The AI Revolution: Where Data Science Goes Next

Welcome back to Data Science Melbourne after a few months away. We couldn't think of a better way to kick off the second half of the year than by exploring the biggest force reshaping our industry today: AI.

This evening, we'll hear from three experienced practitioners who will examine the AI revolution from complementary perspectives: from how AI is transforming the role of data science professionals, to practical techniques for building effective AI-assisted workflows, to placing today's revolution in the broader context of decades of innovation in data science and artificial intelligence.

Whether you're looking to make better use of AI in your day-to-day work, understand how your career is evolving, or reflect on where this technology is ultimately taking us, tonight promises to offer plenty of insights and thought-provoking discussion.

Talk 1

Aaron McAleese is a data analytics consultant who has worked on a wide range of projects across Australia, NZ and Europe. Recent work has been with Block, Bupa, Rip Curl and the Salvation Army. He prides himself on a very pragmatic approach focused on bridging gaps between data and good strategic decisions. He has seen many changes over the years, but never such transformation as that driven by AI in reshaping analytics and data science more broadly. This makes it a very exciting time to be involved.

Aaron will explore the unique aspects of AI and how he has seen a massive advancement in data analytics, particularly in opening up access for decision makers to great insights. Although this has seen the role of the traditional analyst diminish, it opens up exciting opportunities for those willing to adapt and broaden their skill base. Aaron will dig into the why he sees the future analytics professional as a critical hub in any organsiation and gives tips of how analysts can shape themsevles into these future roles.

Talk 2

Brodie Norfolk is a Senior Data Scientist with a PhD in Astrophysics and a background spanning applied maths, statistics, machine learning, optimisation, and production data systems.
At Xero, he works on GenAI across Customer Feedback and SRE, building systems for feedback routing, LLM evaluation, observability insights, and conversational access to business metrics.

Brodie will share practical patterns for getting real leverage from AI in data science: moving from ad hoc prompting to validated workflows that can be taught, reused, and shared.
The talk covers how to accelerate your own work with AI-assisted planning, coding, review, and validation, then turn those patterns into reusable team assets, tools, and agentic workflows.

Talk 3

Michael Brand has been a Data Scientist since 1992, and is director and founder of Data Science consultancy "Otzma Analytics" since 2018, before which he served as Chief Data Scientist at Telstra and in similar positions internationally at Pivotal, Verint Systems, INCERT GIE and PrimeSense (the company that developed the XBox Kinect). Academically, he is an Adjunct Professor of Computing Technologies at RMIT, before which he served as Associate Professor of Data Science and AI at Monash University and as Director of the Monash Centre for Data Science.

In this short talk, Michael will leverage three plus decades of work in Data Science and AI to connect some dots and draw the picture of the longer history of the revolution we are now witnessing: what events were long in the making, which are age-old stories repeating, and what does it all tell us about the future? The answers are likely to surprise you: they include politics, stock markets, auto insurance and some physical inevitabilities.

Sponsor:
A big thank you to our new sponsor, Tech & Data People, for their support and for providing us with food and drinks for this event.
Tech and Data People (TDP) are a leading provider of recruitment services specialising in Technology and Data Analytics. With a dedicated team of experienced recruiters and an industry-leading network of professionals, they excel in connecting top talent with leading organisations across Australia. For more information head here

Location
Mantel Group
Level 2/452 Flinders St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Follow the sign when you enter and make your way to 2nd floor of the building

Schedule
5:30 - Networking with Pizzas & Drinks
6:00 - Aaron's talk
6:20 - Q&A for Aaron's talk
6:30 - Brodie's talk
6:50 - Q&A for Brodie's talk
7:00 - Michael's talk
7:20 - Q&A for Michael's talk
7:30 - More networking
8:00 - Wrap up