SICON2023 is back with Our future with AI: From science fiction to social fiction.
The Social Innovation Conference, or SICON, is about celebrating and showcasing social innovations that are making a difference in Australia and around the world and exploring possibilities for future social innovations.
Rapid advances in AI present an opportunity to harness the power of technology to help solve a wide range of real-world problems and improve social outcomes. However, advances in AI also pose threats that can have devastating impacts. As AI becomes increasingly entrenched in society, we must ask ourselves: How do we collectively design a world where AI is used for good?
SICON2023 will feature seminars (and webinars!) from renowned thought leaders between October 16th and
November 16th. The sessions will cover the impacts of AI across different areas of social outcomes such as health,
education, jobs and skills, amongst others.
The flagship event, 'AI and Poverty alleviation' will be an all-day event hosted at the National Museum of Australia on October 16th, timed with Anti-Poverty Week. Webinars will bring together international and national AI experts and changemakers harnessing AI to create social good. The conference will close with 'Creating Connections: closing session and networking event' at Café Stepping Stone on 16th November.
Join us in transcribing what is possible with AI for social good from the abstract into the tangible, from science fiction to social fiction!
SICON2023 events
Flagship event:
AI and Poverty alleviation

Rapid advances in AI present an opportunity to harness the power of technology to help solve a wide range of real-world problems and improve social outcomes. However, advances in AI also pose threats that can have devastating impacts.
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To kick off SICON2023, and timed with Anti-Poverty Week, we are bringing together renowned thought leaders to explore the impact of AI on poverty. In this full day Flagship event, we will seek to answer the question: How do we collectively design a world where AI is used to advance social good?
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Join us at the National Museum of Australia on October 16th from 9am to 4pm.
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Sessions
Welcome to Country and Opening Remarks
Panel session 1: Latest developments in AI and the threats and opportunities for social outcomes
Panel session 2: AI's potential impact on poverty
Panel session 3: Exploring a world of possibilities - AI and social innovation
Design Jam: How do we collectively design a world where AI is used for social good?
Webinar:
AI and Health

This session explores the exciting new ways AI is being used in the health sector to improve service delivery, solve complex health problems and health care more accessible.
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Details coming soon!
Webinar:
AI, Justice and Discrimination

AI is designed by humans who have their own biases. As AI becomes more widely used by society, human biases in AI can negatively impact people of marginalised groups. Join our panelists as we discuss what the justice implications of AI are and the steps society needs to take to limit the harmful impact of bias.
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Details coming soon!
Webinar:
AI and Education

This session explores the different ways AI is being used in the education sector to create new education opportunities and facilitate learning through removing the barriers to education.
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Details coming soon!
Creating Connections:
closing session and networking event

Join us for one final night of transcribing what is possible with AI for social good at Café Stepping Stone. At this closing session and networking event brush elbows with renowned thought leaders and fellow AI changemakers. Listen to the keynote speech by Associate Professor Jenny Davis, the Deputy Director of ANU's Humanising Machine Intelligence Program, and Associate Professor Ahmed Imran, the research lead and Founder of the Research Cluster of Digital Inequality and Social Change at UC. And delight your taste buds with unique dishes from talented, culturally diverse women.
Thank you to our partners
Meet the panelists

Professor
Israr Qureshi
Professor of Social Entrepreneurship and ICT for Development, Research School of Management, ANU

Associate Professor
Ahmed Imran
Research lead and Founder of the Research Cluster of Digital Inequality and Social Change, UC

Associate Professor
Jenny Davis
Deputy Director of ANU’s Humanising Machine Learning Intelligence Program
Our AI and Poverty alleviation experts

André Diez de Aux
Senior Education Leader at CIT and international expert in Vocational Education and Training

Ben Gales
Chief Delivery Officer at Paul Ramsay Foundation and economist

Matt Noffs
CEO of the Noffs Foundation and co-founder of Street Universities

Nancy Chang
Executive Director Regulatory Policy, Initiatives and Advice NSW Environment Protection Authority

Nazia Ahmed
CEO and Founder of the Social Outcomes Lab, economist and social entrepreneur

Dr Jananie William
Senior Lecturer at the ANU Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics and SOULAB consultant
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Dr Alfred Chidembo
Founder of Aussie Books for Zim, High performance coach, and facilitator
Our facilitators
SICON2023 is support by






