Melbourne Foundational Models Meetup
Details
[REGISTER HERE] ( https://luma.com/seab43vn )
Australia is entering a new era of AI, one where sovereignty, infrastructure, and local capability matter more than ever.
Join our Foundational Models Meetup, where for our first event in the series, we’re excited to host Simon Kriss, CEO of Sovereign Australia AI, for a short talk on what it actually takes to build foundational models here in Australia.
While much of the global AI conversation is dominated by US and Chinese players, Sovereign Australia AI is working to develop foundational models locally, contributing to Australia’s capability in this rapidly evolving space.
Live demonstrations
We’ll also feature 2–3 short live demonstrations from local builders working directly with foundational models.
These will be practical walk-throughs of what teams are actually building. Each demo will be concise, technical where relevant, and focused on real-world insight.
What you'll learn:
- Why AI sovereignty is becoming a strategic priority
- What it really takes to build foundational models
- The challenges of infrastructure, capital, and talent in Australia
- Lessons learned from building at the frontier
- Where Australia fits in the global AI landscape
This event is designed for engineers, researchers, founders, and builders who want a grounded perspective on what’s happening beneath the surface of the AI boom.
Join us at Melbourne Connect for an evening of practical insights, honest reflections, and thoughtful discussion on the future of foundational AI in Australia.
Who should attend:
- AI engineers and researchers
- technically minded founders
- people working on model infra, tooling or data
- students and academics curious about foundational models
About SMEC AI
SMEC AI is an initiative of Boab AI in partnership with Artesian, Cremorne Digital Hub, University of Melbourne, RMIT, La Trobe University, Victorian Medtech Skills And Devices Hub, TNG and Rockwell.
SMEC AI focuses on the agriculture, clean energy, medical and enabling capabilities industries as defined by the National Reconstruction Fund priority areas.
The SMEC AI project and activities has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry Science and Resources AI Adopt program and is aimed at enhancing the adoption of artificial intelligence by small to medium enterprises in Australia.