AOTEAROA AI SUMMIT

Programme

Explore our summit programme filled with inspiring keynote presentations, engaging panel discussions, and plenty of networking opportunities in the company of AI leaders from Aotearoa and around the world. 

Check out the latest speakers

Thursday 18 September

MORNING

8.30 - Registration and Coffee

Mihi Whakatau

Megan Tapsell, GM Enterprise & Pacific Technology, ANZ; Outgoing Chair, AI Forum NZ

Julia Pahina, CEO & Co-Founder, Fibre Fale

Mahsa McCauley, Chair, AI Forum NZ 

Hon Shane Reti, Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology

AI represents the biggest change to our IT landscape in decades, and has a critical role to play in supporting Aotearoa’s global competitiveness, economic growth and national security. Datacom Group CEO, Greg Davidson, will share real-world examples of AI already in use in local organisations and within Datacom, and discuss the importance of getting the right foundations in place and the role of industry and governance in the responsible adoption of AI to ensure we build an inclusive and innovative AI ecosystem that supports economic growth ambitions, while also serving the people of Aotearoa

Greg Davidson, Group Chief Executive Officer, Datacom Group

    • The global resources used for AI – what and where are they? 
    • What’s the global demand, who is investing in data centres and compute power and where? 
    • What’s the picture like in Australia?   
    • What’s Cisco’s view on the risks associated with not having adequate AI computer power in the region? 

     

    Dave Siroky, CTO – AI, Cisco 
  • The drivers for sovereign AI compute power in NZ and risks we run by not having it 
  • What sort of investment is needed? 
  •  The sustainability factors that answer some of the environmental impacts of AI 
  • The importance of an NZ Inc approach to NZ having sufficient investment in critical digital infrastructure

     

Graeme Muller, CEO, NZTech Group

Amy Dove, Partner, Deloitte 

Elle Archer, Chair, Te Hapori Matihiko

Dave Siroky, CTO – AI, Cisco

 

Morning Break

Forget the headlines and big promises, there are practical, high-impact AI wins your algorithm won’t show you, but they’re exactly what’s fueling competitive advantage in 2025. SupaHuman helped deliver 100+ AI solution projects across ANZ, and in this session, Dave shares real, on-the-ground case studies revealing how forward-thinking teams are adopting AI to unlock organisational intelligence, reduce compliance risk, and free smart minds from the manual work that drains productivity.

Dave Howden, CEO & Co-founder, SupaHuman

Join us for a dynamic discussion on how AI is transforming the AEC industry, featuring insights from industry leaders and government representatives.

  • What are the current opportunities for AI in the AEC sector?
  • What outcomes and results have we seen from AI implementation in AEC?
  • What are the future directions and potential developments for AI in this sector?

Pamela Bell, Chief Everything Officer, Building Institute Aotearoa
Ali Hamlin–Paenga, CEO, Te Matapihi 
Hema Sridhar, Deputy Director, Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures 

Moderated by: Maria Mingallon, Knowledge & Information Manager and AI Lead, Mott MacDonald  

As AI continues to mature, it’s increasingly intersecting with other powerful technologies—quantum computing, robotics, and agent-based systems—reshaping the boundaries of what’s possible. This keynote panel explores the convergence frontier: what’s emerging, what’s coming next, and how these trends may transform industries, societies, and the human experience.

Michael Witbrock, Professor, Auckland University
Ming Cheuk, Chief Technical Officer, ElementX
Matt Bain, Director of AI and Marketing, Spark 

Moderated by: Hema Sridhar, Deputy Director, Koi Tu Centre for Informed Futures 

Lunch

Thursday 18 September

AFTERNOON

13.30 -Panel: Designing AI that puts people first 

The rate-limiting factor for enterprise AI is people, not technology. 

How we provision AI, train our workforce, and design tools and frameworks that are intuitive and usable determines whether organisations see an early return on their AI investments, or fall short. 

Looking ahead, as agentic AI becomes more widespread and people learn how to review and validate agentic outputs, roles may evolve and the shape of our workforces may shift. 

