AI and Society

AWS Programming and Tools is hosting a special Kiro Night, a practical, fun, and fully hands on learning event focused on the Kiro Agentic IDE. This session is designed to be interactive and engaging, with two learning paths to choose from. A guided path will walk through the fundamentals, while an active path will have you building an application end to end. Whichever you choose, you will be coding along throughout the session. Expect a relaxed, builder friendly atmosphere with food and drinks provided. Perfect for anyone curious about agentic development or looking to learn Kiro in a practical way with the community. Bring your laptop and be ready to get hands on.

This is the World Premiere, please check in - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/world-premiere-tell-me-more-unlocking-quantum-consciousness-tickets-1963694691684 We will meet in the Nova Bar from 5:30 p.m. onwards, please book your tickets early, Stefan - 0437777522

**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS:** This group is suitable for an intermediate/advanced type player. You need to be able to play a good level of tennis to participate. Beginners should participate in the Monday program. **YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER AND PAY VIA THE ATTACHED LINK TO SECURE YOUR SPOT:** https://play.tennis.com.au/RoyalParkTennisClub/Coaching **Players who just register their interest on Meetup, do not have their spots secured and may miss out.** **Registration Opens:** 6 Days in advance at 9am **Registration Closes:** Close 6pm the day *before* the event. This is to finalise player numbers and organise a playing roster. **Social Tennis Structure:** * Location: Royal Park Tennis Club (333 The Avenue, Parkville, Melbourne) * Day: Wednesday * Time: 7.00pm-9.00pm Cost: $18 for Non-Members, $12 for Members. * Participants will play 3 sets of tennis: emphasis on having a good hit of tennis, getting some exercise and making friends. * After each set, participants will rotate around. * Balls are provided each week. * Racquets are available for hire if required. * Some refreshments are available for purchase. * Please remember to wear shoes suitable for tennis! * Maximum of 16 spots for each session.

Hi Architects, Welcome to our first AWS Melbourne Well-Architected User Group Meetup for 2026, including more exceptional speakers and topics! :-D At each meetup we covered off various pillars in detail, best-practices and insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. And giving away drones, of course. Lots of drones. Our speakers this month include: * **Mystery Speaker** **Can Cost Optimisation Improve your other pillars?** In this talk, we'll go through whether Cost Optimisation can improve your security, operational excellence, reliability, etc. and more importantly, how (spoiler alert - it can but it will be an interesting exploration). This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer: Nastro Azzurro * Wine: Big and red 🤤 NB: Please check in up the stairs from the ground floor to the Mezzanine Level. So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm **SHARP** start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-)

Join the Docker Melb Crew for a deep dive into the next frontier of AI: **Agentic Systems**. We are moving beyond simple chatbots to discuss how to build, containerize, and deploy autonomous agents that can plan, reason, and act. This session brings together Melbourne’s engineers and architects to discuss the unique challenges of running multi-agent workflows. We will explore how containerization provides the isolation and scalability needed for complex agentic architectures. **🚀 Powered by: The DGX Spark** We will demonstrate what happens when Agentic AI meets extreme compute. See how agent workloads perform when accelerated by the **NVIDIA DGX Spark** (GB10 Blackwell / CUDA 13). We will look less at the metal and more at how this level of throughput unlocks real-time reasoning and massive parallel agent execution and prototyping. **📅 Agenda:** * **Networking & Food:** Connect with the local AI and Cloud-Native community. * **Topic 1:** **Prototyping Local AI Agents with Docker and DGX Spark** Learn how to use the Docker ecosystem to build private, powerful AI agents that live on your own hardware, by [Thiago Shimada Ramos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiago4go/), Docker Captain * **Topic 2: First Steps with Containers** Short, fast-paced lightning talks from new Docker users sharing their first projects. * **Containerised ELT Architecture** * *Speaker:* [Rodrigues Lopes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigueslopesdataarchiect/), Data Architect (D2i Consulting) * *What you will learn:* A real-world guide to Modern Data Architecture * **Socializing:** Huge networking opportunity to discuss your AI stacks. **📍 Logistics:** * **Date:** Thursday, February 12, 2026 * **Location:** Microsoft Office, Melbourne * **Time:** 5:30 PM (Doors Open) **Who should attend?** AI Engineers, DevOps professionals, and System Architects looking to build and scale autonomous agent systems using modern container standards.

