National AI & Cybersecurity Leadership Summit 2026

National AI & Cybersecurity Leadership Summit 2026

 

About the event:

This Summit is part of the For-Purpose Leadership Series

This Summit is a high-level, one-day leadership forum bringing together Australia’s most influential leaders across business, government, technology, education, care, infrastructure and civil society. Designed for Board Directors, CXOs, policymakers, SME owners, and senior decision-makers, the Summit provides a unique national platform to navigate the accelerating convergence of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and sovereign capability.

Hosted in Melbourne, the Summit creates an essential space for leaders to understand how AI-driven transformation is reshaping Australia’s priorities in trust, governance, productivity, public value, workforce readiness, and national resilience. In alignment with the Federal Government’s National AI Plan, the program examines how organisations can capture emerging opportunities, spread the benefits of AI responsibly, and strengthen Australia’s capability to keep its people safe.

Featuring expert-led panel discussions, strategic briefings, and cross-sector insight sharing, the Summit brings forward the voices shaping Australia’s AI future—from innovators and industry pioneers to national security leaders, technologists, regulators, researchers and community advocates. Each session is designed to equip executive participants with the foresight required to lead confidently through rapid technological change.

Why Attend?

  • Anticipate Disruption: Gain foresight into how AI and cyber technologies are redefining risk, productivity, public trust, and competitive advantage.
  • Shape Governance: Hear from leaders shaping AI regulation, safety standards, and national strategy locally and globally.
  • Lead with Confidence: Equip yourself with actionable insights for AI deployment, cyber risk oversight, and future workforce strategy.
  • Connect Across Sectors: Engage with a curated audience from technology, government, education, health, critical infrastructure, financial services, not-for-profits, and more.
  • Inform National Strategy: Your insights from the day will directly inform a 2026 AI & Cybersecurity Leadership White Paper a strategic outcome from this event.

 

Panel Discussion Topics

The summit will feature six executive-level panel discussions that tackle Australia’s most pressing AI and cybersecurity leadership challenges:

 
Panel 1 - Leading With Confidence: AI Safety, Trust & Board Readiness
Panel 1 - Leading With Confidence: AI Safety, Trust & Board Readiness
Panel 2 - Securing What Matters: AI-Enabled Threats, Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure
Panel 3 - Empowering Australia’s Workforce: Future of Work & AI-Augmented Workforce
Panel 4 - Accelerating Smart Growth: AI-Led Productivity & Economic Growth
Panel 5 - Protecting Digital Rights: Data Sovereignty, IP & Algorithmic Rights
Panel 6 - Strengthening National Resilience: Sovereign AI Infrastructure & National Resilience

Speakers coming soon!

  • Panel 1 - Leading With Confidence: AI Safety, Trust & Board Readiness

    Guardrails for Growth: Ensuring AI is Safe, Responsible, and Trusted. How can Australia build a world-class AI governance ecosystem that balances innovation, safety, and public trust, while meeting the regulatory expectations of global markets?

  • Panel 2 - Securing What Matters: AI-Enabled Threats, Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure

    Digital Shields: Securing Australia’s Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Intelligent Threats. With AI enabling both defense and attack, how can leaders safeguard Australia’s critical infrastructure across energy, healthcare, finance, and public services from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats?

  • Panel 3 - Empowering Australia’s Workforce: Future of Work & AI-Augmented Workforce

    Human + Machine: Shaping Australia’s Workforce in the AI Era. What will it take to transition Australia’s workforce into a productive, ethical, and inclusive AI-powered future from C-suite leadership to SMEs, care sectors, and frontline government workers?

  • Panel 4 - Accelerating Smart Growth: AI-Led Productivity & Economic Growth

    The 4th Industrial Dividend: Unlocking Economic Value Through AI. How can Australia seize the opportunity to lead the AI productivity revolution across industries, public sector, and SMEs—to deliver real economic outcomes and sustainable prosperity?

  • Panel 5 - Protecting Digital Rights: Data Sovereignty, IP & Algorithmic Rights

    Owning the Future: Data, IP, and the Economics of AI. Who owns the data and intelligence in an AI-powered economy and how can Australian businesses, creators, and public agencies ensure control over their value, privacy, and ethical use?

  • Panel 6 - Strengthening National Resilience: Sovereign AI Infrastructure & National Resilience

    Powering AI Independence: Building Sovereign Capability & Resilience. What must Australia do to build sovereign AI infrastructure, resilient supply chains, and geopolitically secure systems—ensuring national advantage in the global AI race?

Website:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-ai-cybersecurity-leadership-summit-2026-tickets-1976332502717?aff=oddtdtcreator

Date & Time:

Jun 19, 2026 @ 7:30am to 4:30pm AEST

Location:

Melbourne – Pullman Albert Park

65 Queens Road

Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia

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