In this session, we’ll hear the hard lessons learned by leaders across New Zealand as they’ve worked to enable AI at scale, and how they are preparing for the future with Agentic AI 

Dr Amanda Williamson, Director – AI Institute, Deloitte 
Pedro Ramirez, Digital Strategy Practitioner – AI Work Programme, Department of Internal Affairs 
James Lawrence, GM – AI Centre of Enablement, Fonterra 

Interactive sessions to share experiences and insights

Roundtable topics include:

  1. Is no-code AI the future, or just a shortcut to mediocrity?
    Tim Smart-Pullyn, Director and Solution Architect, Digital Diligence Limited

  2. AI Hot Seat: Bring Your Biggest Challenges and Get Experts Advice
    Dave Howden, CEO, SupaHuman
    Blair Woods, CTO, SupaHuman

  3. AI Innovation stories – lessons from deployment
    Rose Skandari, Field CTO AI Solutions, Cisco

  4. Securing your AI environment – Protecting your data
    Carl Solder, CTO, Cisco

  5. Sovereign AI
    Dave Siroky, AI – CTO, Cisco

  6. Unlocking functional productivity with Enterprise AI
    Richard Kenyon, Associate Director – Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Datacom

  7. AI use cases – Significant traction and business value for Small and Medium Enterprises
    Anshuman Banerjee, Portfolio Lead, AI & Data, Spark
    Sam Thurman, Portfolio Lead, SME, Spark

  8. How New Zealand businesses can leverage AI for growth
    Stephen Johnson, Co-CEO, Incredible
    Matt Browning, Co-CEO, Incredible

  9. Building an AI-Ready Workforce
    Matt Ensor, Chair, Gen AI Working Group

  10. AI in Education – Educating our Educators
    Dr Geri Harris, Director of Business Undergraduate Programme, AUT; & Chair, AI in Education Workstream

  11. Enabling AI for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector
    Maria Mingallon, Knowledge and Information Manager, AI Lead, Asia Pacific Region, Mott MacDonald; Deputy Chair, AI Forum NZ; & Chair, AEC Working Group

  12. Tech-enabled AI Governance: Measuring risk and value at scale
    Mariette van Niekerk, Director – Trustworthy AI, Deloitte

  13. The role of AI in Creative Industries
    Paula Browning, Chair, We Create; & Chair, AI in Creative Industries workstream

  14. AI Governance in Practice
    Colby Raley, Public Sector Strategy, Microsoft; & Chair, AI Governance Working Group

  15. From Efficiency AI to Opportunity AI – How New Zealand businesses can leverage AI for growth
    Holly Knill, Researcher, Board Advisor & Investor, H+H Consulting

  16. AI Blueprint Working Group takes a look at the National AI Strategy
    Tom Maasland, Partner, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts; & Chair, AI Blueprint Working Group

  17. AI, the Environment and Sustainability
    Professor Albert Bifet, AI Institute, University of Waikato; & Chair, AI for the Environment Working Group

  18. Kāhui Māori Strategy and Māori/Indigenous Sovereign AI
    Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, Chair, Kāhui Māori Atamai Iahiko

  19. Pacific Advisory Panel: Strategic planning session
    Amy Dove, Partner, Deloitte; & Convener, Pacific Advisory Panel

Afternoon Break

With only 5 years left to achieve the 2030 SDGs and 84% of targets off-track, the AI Hackathon brings together diverse minds to create technological solutions for our most pressing global challenges. You’ll learn new skills, create connections, make an impact and network with mentors in our safe space to play and promote AI for Good. 

Each hackathon team will pitch their solution to a judging panel and regional winners will be announced. Our national judging panel will then select 4 finalists to pitch their idea at the 2025 Aotearoa AI Summit 

Meet our regional team winners who join our AI pitching session as finalists. 

Moderated by: Madeline Newman, Executive Director, AI Forum NZ

Albert Bifet, Professor of AI, Director of the Te Ipu o te Mahara AI Institute at the University of Waikato; & Co-chair, Artificial Intelligence Researchers Association (AIRA).  

AUT South Campus Finalists – Empathy, Phol Kim, Colin Murphy, Moeen Ali, Hori Pomana, Tyrone Tangata-Makiri & Suede Sadler 

AUT and She Sharp Finalists – Team Robin, Chloe Wright, Mike Ronayne, Nima Hosseini, Homayoon Zarshenas & Laua Shekouh 

AWS Wellington Finalists – Airie, Annie Kim, Daniel Shannon, David Dodds & Tan Nguyen 

University of Otago Finalists – Wilding Pine, Harold Ponce Saldivar, Nkanyiso Ndlovu, Jonathan Chan, Samuel Mitchell. SingHang Tee 

Join us for a series of Quickfire presentations highlighting transformation driven by AI and showcasing NZ stories and talent within the AI industry.  

Arash Tayebi, CEO, Kara.tech 

Gavin Sharkey, Managing Director and Co-founder, Kōwhai AI 

Richard Wright, Head of Data and Analytics and AI Lead, Lotto NZ 

Dr Alexandra Andhov, Director, Center for Advancing Law and Technology Responsibly – University of Auckland 

Join us as we celebrate and learn about our esteemed award winners from last night’s inaugural AI Summit Awards and crown the Aotearoa AI People’s Choice Award

Tākina Convention & Exhibition Centre