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

Curious about how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world around us?

Join the Australian Academy of Science in 2025 for ‘AI in science: the promise, perils and path forward’ to explore the current and future implications of AI.

Discover how AI is helping scientists make breakthroughs in health and medicine, climate research, agriculture and food production, space exploration and more. The series will also delve into potential risks, limitations and ethical issues as AI becomes increasingly prominent in science and our society.

The six events in our public speaker series across 2025 will be a mix of panel discussions and presentations, and will feature a range of speakers from science, technology, social science, industry and government. Audiences, both in person and online, will have the opportunity to engage with speakers in the Q&A sessions at each event.

This event is the fourth in the series, and will be held on Tuesday 12 August. Speakers for this event will be announced soon.

Event details

Date: Tuesday 12 August 2025 

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

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

Cost: $20pp ($15pp for students) 

Speakers

• Associate Professor Sigfredo Fuentes, University of Melbourne 
• Dr Sarah Hartman, CSIRO

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

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

Series supporters 

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