Join us for System Error - a late night show at 6:30pm. We’re rethinking what a public lecture can be, and asking big questions about the role of technology in our society. Expect academic insight, humour, a little audience participation, a musical guest, and a new way to think about AI and the role it’s playing in our democracy.

Special guests to be announced soon.

Being Human 2025

This project was produced in collaboration with the 2025 Being Human Festival. Founded in the UK as the only national festival of the humanities, Being Human is now a global celebration dedicated to demonstrating the breadth, diversity and vitality of the humanities.

View the full Festival program here.

Your host....

Cory Alpert is a social psychologist and writer specialising in the intersection of artificial intelligence and democracy. With experience working on presidential campaigns and at the White House, Cory brings a unique perspective on how technology shapes societal trust and political engagement. His research focuses on how AI disrupts traditional democratic norms and explores ways to rebuild agency and efficacy in the age of algorithms. Cory is a regular columnist in The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, writing about technology, politics, and global issues. His columns have also appeared in The Straits Times (Singapore), the Kyiv Independent (Ukraine), the Post and Courier (USA), Haaretz (Israel), and Pursuit. He is a frequent commentator on Australian radio and television.