Friend or foe? Unravelling the confusion around AI
Large organisations are diverting millions of dollars to it, some small organisations are running on it, people entering the job market are scared of it and many of us just don’t know what to do with it.
Around 78 per cent of Australian businesses are already using AI in some form, but will this mean a net loss in jobs or changes to the way we work instead? What does the responsible use of AI look like and how can different organisations benefit from it?
Whether AI is a friend or foe it’s here to stay, so we’ve assembled an expert panel to help us make sense of it, and hopefully use it wisely.
Our industry events bring together representatives from a wide range of industries for vibrant, informative discussion so you can grow your network and hear about how other businesses are responding to this significant challenge.
Join us and our expert panel for an evening of insightful discussion and Q & A, followed by drinks and canapes at this free event.
Registrations close Wednesday 2nd September 2026.
Speakers
Assoc Prof Jo Blannin, Senior Lecturer, Digital Transformations, Faculty of Education, Monash University
Jo is the lead investigator on the ATLAS project, a Monash University AI technology that delivers simulation.
Associate Professor Jo Blannin is a researcher and educator in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, with national and international leadership in educational technologies and AI in education. She chairs the Australian Technologies Teacher Education Network (ATTEN), representing 43 universities nationally. Her work examines how technology mediates cognition, engagement, and learning. As lead investigator on the ATLAS project, she draws on Presence Theory and postphenomenology to explore how AI-enabled simulation and VR environments shape experience and knowledge construction. Jo designs and coordinates learning that positions students as critical users of educational technology, supervises doctoral research, and researches AI literacy, simulation pedagogy, and STEM equity.
Tom McAtee, Monash Business School PhD candidate, Monash University
Tom McAtee researches what enables and disables senior leaders' engagement with artificial intelligence (AI) in their decision-making, as a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash Business School.
He brings 37 years of senior leadership in mining, energy and manufacturing to the question, and now works with executive teams on how AI is changing the way they lead. His research was profiled by Monash Business School in July 2026 as "Boss versus bot: Closing the senior leadership AI gap".
Prof Ralph Kober, Acting Deputy Dean Education, Monash Business School, Monash University
Prof Ralph Kober is the Acting Deputy Dean Education for Monash Business School and a Professor of Management Accounting. Ralph’s teaching practices have been recognised with international teaching awards.
Ralph’s research focuses on management control systems (MCS) and the not-for-profit (NFP) sector. Ralph’s recent research received national and international awards for the 'real-world’ impact it is having.
Ralph has is actively involved with academic and professional associations and is currently a member of the AASB Academic Advisory Board and co-Chief Examiner of the CPA Australia module Strategic Management Accounting.
Moderator and Host
Richard Foster, Lecturer and Industry Experience program leader, Monash Business School
Before joining Monash in 2010, Mr Foster had a legal background and worked across a range of industries including the legal sector, government, the media, the not-for-profit sector, and banking and finance. Since 2012, Richard has overseen Industry Experience projects in the Monash Business School, completing more than 250 projects across over 100 organisations.
Event Details
- Date:
- 9 September 2026 at 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
- Venue:
- The Skyroom, Level 14, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000
- Categories:
- Alumni; General
Description
Large organisations are diverting millions of dollars to it, some small organisations are running on it, people entering the job market are scared of it and many of us just don’t know what to do with it.
Around 78 per cent of Australian businesses are already using AI in some form, but will this mean a net loss in jobs or changes to the way we work instead? What does the responsible use of AI look like and how can different organisations benefit from it?
Whether AI is a friend or foe it’s here to stay, so we’ve assembled an expert panel to help us make sense of it, and hopefully use it wisely.
Our industry events bring together representatives from a wide range of industries for vibrant, informative discussion so you can grow your network and hear about how other businesses are responding to this significant challenge.
Join us and our expert panel for an evening of insightful discussion and Q & A, followed by drinks and canapes at this free event.
Registrations close Wednesday 2nd September 2026.
Speakers
Assoc Prof Jo Blannin, Senior Lecturer, Digital Transformations, Faculty of Education, Monash University
Jo is the lead investigator on the ATLAS project, a Monash University AI technology that delivers simulation.
Associate Professor Jo Blannin is a researcher and educator in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, with national and international leadership in educational technologies and AI in education. She chairs the Australian Technologies Teacher Education Network (ATTEN), representing 43 universities nationally. Her work examines how technology mediates cognition, engagement, and learning. As lead investigator on the ATLAS project, she draws on Presence Theory and postphenomenology to explore how AI-enabled simulation and VR environments shape experience and knowledge construction. Jo designs and coordinates learning that positions students as critical users of educational technology, supervises doctoral research, and researches AI literacy, simulation pedagogy, and STEM equity.
Tom McAtee, Monash Business School PhD candidate, Monash University
Tom McAtee researches what enables and disables senior leaders' engagement with artificial intelligence (AI) in their decision-making, as a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash Business School.
He brings 37 years of senior leadership in mining, energy and manufacturing to the question, and now works with executive teams on how AI is changing the way they lead. His research was profiled by Monash Business School in July 2026 as "Boss versus bot: Closing the senior leadership AI gap".
Prof Ralph Kober, Acting Deputy Dean Education, Monash Business School, Monash University
Prof Ralph Kober is the Acting Deputy Dean Education for Monash Business School and a Professor of Management Accounting. Ralph’s teaching practices have been recognised with international teaching awards.
Ralph’s research focuses on management control systems (MCS) and the not-for-profit (NFP) sector. Ralph’s recent research received national and international awards for the 'real-world’ impact it is having.
Ralph has is actively involved with academic and professional associations and is currently a member of the AASB Academic Advisory Board and co-Chief Examiner of the CPA Australia module Strategic Management Accounting.
Moderator and Host
Richard Foster, Lecturer and Industry Experience program leader, Monash Business School
Before joining Monash in 2010, Mr Foster had a legal background and worked across a range of industries including the legal sector, government, the media, the not-for-profit sector, and banking and finance. Since 2012, Richard has overseen Industry Experience projects in the Monash Business School, completing more than 250 projects across over 100 organisations.