New Technology and Democracy: Compatible Companions or Awkward Bedfellows?

What threats and opportunities do emerging technologies (including AI) pose to Australian democracy and what can the Australian government do?

In a recent speech on ‘AI in Australia’s interests’, the Prime Minister promoted a dual vision in which Australia’s stable democracy would be a critical drawcard for international investors in AI, while appropriate AI regulation could ensure that AI supports Australian democracy and reflects Australia’s democratic values of progress and fairness. A critical question arises, however, as to whether AI, and new technologies more broadly, support or hinder democracy and social cohesion. Our expert panellists will consider this issue and discuss the impact of recent technological trends on the viability and sustainability of Australian democracy.

Critical concerns include risks at an individual level, including problems of privacy and surveillance; risks to the information ecosystem arising from misinformation and disinformation; and broader social and systemic risks, including concerns about sovereignty, security, and the gradual erosion of social cohesion and trust.

Date: Thursday 03 September

Time:

5.30pm - Registrations open, networking & refreshments
6.00pm - Pannel commences 
7.00pm - Networking and refreshments
8.00pm - Event concludes

Location:

UTS Building 8: Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

Level 3 Foyer (direct access available from The Goods Line)

14-28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo NSW, Australia

Panellists:

Carl Rhodes is Professor of Business and Society at UTS Business School. Carl researches the relationship between liberal democracy and contemporary capitalism. This work questions and endeavours to reformulate the role of business in society so prosperity can be shared by all. He is also the founder and director of the new Ultimo Institute which brings together research, policy and practice to reimagine the relationship between business, power, democracy and inequality, and shape fairer and more democratic economic futures.

Wendy Lam works at the intersection of law, technology and policy, helping organisations translate responsible AI principles into practical governance systems. At KPMG Australia’s Trusted AI Office, she supports product processes, risk frameworks and organisational capability for teams developing and deploying AI. Wendy has also contributed to research on AI regulation, digital platforms and gender-sensitive regulatory design through the UTS Human Technology Institute, UTS Centre for Media Transition and UTS Faculty of Law. As a current auDA Internet Governance Fellow, she is exploring the legitimacy of multistakeholder approaches to AI governance amid growing geopolitical and corporate influence. Her interests include human-centred regulation, corporate accountability and the implementation of rights-based safeguards.

Sophie Farthing is the Head of Responsible Technology Programs at UTS’s Human Technology Institute. She is a public policy expert with extensive experience in the not-for-profit, campaigning and government sectors in Australia and the United Kingdom. A human rights lawyer, her areas of interest and expertise include the accountable and responsible use of new and emerging technologies. In her previous role as the Senior Policy Adviser to the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Sophie led the Human Rights and Technology Project at the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2017 to 2021. Sophie currently serves on the Advisory Group for the research program Gendering the law: Work, Technology, Health & Safety, led by Professor Ramona Vijeyarasa, UTS Chair of Gender and the Law.

Aubrey Blanche is an AI ethicist, the founder of The Mathpath, and Director of Ethical Advisory & Strategic Partnerships at The Ethics Centre. Her current focus is on enabling ethical decision-making around AI deployment and supporting organisational transformation across technical systems and the humans within them. She was an executive at Atlassian and Culture Amp, is a masters student at the University of Cambridge in AI Ethics, and holds degrees in Political Science from Northwestern and Stanford Universities. Her previous research focused on the privatisation of democratic military operations and the role of international media in accountability for civilian death in democratic military operations. 

We'd love to have you join us.
This event is part of the UTS Faculty of Law’s Tech + Social Justice Week. To engage in more events and opportunities within the areas of Legal Tech and Social Justice visit: Law Tech + Social Justice Week

Students engaging in the Brennan Program can self-claim 5 ROJ points by registering and attending this event. If you have any queries about this week, email Law.StudentPrograms@uts.edu.au.