“AI: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
Professor Michael Blumenstein FRSN FACS (1) and
Professor Nicholas Davis (2)
(1) Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business Creation and Major Facilities)
(2) Director, Strategy and Operations, Human Technology Institute
University of Technology Sydney
Date and Time: Wednesday, 4 June 2024, 6.00–7.30 pm AEST
Venue: Michael Crouch Room, Mitchell Building, State Library of NSW, Shakespeare Place, Sydney
Pre-meeting drinks: A cash bar will operate from 5.30 pm
Post-meeting supper: Information to follow
Registration: Registration is required before 2.00 pm on Tuesday, 3 June
Entry: Members, $20; Non-members, $30; Students, $0
All are welcome
Please note the change of venue
OGM Agenda: The Agenda for this meeting will be available from the Meetings Page
Summary: Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world, promising revolutionary breakthroughs, while also raising profound ethical and social questions. In this talk, Professors Michael Blumenstein and Nicholas Davis will take a candid tour through the current landscape of AI: the good—from life-saving medical applications to creative tools that amplify human potential; the bad— including biased algorithms, misinformation, and technological enhanced inequality; and the ugly—the darker risks of surveillance, deepfakes, and the unintended consequences of unchecked AI development.
Rather than techno-utopian hype or dystopian doom, this presentation aims for nuance: exploring how we can harness the power of AI responsibly, critically, and creatively. Whether you are an enthusiast, skeptic, or somewhere in between, this talk invites you to engage with the urgent and complex realities shaping our AI-powered future.
Michael Blumenstein is currently a Professor and the Pro Vice Chancellor (Business Creation and Major Facilities) at the University of Technology Sydney. Previously, Michael served as the Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) in the Faculty of Engineering and IT. Over two decades, Michael has successfully led the growth of cutting-edge research at Universities, particularly in collaboration with industry and focusing on translational outcomes.
Michael is a nationally and internationally recognised expert in the areas of automated Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He is passionate about developing technology that has a positive effect on society, focusing on AI for good. Michael has published his work widely, particularly AI applications with multi-disciplinary teams for solving global problems. His research spans various projects applying AI to the fields of Engineering, Environmental Science, Neurobiology and Coastal Management. Components of his research into the predictive assessment of beach conditions have been commercialised for use by local government agencies, coastal management authorities and in commercial applications. Among the many projects he has led in collaboration with industry, Michael’s team developed the award-winning SharkSpotter – a world-first AI-based technology for detecting Sharks in the ocean from Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to enhance beach safety and for saving lives.
Michael is a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society and also a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW
Nicholas Davis is an Industry Professor and Co-director of the Human Technology Institute (HTI) at the University of Technology, Sydney. HTI is an action-oriented research institute focused on developing tools, policies and strategic skills that help put humans at the centre of emerging technologies. Since 2022, HTI has provided breakthrough techniques and independent expert advice around the safe, responsible, and effective use of artificial intelligence to governments, companies and civil society organisations, both in Australia and internationally.
Nick’s previous roles include as Head of Society and Innovation and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, and Managing Partner of SWIFT Partners, a Geneva-based consultancy helping organisations to harness emerging technologies for sustainable value.
With Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, he is the co-author of Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition to being a Certified Professional Facilitator and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA) in the UK, Nick is an Associate Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and a board member of the IMPROVE European Innovation Management Academy.
31 December 2025
Various face-to-face and online venues 
