NextGen AI Conference 2026

NextGen AI Conference 2026

The NextGen AI Conference 2026 brings together researchers, technology leaders, founders and policymakers to explore the next stage of artificial intelligence under the theme “Beyond Generation: Agentic, Embodied, and Responsible AI.”

Featuring expert keynotes, technical presentations and industry panels, the conference will examine how AI is progressing from content generation to autonomous agents and intelligent physical systems—while addressing the governance, safety and accountability required for responsible deployment.

Register Here: https://www.melbconnect.com.au/events/nextgen-ai-conference-2026

Event details

• Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
• Time: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
• Venue: The Forum, Melbourne Connect, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton
• Host: AI Development Group
• Conference partners: MERSA and Ausdroid AI & Robotics Club

Speakers

• Professor Jeannie Marie Paterson — Professor of Law, University of Melbourne
• Dr Johan Barthélemy — Senior AI Scientist, NVIDIA AI Technology Centre
• Jitto Arulampalam — CEO and Co-Founder, RedOwl
• Brian Law — Senior Specialist Solutions Architect, Databricks
• Navinda Kottege — Research Director, Cyber-Physical Systems, CSIRO
• Sarah Barker — Head of Robotics Safety and Policy, Andromeda
• Justin Fong — Research Fellow, Human Robotics Lab, University of Melbourne
• Dr Muneera Bano — Principal Research Scientist and Science Team Lead, CSIRO’s Data61
• Fernando Mourao — Head of Responsible AI, SEEK
• Anna Jaffe — Head of Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Technology, Atlassian
• Dr Thomas Graham — AI Governance and Regulation, EY
• Samuel Marr — Senior Consultant, Data Risk and Trustworthy AI, Deloitte

Conference agenda

• Registration, welcome and opening remarks
• AI Ethics Keynote — Professor Jeannie Marie Paterson
• Agentic AI Keynote — Dr Johan Barthélemy
• Agentic AI presentations — Jitto Arulampalam and Brian Law
• Embodied AI Panel — Navinda Kottege, Sarah Barker and Dr Johan Barthélemy, moderated by Justin Fong
• Responsible AI Panel — Dr Muneera Bano, Fernando Mourao, Anna Jaffe and Dr Thomas Graham, moderated by Samuel Marr
• Closing remarks and networking