AI in science: the promise, perils and path forward – AI and our safety

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The AI revolution is transforming how we stay safe, combat crime, and protect our national security – both online and in the real world. From cyber warfare to surveillance to deepfakes, this brave new AI world has the potential to cause seismic shifts in global power structures.

Our two expert speakers will explore the emerging tech reshaping our world.

Professor Dali Kaafar is Executive Director of the Macquarie University Cyber Security Hub. He is also Founder and CEO of Apate.AI, a fraud prevention and intelligence platform which uses cutting-edge AI-powered bots to lure scammers into extended, unproductive exchanges. Intelligence from these calls is then fed back into Australia’s broader anti-scam ecosystem.   

Suneel Randhawa is the Chief of Information Sciences in the Defence Science and Technology Group at the Department of Defence. His expertise is in cyber security, cyber warfare and AI, and he works to harness Australia’s innovation ecosystem to enhance our defence, intelligence and national security.

Come along to discover the power of AI, and how we can ensure its use is ethical and transparent while keeping communities safe.

 

Event details

Date: Tuesday 14 October 2025

Time: Canapes and drinks are served from 5.30pm, with the talks (and the livestream) starting at 6.00pm AEDT.

Venue: The Shine Dome, 15 Gordon Street, Acton ACT (and online livestream)

Cost: $20pp ($15pp for students)

 

Speakers

 

Professor Dali Kaafar is Executive Director of the Macquarie University Cyber Security Hub, Chair of the Cyber Skills Academy, and a Professor of Privacy Preserving Technologies in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He also leads the NSW Cyber Range Training Centre and contributes to national initiatives on cyber training and workforce development. Appointed NSW Cyber Ambassador in 2019, he drives national cyber capability uplift through research, training and public engagement. Professor Kaafar is the Founder and CEO of Apate.AI, a university spin-out combating global phone scams through AI. This fraud prevention and intelligence platform leverages conversational AI to intercept scam phone calls and lure scammers into extended, unproductive exchanges, successfully diverting tens of thousands of scam calls each day in Australia.
Suneel Randhawa is Chief of Information Sciences Division in the Defence Science and Technology Group within the Australian Department of Defence. Mr Randhawa’s expertise and research interests lie in cyber security and cyber warfare, with an emphasis on the intersection between artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomy. He began his career with Defence Science and Technology Group in 1995, commencing in the Advanced Computer Capabilities group. He received the prestigious Defence Science Fellowship in 2002, facilitating a secondment to SRI International in the USA.

 

Series details

Series dates

The events are held at the Shine Dome in Canberra on the second Tuesday of every second month:

Tuesday 11 February: What is AI?
Tuesday 8 April: AI and our health 
Tuesday 10 June: AI and our environment 
Tuesday 12 August: AI and our food 
Tuesday 14 October: AI and our safety 
Tuesday 9 December: AI in science and research 

 

Series host

 

Lish Fejer

The Academy is pleased to welcome ABC's Lish Fejer as the host for all the events across this series. As a seasoned radio broadcaster and passionate science communicator, Lish will deliver illuminating sessions with her engaging style and thought-provoking questions.


Series convenors

Thank you to the convenors supporting the series in 2025:

  • Professor Bob Graham AO FAA FAHMS, Vice President and Secretary for Biological Sciences, Australian Academy of Science
  • Professor Ian Chubb AC FAA FTSE, Fellow, Australian Academy of Science


Series supporters 

 

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Location

For more information about the series and the other events, please visit the series webpage. For all enquiries, please email events@science.org.au.