—— DETAIL —— We will meet at the starting point, take a short stroll to a cute cafe by the Yarra River. We will grab a bite/ coffee and hang there. We will head back to the starting point after. Dress for comfort. If this is your first event, come along & simply say, "Hi, it's my first time joining the group event." or ask the organiser to introduce you. You can take it slow and start from there. If you're regular, take the opportunity to get to know others you've met before. Feel free to continue the conversation over coffee/ lunch after the walk. **\-\-\- Running Late \-\-\-** If you are running late, please message at least 30 mins in advance. We will wait up to 15 mins before heading off. We won't be able to keep track of messages once we start. **\-\-\- RSVP / Change of Plan \-\-\-** Change of plan or decide not to attend is absolutely okay. Please do update your RSVP to "NO", so others can have the opportunity to attend. **\-\-\- Intro \-\-\-** Kudos to Friends….Expand Your Social Circle Meetup group is a community of individuals who prefer to take it slow to get to know each other overtime in Melbourne. Join us on a fun journey as we explore cafes, restaurants and bars, including drinks, meals, outings, chilling, cultural exchange, etc. Above all, we’d like to celebrate the importance of friendships. So if you are looking to expand your social circle and explore new adventures and venues in Melbourne, come join us! **\-\-\- WhatsApp Group \-\-\-** We use WhatsApp for more fluid communication, including ideas, interest groups, questions etc. Please let the organizer know if you would like to be added to the WhatsApp Group at the event. We will send an invite to attendees to the group. (give us some time) **\-\-\- Rules \-\-\-** Admin will only add members to the group with a clear profile picture. (No hidden behind sunglasses, masks, drawings) **You might be removed from the group in the case of…** * no show * without a clear profile picture * anti-social behaviour (i.e. acts rude / disrespectful regularly) * take advantage of individuals for personal gain(s) **\-\-\- Privacy \-\-\-** Do not disclose your contact number in this post comment. We will delete your comment/info as soon as we see it to protect your privacy.

RSVP at https://www.meetup.com/melbourne-docker-user-group/events/312985492/ Join the Docker Melb Crew for a deep dive into the next frontier of AI: **Agentic Systems**. We are moving beyond simple chatbots to discuss how to build, containerize, and deploy autonomous agents that can plan, reason, and act. This session brings together Melbourne’s engineers and architects to discuss the unique challenges of running multi-agent workflows. We will explore how containerization provides the isolation and scalability needed for complex agentic architectures. **🚀 Powered by: The DGX Spark** We will demonstrate what happens when Agentic AI meets extreme compute. See how agent workloads perform when accelerated by the **NVIDIA DGX Spark** (GB10 Blackwell / CUDA 13). We will look less at the metal and more at how this level of throughput unlocks real-time reasoning and massive parallel agent execution and prototyping.

A relaxed weekday evening 5 km run around **Albert Park Lake**. Easy pace, social vibe, beginner-friendly. This is a **casual, social 5 km run** designed for weekday evenings — something you can show up to after work without psyching yourself up. We’ll run at a **comfortable, conversational pace**, stick together, and keep it welcoming for all levels. Running, jogging, or mixing in walking breaks is completely fine. The goal is movement and company, not stats. Many people join solo. That’s normal here. If you still have energy afterward, there’s an **optional** chance to continue the evening by heading into the city for a **[free Candlelight Concert](https://www.meetup.com/en-au/melbourne-weekday-social-meetup/events/313199782/?eventOrigin=group_events_list)**[ (this is a separate event)](https://www.meetup.com/en-au/melbourne-weekday-social-meetup/events/313199782/?eventOrigin=group_events_list). Totally up to you — you’re equally welcome to call it a night after the run. **Plan** * 5:45 pm — Meet & quick hellos * 6:00 pm — Start the 5 km loop together (easy pace, regroup as needed) * 6:45 pm — Optional stretch, chat, or casual walk for those keen * 7:00 pm — Wrap up the run After this, you’re welcome to join me and others heading into the city for a **[free Candlelight Concert](https://www.meetup.com/en-au/melbourne-weekday-social-meetup/events/313199782/)**[ (separate event)](https://www.meetup.com/en-au/melbourne-weekday-social-meetup/events/313199782/). You’re free to call it a night or continue on — totally optional and pressure-free. We’ll keep it flexible and human-friendly throughout. **What to Bring** * Comfortable running or walking shoes * Water * Layers if it’s cool * A normal, uncompetitive attitude **Good to Know** * This is not a race or a coached session * We run at the pace of the slowest runner * Walking breaks are completely fine If you’ve been meaning to move more on weekdays but didn’t want a high-intensity or cliquey setup, this is exactly that middle ground. **Meeting Point:** Outside **[Sir Albert Cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/P3sKNmsY5frBHiKw5)** (MSAC) at **5:45 pm**. I’ll post a photo of myself once I arrive. If you’re running late, please message your ETA beforehand — we won’t be able to wait too long once we start.

