Virtual AI and Technology Forum
17 November 2026 | Virtual
How are organisations governing data, cyber risk and digital resilience as interconnected challenges, rather than siloed disciplines? As AI adoption accelerates, these areas are becoming increasingly interdependent, with decisions on data quality, system access and third-party platforms directly shaping both risk exposure and performance.
Driving intelligent use for transformative impact
The forum will move beyond high-level principles to focus on what boards need to see, question and gain confidence in. This includes how organisations are implementing AI governance models, where accountability sits when decisions are automated, and how risk appetite is translated into practical guardrails around use and oversight.
It will also explore the evolving nature of cyber and privacy risk in an AI-enabled environment — from generative AI and cloud platforms to data sovereignty, consent and information integrity. As AI becomes embedded in critical workflows, the discussion will examine how organisations assess threats, ensure “reasonable security” over time, and strengthen resilience across systems and supply chains.
Importantly, the forum will focus on what effective reporting looks like, which metrics matter at board level, and how organisations build assurance through testing, monitoring and escalation pathways.
Ultimately, AI, data and cyber are positioned not just as technology issues, but as core governance, risk and capability challenges — equipping leaders to oversee them with rigour while maintaining accountability, trust and resilience.
Program and speakers
10:00am – CEO Opening Address
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Katrina Horrobin, CEO, Governance Institute of Australia
Katrina has broad leadership and general management experience across various sectors including telecommunications, technology, superannuation, and education. She has worked for large, complex organisations overseeing operational and marketing activities, including Optus and AAPT, we well as been a founding leadership team member of three different start-up businesses in telecommunications and technology. |
10:10am – Keynote: Australia’s AI roadmap: Data Centres, workforce transition and national competitiveness
Join us for a keynote presentation from (TBC) that will lay out Australia’s economic future with AI. From policy to regulation, learn more about Australia’s strategic ambitions with AI. This session will introduce the strategic role data centres play in Australia’s economic future and examines the policy, infrastructure and governance decisions that will determine whether Australia can remain competitive in a hyper digitised global economy.
The session will consider how government, industry and investors can work together to build the digital infrastructure and human capability required to leverage AI securely, responsibly and ethically.
- Data Centres: Onshoring AI capability and the importance of data sovereignty
- A transitioning workforce: Keeping pace with skills and capabilities of the future with AI
- Policy and regulatory settings: building certainty in a complex environment
- AI Governance fundamentals: Why boards and executives are key to Australia’s future economic prosperity with AI
10:40am – Getting your Data AI ready
As organisations race to unlock the value of AI, success depends on the quality, governance and integrity of the data that underpins it. Drawing on insights from the Governance Institute’s latest Data Governance White Paper, this session explores what boards, and governance professionals need to do now to build strong data foundations for the future.
Key topics:
- Board oversight of data governance and AI
- Practical data governance frameworks and accountability structures
- Risk, compliance and assurance
- Emerging technologies and governance implications
- Operational challenges, data quality and lifecycle management
- The evolving role of governance professionals in a data-driven world
11:25 – Morning tea break
Morning tea break
11:50am – AI & Cyber Security
AI is transforming cyber security but it’s also supercharging cyber threats. From AI-powered defence tools to deepfakes, phishing and automated attacks, organisations must navigate a rapidly evolving risk landscape.
Key topics:
- AI as both a threat vector and cyber defence tool
- Emerging risks and regulatory posture: deepfakes, fraud and AI-enabled attacks
- How do organisations detect and manage data manipulation risks?
- Board oversight of AI and cyber risk
- Governance frameworks for safe and secure enterprise AI adoption
- Strengthening organisational resilience in an AI-driven world
12:40pm – Fireside Chat: Governing the Digital Workforce
AI is no longer just a tool; it’s becoming part of the workforce. Analysts forecast over 2 billion active AI agents deployed in enterprises globally by 2030. As organisations deploy agents to assist and automate, leaders must balance productivity gains with clear accountability structures, oversight mechanisms and risk management frameworks and guardrails.
Key discussion points:
- Augmenting human capabilities and the future of work
- Designing effective human–AI agent teams
- Are fragmented or “shadow AI” deployments increasing vulnerability?
- AI drift and early warning detection systems
- Defining authority boundaries for AI agents
- Rogue AI: Who’s accountable when AI goes rogue and ways to avoid it
Session Sponsor:
1:25pm – Break
Break
2:00pm – Debate: Does AI Need More Regulation or Less?
As organisations move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, opinions differ on what good governance looks like. Is stronger oversight through regulation the key to unlocking value, or is voluntary governance better for innovation?
In this lively debate, panellists will challenge conventional thinking on AI accountability, board oversight, privacy, data ownership and organisational responsibility.
Debate topics:
- Has AI governance become overly complex?
- Who should ultimately be accountable for AI—technology teams, executives or the board?
- Do organisations need formal AI governance frameworks before scaling AI?
- Is AI improving board decision-making, or introducing new risks and blind spots?
- Are privacy concerns overstated in the age of AI?
- Do organisations truly control their data if it resides in offshore cloud environments?
Alexie Obrien. Managing Director Leadership Academy.AI
Session Sponsor:
3:00pm – Break
Break
3:25pm – Executive accountability and the role of the board
- How can directors demonstrate that AI-driven decisions are reasonable, lawful and aligned with intent
- Director duties and AI
- Accountability across the AI value chain: from developer to user
- Oversight of agentic and autonomous AI systems
- Preparing for evolving regulatory and community expectations
Marcus Zeltzer, Founder , Yellow Canary
Session Sponsor:
4:05pm – Frontier AI: emerging behaviours, innovations and use cases
- Novel AI capabilities: from self-directed problem solving to agent collaboration
- Multi-modal agentic systems
- Real world case studies: from productivity to transformation
- The value race: seeking ROI through responsible deployment
- How businesses are approaching frontier AI adoption
4:50pm – Closing remarks
Closing remarks
Cost
| Member | $150 |
| Non-member | $215 |
| Prices include GST | |
Proudly sponsored by:
