Shaping Australia's Role in AI Safety and Governance
7-8 July 2026 · The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Join us for this two-day interdisciplinary forum grounded in the science of AI safety as explored in the International AI Safety Report, as we bring together people from across research, government, industry and civil society to shape Australia's role in AI safety.
About the Forum
Since the 2024 forum, a major new edition of the International AI Safety Report has been published, Australia has established its AI Safety Institute, and the government has released the National AI Plan. The 2026 Forum builds on this momentum by gathering people across disciplinary lines to catalyse collaborations and advance the field in Australia.
Over two days, researchers, policymakers and practitioners will come together for a mix of presentations, workshops and structured discussions designed to build relationships, learn about the frontier of AI safety, surface disagreement, and move the field forward in Australia. You don't need to be a technical researcher to contribute; you just need to be willing to engage seriously, with curiosity and epistemic humility, on questions that don't yet have clear answers.
Some Questions We'll Explore
Technical AI Safety
What are the central technical challenges in making AI systems safe, and where is progress being made?
AI Governance
How should AI systems be governed, and what can Australia learn from international approaches?
Australia's Role
What are Australia's strengths in AI safety, and how can they be brought to bear?
Risk Assessment
How do we identify and assess risks from AI systems when the science itself is still evolving?
Evaluations & Testing
How do we measure what AI systems can do, and what counts as a meaningful safety evaluation?
Cross-Sector Dialogue
How can researchers, policymakers, and practitioners actually work together on AI safety?
Forum Format
Two days of keynotes, workshops, panels, and networking, with plenary and parallel sessions running side by side. Opening and closing sessions bring everyone together.
Presentations & Panels
Keynote presentations, invited talks, and panel discussions in the plenary room across both days
Workshops & Breakouts
Parallel workshop and breakout sessions running alongside the plenary program
Lightning Talks
Short, focused presentations on emerging research and ideas
Networking & Meetings
Structured networking sessions and the ability to book 1-on-1 meetings with other attendees
7–8 July 2026 • Full program will be published closer to the event
Join Us in 2026
Registration and proposals for the 2026 forum are open.
Submit a Proposal
Submit a proposal for a presentation, workshop, panel, lightning talk, or networking session.
Submit ProposalWatch 2024 Sessions
Introduction to the Forum - Liam Carroll
State of AI - Tiberio Caetano
Technical AI Safety - Daniel Murfet
State of AI Governance - Kimberlee Weatherall
Red-Teaming for Generative AI - Hoda Heidari
Accelerating AI Safety Talent - Ryan Kidd
Frontier AI Safety Governance - Seth Lazar
ASI Safety via AIXI - Marcus Hutter
2024 Forum Speakers
The 2026 speaker lineup will be announced closer to the event. Below are speakers from the 2024 forum.
Interested in contributing to the 2026 Forum?
Submit a Proposal
