Architects of Our AI Future: AITAI Officially Launches at St Catherine's College

On the evening of 11 March, leaders from academia, industry and the broader innovation community came together at St Catherine's College to mark a milestone: the official launch of AITAI - the Australian Institute of Transformation and AI.

The event, Architects of Our AI Future, was more than a celebration. It was a signal that Western Australia is ready to take an active role in shaping how AI is adopted - responsibly, productively, and with purpose.

A Night of Vision and Conversation

The evening was led by Fiona Crowe and AITAI Founder and Director Jeroen van Dalen, whose vision and leadership have been central to bringing the Institute to life.

We were honoured to have Hon Stephen Dawson MLC officially open the event, setting the tone for a night of ambitious and grounded conversation about the future we want to build together.

Keynote addresses followed from three distinguished voices in science and policy. Hon Dr Parwinder Kaur MLC spoke to the intersection of technology, policy and community. Professor Sharath Sriram, Chief Scientist of Western Australia, shared his perspective on the state's role in the national AI landscape. Professor Zachary Aman explored the practical challenges and opportunities of AI adoption across sectors.

Each speaker brought a different lens, but a shared conviction: that WA has a meaningful role to play in Australia's AI future, and that now is the time to act.

From the Floor

One of the highlights of the evening was the quality of discussion from the floor. We thank Alex Jenkins, Cara Fugill, Elizabeth Knight, Hannah Fitzhardinge MAICD, Mark Stickells AM, Josh Snow and Caitlin McKeown for their thoughtful remarks and questions, which reflected the depth and diversity of the AITAI community.

The conversation ranged widely, from how organisations actually adopt AI, to the role of education, research and industry collaboration in building WA's capability. It was exactly the kind of exchange AITAI was created to foster.

What AITAI Is Building

AITAI has been growing at pace. Since establishing our home at St Catherine's College, we've launched a series of programs designed to move AI adoption from conversation into action: an AI Adoption Research Program studying how organisations actually adopt AI; an AITAI Fellows Program engaging academics and industry professionals in applied AI leadership; LaunchLAB AI, Australia's first AI incubator supporting early-stage AI builders; and a Frontier Community bringing together practitioners, researchers and leaders working at the edge of what's possible with AI.

We're also building meaningful collaborations with The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and North Metropolitan TAFE, partnerships that will help ensure AI capability grows across the ecosystem.

Thank You

None of this would have been possible without St Catherine's College, Fiona Crowe and the St Catherine's College Board, whose belief in AITAI's mission has given the Institute the foundation it needed to launch.

Thank you to every person who joined us on the night, and to all those whose support, encouragement and hard work have helped bring AITAI to life.

We're just getting started.