AI Summit 2026 | Intelligence Embodied
NCM, 375 Burwood Rd • 13 May, 9am–5pm
Register hereThe future of Agentic and Embodied AI across industry, culture and society.
The shift from ‘AI as a tool’ to ‘AI as an agent’ is one of the defining transitions of this year and it demands more than a technical response. It requires leaders who can think creatively across disciplines and engage seriously with both the opportunities and the risks.
NCM’s one-day summit, Intelligence Embodied, brings together technologists, designers, researchers and industry leaders to examine what it means as AI moves beyond chat interfaces and into the physical world, becoming systems that can perceive, decide and act. Set within a museum context and carefully curated accordingly, this is a forum designed to elevate the conversation beyond product and into consequence.
Featuring perspectives from pioneering researchers and engineers, alongside leaders in human-AI collaboration and governance, the summit will explore where Australia stands globally, what is at stake for our workforce, and how organisations can respond with clarity and intent.
This is a high-calibre forum for leaders ready to move beyond traditional AI deployment, with a clear focus on the emerging distinction between agentic and embodied systems, and the implications this shift carries for how organisations operate, govern and make decisions.
Program
9am — Arrival and registration
9.30am — Welcome
Global Trend Forecast
Professor Mari Velonaki
Professor of Social Robotics, and Founder and Director, Creative Robotics Lab, UNSW
10.30am — Panel discussion | The Age of Agents, Unpacking Agentic AI
Dheeren Vélu
Head of Innovation & AI Lead, Australia & New Zealand, Capgemini
Distinguished Professor Jie Lu AO
Associate Dean (Research Excellence) and Distinguished Professor Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, UTS
Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan
Luritja Creative Technologist
Moderated by Dr Belinda Dunstan
Human Futures Lead, Creative Robotics Lab, UNSW
11.30am — Keynote | Reimagining the relationship between human and machine
Professor Katsumi Watanabe
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
12.30pm — Lunch and museum viewing
Provided with ticket
1.30pm — Interactive Session | Designing AI workflows
Ankit Mishra
Content Specialist, Meta, in collaboration with NCM Studio
Engage with AI as a co-creator, while collectively developing a practical ‘Care Protocol’ for how to use different systems.
We recommend bringing a laptop to this session.
3pm — Panel discussion | Trust and Automated Decision Making
Patricia Calabro
Executive Manager Privacy, NBN
Dr Liming Zhu
Director, Data61, CSIRO
Grace Chan
Award-winning Speculative Fiction Writer and Psychiatrist
Moderated by Dr Emily Siddons
Co-CEO and Artistic Director, NCM
4pm — Networking drinks and exhibition viewing
Networking drinks and exhibition viewing
Welcome drink included, cash bar following
Speakers
In order of appearance
Research Partners
Accessibility
NCM is fully wheelchair accessible, with all-gender and accessible toilets available on both floors. Please note that NCM is a high-sensory environment with varying noise and lighting levels throughout the museum, which may affect visitors with photosensitive epilepsy, sensory sensitivities, PTSD, or similar conditions. If you have questions, concerns or specific access needs, please reach out to our friendly staff at hello@ncm.org.au prior to your visit.