A deep dive into the People-first Leadership domain of the Business Agility model What leadership behaviours are necessary for your organisation to remain competitive in today's era of AI adoption — where technology is advancing faster than organisational leadership systems can adapt. In this interactive 60-minute session, you will deep dive into the People-first Leadership domain of the Business Agility Institute’s Business Agility Model, examining how leadership must evolve to enable effective, ethical, and sustainable AI adoption. AI doesn’t just change tools and processes — it reshapes decision-making, accountability, trust, learning, and power dynamics. This session explores how the leadership domain addresses those shifts through its underlying capabilities and observable behaviors, including: • Fostering authentic relationships in environments increasingly mediated by AI • Empowering with accountability when decisions are augmented (or automated) • Realising people’s potential as learning, judgment, and creativity become the human differentiators This is not a theory-heavy talk. The session is designed around dialogue, reflection, and shared experience, drawing on what participants are seeing firsthand as AI enters their organisations. What you’ll gain: • A clear leadership lens for navigating AI adoption beyond tools and frameworks • Insight into which leadership behaviors accelerate AI-enabled value • Practical takeaways and leadership experiments you can apply immediately The session will be facilitated by Leo Marando, leadership coach, experienced organisational design & transformation consultant, and co-organiser of MelBAM. Pizza and drinks will be provided, thanks to our sponsor, TeamForm 🍕🍻 — because the best learning happens through great conversations (and with a full stomach). Come ready to think, share, and rethink what leadership means in the age of AI.

🧗Climbing, onwards and upwards to the Pub: A Vertical Social Adventure Eat Drink Dance Melbourne – Social Rock Climbing Night Hardrock Climbing, Swanston St (CBD) Thursday 8 January 2026 – Subject to venue timetables (stay tuned!) **Venue information** inc costs. [Hard Rock Climbing](https://www.hardrock.com.au/prices/) You will need to purchase entry and at a minimum also a rock climbing harness, you also have the option to hire climbing shoes (for a better experience) and chalk although these are not exactly necessary if you are new to the sport. Ready to swap the dance floor for a climbing wall and flirt with gravity for a couple of hours? Join us for Climbing to Pub, a fun, social, slightly chaotic vertical adventure right in the heart of Melbourne. We’ll spend around 2 hours at Hardrock Melbourne (CBD) scaling colourful walls, cheering each other on, and discovering which muscles we forgot existed. Afterwards, for those who want to keep the good vibes rolling, we’ll wander over to Captain Melville for dinner and drinks from 9pm—because nothing says “I conquered a wall” like a cold beverage and a hearty feed. --- What to Bring - Water (hydration = happiness) - Comfortable, stretchy clothes - Runners (or hire climbing shoes for a much better grip-and-zip experience) - A big carbohydrate snack to keep the energy flowing - Your best “I swear I’m not afraid of heights” attitude --- For First‑Timers & New Gym Climbers If you’ve never climbed before—or you’re new to Hardrock—you’ll need to complete a compulsory safety induction. The friendly staff will outfit you with a harness and teach you how to belay safely (aka: how to hold your climbing partner’s life in your hands with confidence and charm). We’ll be doing roped climbing, so teamwork is part of the fun. --- A Note from Your (Very Rusty) Host Once upon a time I was a climbing and mountaineering instructor… and then came lockdowns, injuries, hand surgeries, and a long break from the vertical arts. So I’ll be right there with you on the baby beginner climbs, laughing, wobbling, and rediscovering my forearms. No pressure, no ego—just a group of friendly humans having a go. --- What to Expect - A fun, flirty, low‑stakes social atmosphere - Lots of cheering, laughing, and “wait, how do I get down?” moments - A guaranteed dose of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) if you haven’t exercised in a while - A perfect warm‑up for the group’s cycling rides if you want to get those muscles activated Climbing is one of the best social sports around—shared challenge, shared triumph, and plenty of opportunities to chat between climbs. Whether you’re a seasoned wall‑scrambler or a total newbie, you’re welcome. Let’s climb, laugh, flirt with gravity… and then wander to the pub. If you do not get there on time ask at reception for the Meetup group run by Mark **_Pleaee Note_**:Please ensure that you remove yourself from the RSVP list if you can't make it, and let other people on the waitlist, if there is one, onto the event. I tend to remove no shows and flakes from the group for special events like this

