Programs & Events

AI: Productivity, Power & Prosperity

What happens when frontier models collide with hard industry problems? Compute, talent density, regulatory lag, how will these shape WA’s future? Two tech nerds go deep on the fears and the fantasies, pulling apart what’s hype, what’s real, and what choices we still have left to make.

Hear from two leaders in AI as they debate… well actually we don’t know what they will say:

• Jeroen Van Dalen Founder, technologist, chief tinkerer of all things AI. Back in December 2026 he made 14 AI predictions. How’d he do? ✓ 10 spot on 🟡 2 on the way ❌ 2 still loading Basically: the guy to listen to when the future is speeding toward us.

• Alex Jenkins Director at WA Data Science Innovation Hub, an advocate for Applied AI across Industry, Government Sectors, Academic Research, Health and Education.

Join the conversation shaping WA’s future. Because when it comes to AI, the questions matter just as much as the answers.

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.

AITAI hosted a research-focused AI roundtable at St Catherine’s College, Perth, bringing together academic researchers and industry representatives to strengthen Western Australia’s AI ecosystem. The session focused on developing a common voice for the state’s research community and sharing updates on ongoing AI projects.

Participants discussed collaboration opportunities, alignment on priorities, and ways to strengthen collective representation at national and international levels, with a strong emphasis on translating research into real-world impact.

We thank the following research leaders for their valuable contributions: Paul Maginn, Melanie Johnston-Hollitt, Renee Hallam, Alex Jenkins, Tom Ridsdill-Smith, Justin Strharsky, Sonny Pham, Zachary Aman, and Michael Small.

AITAI brought together Western Australian AI leaders at St Catherine’s College for the second San Francisco AI Mission roundtable. The session focused on preparing WA representatives for the AI Engineer World’s Fair in June, strengthening international connections, and aligning on how to showcase the state’s AI ecosystem globally. Participants discussed building long-term partnerships, capturing market insights, and returning with opportunities to support WA’s future AI growth.