What's Hot in Tech: Emerging Technology and the Human-AI Interface
Description
What's Hot in Tech: Emerging Technology and the Human-AI Interface
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept - it's already changing how we work, learn, communicate, create and make decisions.
But as technology evolves at an unprecedented pace, important questions remain. How should humans and AI work together? Where does technology add value, and where does human judgement remain essential? What emerging technologies should we be paying attention to now, and how will they shape the future of work, innovation and society?
Join Women 4 STEM for the next instalment of our popular What's Hot in Tech series as we explore the rapidly evolving relationship between people and technology.
This thought-provoking evening will bring together industry leaders, technology experts and innovators to discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, human-centred design, automation, ethics, workforce transformation and the future of human-AI collaboration.
Whether you're a technology professional, business leader, student, researcher or simply curious about what comes next, this event will provide valuable insights into one of the most important conversations shaping our future.
Event Details
📅 Thursday 1 October 2026
⏰ 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Note: event opens for networking from 5:30pm, speakers start at 6pm sharp.
📍 AGL Energy, 699 Bourke Street, Docklands VIC 3008
How What's Hot in Tech Events Work
What's Hot in Tech events are designed to be interactive, insightful and genuinely engaging.
The evening begins with keynote presentations from industry experts, followed by a moderated panel discussion that explores diverse perspectives, emerging trends and real-world applications of the topic.
What makes these events unique is our roundtable discussion format. Throughout the evening, guest speakers rotate between tables, giving attendees the opportunity to participate in smaller group conversations, ask questions directly, and explore ideas in greater depth.
This dynamic format creates meaningful opportunities for learning, discussion and networking, ensuring every attendee has the chance to engage directly with industry leaders and fellow professionals.
Join us as we explore what's next in technology — and what it means to be human in an increasingly AI-enabled world.
Catered Event
Speakers to be announced.
Proudly Hosted By
Home of What's Hot in Tech 2026
How What’s Hot in Tech events work
What’s Hot in Tech events are designed to be interactive, insightful, and genuinely engaging. Each evening features keynote speakers who share expert perspectives and real-world experience, followed by a moderated panel discussion exploring diverse viewpoints on the topic.
What makes these events unique is our roundtable format - guest speakers move between tables throughout the session, giving attendees the opportunity to participate in smaller group conversations, ask questions directly, and dive deeper into ideas. This rotating discussion style creates a more personal, dynamic learning experience while also making networking easy and meaningful.
Proudly Sponsored By
Lineup
Ajay Satyan PSM GAICD
Ajay Satyan is a senior public sector technology executive with over 15 years' experience leading digital transformation, technology strategy and enterprise operations across the Australian Public Service and Victorian Government. He currently serves as Executive Director of Corporate Services at EPA Victoria, where he recently led the successful integration of Recycling Victoria into EPA across eight sites. Ajay's executive career spans Executive Director of Corporate Services at the Environment Protection Authority, Chief Technology Officer at the Environment Protection Authority, Chief Information Officer at the National Disability Insurance Agency, General Manager of NDIS Markets Reform, inaugural Executive Director of the Whole of Victorian Government Grants Centre, and Acting Deputy Secretary at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. He also brings a personal connection to the ATO, having served as Director, Service Management and Team Lead, Change and Release Management earlier in his career. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in the King's Birthday Honours 2023 for his leadership of Victoria's COVID-19 economic support program, and holds a Graduate qualification with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Ajay recently completed the Artificial Intelligence Programme at Oxford Saïd Business School, and holds dual Masters degrees from the Australian National University in Computing (Software Engineering) and Business (Project Management). Ajay brings a practitioner's perspective on leading technology and organisational change at the executive level, and looks forward to contributing to this year's Live Case Study on AI and government.
Nichola Quail
Nichola Quail, a Global Insights Strategist, Research Specialist, and Demography Expert, is the Founder and CEO of Insights Exchange, a platform that connects businesses with a global network of on-demand research specialists. With over two decades of experience, she delivers game-changing data and insights to leading brands including Xero, Dentsu, The Trade Desk, Life360, and Panasonic. She has grown her company from a small start-up in 2020 to a global enterprise with 35+ researchers across Australia, Southeast Asia, North America, the UK, and Europe. Nichola won a 2026 Bronze Stevie® for Thought Leader of the Year (Business Services) at The International Business, following her 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards winner for Innovative Achievement in Thought Leadership. She is passionate about the Professional Gig Economy and AI's influence on market research; and is on the board of QRCA, the SheisAI Advisory Board and founding member of the AI Marketers Guild APAC.
