Robotic dog and superstar ideas at AI Summit

THE Business NSW Northern Rivers AI, Tech and Innovation Summit held at Elements of Byron last month was hailed as a great success by organisers.

The summit explored artificial intelligence’s profound impact and the consequential business opportunities with an informative lineup of speakers.

The opening address from Mike Ewing of Southern Cross University set the stage with his real-world example.

That Monash University paid $900,000 for a logo redesign 20 years ago, which could now be done by AI and an intelligent human in less than 30 minutes, was an eye-opener to all attendees.

His take-home message for the crowd was that creativity was not a random process but followed rules and laws. Thus, AI and humans could put world-class tools into the hands of every small to medium enterprise (SME).

Celebrity presenter, broadcaster and mathematician Adam Spencer shared his nerds-eye view of AI and what to do about it.

Former NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital and co-founder of ServiceGen Victor Dominello delivered a keynote address on navigating the chaos in change.

Deloitte’s Jim Crisp spoke on how technology is reshaping the way businesses operate and scale.

Shedding light on the transformative power of AI in enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency across industries, Microsoft’s Brent O’Toole argued we were all co-pilots in the AI era.

Former CSIRO deputy chief scientist Jill Freyne shared groundbreaking advancements in AI’s applications in healthcare and the potential to revolutionise health outcomes worldwide.

The highlight of the day was Spot, the robotic dog that starred in the Northern Co-op Meat Company’s (formerly the Casino Food Co-op) presentation.

The Boston Dynamics-developed robot delighted and intrigued with its demonstration of how AI and robotics were revolutionising the food industry. The meat producer has used AI since before the acronym was common parlance and uses the technology in various areas, including workplace safety.

The co-op’s message to the audience was to avoid putting AI advancements in the too-hard basket and that making AI work for your business today would carry it into tomorrow.

To participate in future leading edge business innovation events for local business, visit businessnsw.com/regions/nsw-regions/northern-rivers