?

Moderator:

Professor Allison Kealy
Director of the Innovative Planet Research Institute
Swinburne University of Technology

Panellists:

Michael Smedes
General Manager & Chief Information Officer
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

Olga Lysenko
Director - Enterprise Data Strategy, Governance and Management
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Bianca Jordaan
Chief Digital and Information Officer
Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

14:50

Afternoon Tea and Networking

Risk and Data Privacy

15:30

Examining the critical role of AI tool selection and monitoring in the public sector to reduce risk

Highlighting the importance of using approved and secure AI tools to reduce risk exposure when processing sensitive, personal, or classified data
Exploring the systems and protocols that need to be in place to adhere to strict data security guidelines and prevent unauthorised data use
Enforcing compliance to ensure integrity in handling restricted data types

Zafar Issadeen
Manager – Business Information and Intelligence
Level Crossing Removal Project

16:00

PANEL DISCUSSION: How can the Australian public sector mitigate risk before, during and after the implementation of AI tools?

What are the critical steps in conducting comprehensive risk assessments before deploying AI tools?
How can control measures, such as data encryption and establishing security protocols, be effectively implemented to enhance data security in AI applications?
Can regular security audits and continuous monitoring help to mitigate emerging risks within AI tools and data vulnerability?
What are some of the most significant challenges and opportunities in managing the risks associated with AI implementation?

Moderator:

Kylie De Courteney
Managing Director
NSW Telco Authority

Panellists:

Paul White
Chief Information Officer
Port Macquarie Hastings Council