Laura Affat
Laura Affat is an enterprise technology strategist and Account Executive at Splunk (a Cisco company), based in Melbourne, Australia. Combining a technical background in software engineering with over a decade of industry leadership across IT, observability, and cybersecurity, Laura partners with major enterprise organizations to navigate complex digital transformations, scale data-driven automation, and build lasting operational resilience. As emerging technologies and agentic architectures reshape how organizations operate, Laura is deeply focused on the human-AI interface—advocating for systems that enhance human decision-making through collaborative, ethical, and human-centric design. Beyond her corporate work, Laura is a dedicated champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the STEM landscape. She actively mentors emerging talent through initiatives such as Mentor Walks and is also an advocate for women’s fitness/strength training and overall mental health through support of the Push-Up challenge. She brings a practical, forward-looking perspective on how leaders can harness AI to empower people and drive meaningful innovation.
Kristin Wasley
Kristin Wasley is the Manager, Environmental Audit at EPA Victoria, where she leads the state's environmental audit program. Since 2023, she has overseen the appointment and regulation of independent environmental auditors across the following disciplines: contaminated land, industry, landfill and wind energy. Kristin leads a specialist team responsible for developing environmental audit guidance and working collaboratively with industry, environmental auditors, government agencies and other stakeholders to ensure the program remains effective, risk-based and fit for purpose. With more than 25 years of experience across government, consultancy and industry, Kristin has held senior leadership, regulatory and policy roles in environmental protection, contaminated land and regulatory reform. Her career spans Australia and Sweden, including engineering work in the chemical industry, wastewater treatment and waste to energy. Kristin holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where her postgraduate research focused on fluidised bed reactor technology for treating process water at the Sävenäs Waste-to-Energy Facility in Gothenburg. Drawing on experience from both European industry and Australian environmental regulation, she brings a unique perspective on waste-to-energy innovation, sustainable resource recovery and the role of regulation in supporting environmental outcomes.
Jessica Davies
Jessica is a data, analytics and technology leader passionate about helping organisations use data and emerging technologies safely, effectively and with purpose. She brings more than 20 years’ experience spanning government, transport, utilities, sport, finance and not-for-profit sectors, tackling complex data and technology challenges at the intersection of strategy, people and innovation. With bachelor’s degrees in Geomatic Engineering and Computer Science and a PhD combining the two disciplines, Jessica has a strong technical foundation complemented by extensive experience leading organisational transformation. She has built high-performing data and insights teams, developed data and AI strategies, established data governance and literacy programs, and introduced analytics and business intelligence capabilities to support better decision-making. Jessica helps organisations to harness AI and emerging technologies while maintaining human judgement, accountability, trust and good governance. She brings a practical perspective on what it takes to move beyond technology hype and turn new capabilities into meaningful, responsible outcomes.
Dr. Anamika Sharma
Dr. Anamika Sharma is a published author, educator, researcher and creative artist with over 15 years of experience in Linguistics and higher education across India, Middle east, Japan and Australia. A passionate advocate for student voice and academic success, she has taught and inspired international learners across diverse educational settings. Her current work explores AI in academia and the Human-AI interface, with a focus on how technology can enhance, not diminish human learning, language judgement and connection. She is also a theatre artist, scriptwriter and performer, using storytelling, humor and the arts to engage audience with social issues and human experiences. Her journey with communication began early as a radio jockey with All India Radio, where she discovered the power of voice and storytelling to connect with people. Across education, AI and the arts, Dr. Sharma brings one enduring belief: even life’s most tangled threads can be transformed into a meaningful and beautiful tapestry!
Richard Kendall
Richard Kendall is the Chief Data and AI Officer at AGL, where he looks after the teams and people who manage AGL’s Data and AI assets and systems. As part of this Richard sets AGL’s Strategy for Data and AI and governs data and AI use across the company, including chairing the AI Council. Richard has worked in software and system architecture for more than 20 years and across many industries and geographies. Prior to working at AGL, Richard Executive General Manager Architecture at nbn where he managed Technology Strategy and Architecture across the company. Before nbn Richard had a 20-year career in Technology consulting, including being a Partner in Deloitte and a Managing Director in Accenture, mostly providing software design and architecture services to clients in various sectors. Richard has a degree in Computer Science and is a Member of the Australian Computer Society (MACS Snr), he lives in Melbourne with his wife and two children.
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