Rita Arrigo - Strategic Engagement Manager, National AI Centre, CSIRO, ex-Chief Digital Advisor, Microsoft

Rita Arrigo serves as the Strategic Engagement Manager at the National AI Centre, where she is focused on empowering the Australian AI Industry growth for collaboration across the AI landscape. Her mission is to elevate Australia's global AI adoption and cultivate a responsible AI industry.

With a wealth of experience in digital and AI strategy, Rita has delivered thought leadership on topics such as Generative AI, AI in Cyber Security, and AI for Climate Tech. She has launched the AI Industry Connection forum to connect companies interested in emerging AI with the cutting-edge research and the AI Industry. Not a newcomer to revolution, her first love being telecommunications, having launched Australia’s first internet café at it is now recreated at the National Communication Museum as a cybercafé.

As a renowned digital & AI strategist she cultivates innovation with emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, Machine Learning (ML), Mixed Reality (MR). Previously Chief Digital Advisor at Microsoft. She was appointed an AI Ambassador and continues to advocate for ways that AI and Spatial Computing can build better futures for our work and communities.

Join us to hear Rita Arrigo's insights and visionary perspectives on how AI can shape a brighter future.

Monica Lim - Composer & Sound Artist

Monica is a composer and sound artist whose work spans installations, performance art, contemporary dance and screen. She is interested in new cross-disciplinary genres and forms as well as combinations of new technology with music. Her work has been presented at Arts House, Science Gallery Melbourne, AsiaTOPA, White Night, Liquid Architecture, Melbourne Fringe, Arts Centre Melbourne, Seoul Performing Arts Festival, Venice Biennale Architettura, Now or Never, Sydney Dance Company and WorldPride as well as international symposiums such as ISEA, SIGGRAPH Asia and NIME. Monica has completed her PhD at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne in movement-led composition and new technologies. She was a 2023 Artist-in residence at the Grainger Museum and Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio has been nominated for the Creative Australia Inspire Award, Green Room Awards and the Music Victoria Best Experimental Artist Award. Monica is co-founder of Project Eleven, a philanthropic initiative which supports the contemporary arts and serves on the boards of the Melbourne Recital Centre and Liquid Architecture.

Dr Sharif Abuadbba - Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO's Data61