### **The Vibe** Are you curious about AI and automation, or are you already building complex workflows in **n8n**? Join us for a casual, after-work gathering in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. This is an "open floor" event—no rigid slides or formal pitches. Just a group of locals grabbing a drink and talking about how we use n8n to reclaim our time and supercharge our businesses. ### **Who This Is For** * **The Curious/Newbie:** If you’ve heard of n8n but haven't started yet, come see what’s possible. No question is too basic! * **The Pro/Builder:** Share your latest "Agentic" workflows, swap tips on self-hosting, or help troubleshoot a tricky expression. * **The Business Owner:** See how Melbourne SMEs are using automation to handle lead gen, reporting (Looker Studio), and internal apps (AppSheet)

**\*\*\*\* More details and sign up at: https://aifalliance.org/summit-2026/ \*\*\*\*** **What is AI Freedom Alliance?** AI Freedom Alliance promotes the responsible growth of AI guided by practical, commonsense ethics. Our nonprofit is built by professionals from a wide range of industries and is made up entirely of small- and mediumbusiness representatives—never large tech companies. We provide a counterbalance to big corporate influence, focusing instead on how AI can benefit businesses and the world at large. **What’s Happening?** ***The inaugural AI Freedom Alliance Summit.*** This full-day event will explore how we can ensure AI is adopted responsibly through shared ethical standards that empower humanity. The summit will feature interactive and educational sessions led by thought leaders, technologists, policymakers, and advocates who are passionate about making AI fair, transparent, and beneficial for everyone. **Why Attend?** Learn about the legal and technical challenges with implementing AI solutions within your organization. Build better solutions while protecting your organization from legal and compliance risks. And learn how to think strategically about AI as a differentiation tool for your business. This summit is highly recommended for C-Suite leaders to learn as well as interact with each other and our sponsors.

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message **Chris (the organizer)** with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

This is an in-person meeting. At this meeting you will get answers to depression and anxiety. Find out the source of them and how to get rid of them. Did you know that unwanted emotions like anxiety, depression, unhappiness, loneliness, hopelessness, anger, fear, or feelings of irritation don’t just fall on you for no reason. They are not random occurrences that simply happen to people's minds. They are definitely not due to a chemical imbalance in your brain from some nebulous chemical reaction "by chance". Your negative emotions are the symptoms of the painful experiences that you have which are not healed, and which are still affecting you. The effects of these painful experiences are exacerbated by the pressures or difficulties of the other problems in your life. Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio and Church of Scientology of Central Ohio.

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

[Social Softball 2026 - Calendar - Columbus Ski Club](https://www.columbusskiclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=686961&item_id=2871538&actr=3) CSC Softball is a competitive but friendly co-ed league. This is CSC’s largest activity with over 200 participants. Each team typically consists of 6 men and 6 women players. Some teams also have a Non-Playing Assistant (NPA) who helps keep score and organize cookouts. **2026 Regular Season:** Thursdays April 30th - July 30th 6:15pm/7:15pm \*No games the week of July 4th\* **End of Season Tournament:** August 8th-August 9th (All Day) \*5 Game Min., 7 Game Max\* **Location:** Anheuser Busch Fields 4990 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH 43214 **Ratings Clinic:** March 14th or March 21st 10:30am - 11:30am @ Busch Fields \*All New Players must attend 1 of the clinics\* **Team Accouncements:** April 3rd 6:00pm @ Coaches Bar & Grill **Team Practice Dates:** April 16th & April 23rd **Fees:** Coach/Player - $72 Sponsor - $310 Non Playing Assistant/Party Coordinator/Base Coach - $25

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

Sunday Lunch at Little Grand. Something for everyone at their Eatery. Enjoy a variety of culinary delights from Vietnamese and Italian to Cuban and Korean cuisines satisfying any craving. The market also boast two bars, serving craft cocktails & local brews.