Digital Future Summit

Session 1 | Quantum and Australia’s advantage: Capturing value in the next tech revolution

Quantum technology is rapidly shifting from scientific theory to commercial reality, and Australia has a unique opportunity to turn its research strengths into global economic leadership.

In this opening keynote, Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM - Australia’s former Chief Scientist and a leading voice in quantum innovation - will outline what it takes to transform breakthroughs into commercial advantage. 

This session will go beyond the hype to bring clarity on where meaningful growth and competitive edge may emerge over the next decade. 

SPEAKERS:

Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM, Executive Chair, Sydney Quantum Academy, former Chief Scientist of Australia
Rachael Lewis, Partner, Mallesons

Session 2 | The ACCC’s digital enforcement agenda

In this session, ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward will share his perspective on competition and consumer issues arising in the digital landscape, and how the ACCC proposes to tackle them. Against a background of fast-paced change as well as new features in the enforcement toolkit, the discussion will examine where the ACCC is focusing its attention and what these shifts mean for businesses that operate online.

SPEAKERS:

Commissioner Luke Woodward, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 
Tamara Hunter, Partner, Mallesons
Jennifer Barron, Partner, Mallesons 

Session 3 | Online safety and accountability: What businesses need to know 

Online safety has become a mainstream business issue. As digital platforms and connected services play a larger role in everyday life, regulatory expectations around safety, trust and accountability continue to develop and have significant implications for an ever-expanding range of digital businesses. In this session, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will talk about the next phase of online safety regulation and what it means for organisations operating in a more highly scrutinised digital environment. The discussion will touch on Australia’s world-first minimum age requirements for social media platforms, the implementation of new online safety codes, the government’s commitment to legislate for a broad digital duty of care, safety risks associated with emerging technologies, and the growing importance of social license in online operations. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of relevant regulatory priorities in this area and how to design online safety compliance systems in a way that is likely to align with regulatory expectations.

SPEAKERS:

Julie Inman Grant PSM, eSafety Commissioner
Michael Swinson, Partner, Mallesons 
Bryony Evans, Partner, Mallesons

Session 4 | Privacy, cyber & the courtroom: What's next for Australian business 

Major cyber and data incidents now trigger a widening set of consequences, including regulator action, complex litigation including class actions, and reputational fallout. Organisations are increasingly judged on how well they anticipate and respond.

Our panel will unpack the fast-evolving disputes landscape at the intersection of privacy, cyber incidents, regulatory enforcement, and class actions. Her Honour Justice Kate Richardson, barrister Nicholas De Young KC and Mallesons litigators will explore:

• where claims are developing, and what new claims are expected to emerge from recent law reform
• what is driving regulator action and plaintiff activity in Australia, and
• the practical steps organisations can take before, during and after a significant privacy incident to prepare for and manage anticipated litigation.

A timely session for in-house lawyers, boards and senior executives, offering a clear view of where privacy risk is heading and how privacy incidents can develop into complex material litigation with a long tail.

SPEAKERS:

The Honourable Justice Kate Richardson, Supreme Court of New South Wales 
Nicholas De Young KC, Barrister 
Peta Stevenson, Partner, Mallesons 
James Russell, Partner, Mallesons 

Session 5  | AI and complex decision-making: The next shift in business

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses understand and prepare for rapidly evolving local and international events an increasingly complex operating environment.  

Drawing on Anthea Roberts’ work on AI complex decision-making and the future shape of professional services, the discussion will examine the interaction between technology, strategy, business models, and the enduring role of professional judgment. We will unpack practical examples of how AI is being used to achieve clarity and cut through for complex decision making within a business. 

An insightful session for leaders thinking beyond short-term and singular-lens scenario planning who are grappling with how to capitalise on AI to bring broad & unique perspectives to complex decision-making scenarios.  

SPEAKERS:

Anthea Roberts, Founder and CEO, Dragonfly Thinking; Professor, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University 
Bryony Evans, Partner, Mallesons 

Session 6 | Smarter machines, wiser leaders: Navigating the next decade of work

AI is moving from experimentation to embedded workflow. But with new opportunities for productivity and innovation, come important questions about workforce design, governance, skills, safety, employee wellbeing and the role of human judgment. 

In this fireside chat, Scientia Professor Toby Walsh will explore how AI is likely to reshape workplaces and the broader economy. Drawing on his work on the intersection of AI, industry and public policy, you will learn how leaders can harness AI responsibly, build workplace capability and create sustainable value.

This session will bring practical insights into how organisations can adapt with confidence while keeping people at the centre of change. 

SPEAKERS:

Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist, UNSW.ai; Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence, UNSW Sydney
Cilla Robinson, Partner, Mallesons

Session 7 | Competing in a fragmented world: Building resilience and capturing value in the AI era

The next wave of AI and emerging technology promises productivity gains but the conditions for realising them are becoming more complex. In a more contested and constrained global environment, technology strategy can no longer be separated from geopolitics or policy settings.

This session brings together leading economic and geopolitical perspectives to unpack: 

• where risks are rising 
• where opportunities remain and are emerging, and 
• how organisations can build resilience and advantage in a more fragmented digital world. 

Dr Stephen King (Productivity Commission), Dr Merriden Varrall (VantageGeopol) and Cameron Mitchell (ANZ) will examine how AI, data, industrial policy and global instability are reshaping the way technology is developed, accessed and commercialised and the implications. 

A high-value discussion for organisations confronting the reality that capturing value from AI is now as much about operating context as it is about capability. 

SPEAKERS:

Dr Stephen King, Professor of Economics, Monash University 
Dr Merriden Varrall, CEO,VantageGeopol 
Cameron Mitchell, Head of Geopolitical Risk, ANZ 
Annabel Griffin, Partner, Mallesons

Session 8 | Managing cyber risk in an increasingly uncertain world 

Cyber risk is intensifying as organisations navigate a complex and fast-moving threat landscape, shaped by rapid advancements in frontier AI and continuing geopolitical tension.

Bringing together government and industry perspectives, this session will explore how threats are evolving and the government's agenda for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the economy. Hear directly from Hamish Hansford, Head of National Security at the Department of Home Affairs, on the Government's Consultation Paper on streamlining and modernising the SOCI Act.

Join us to get the clarity and insight needed to navigate frontier AI-driven cyber threats and a tightening regulatory regime that aims to strengthen Australia's cyber resilience against emerging threats.

SPEAKERS:

Hamish Hansford, Deputy Secretary, Department of Home Affairs 
Leah Pinto, Director, Cyber Intelligence, CyberCX 
Cheng Lim, Head of Cyber Practice and Senior Consultant, Mallesons 
Michael Swinson, Partner, Mallesons