Multicultural Australia in partnership with QPAC is excited to present Changing the Conversation, a series of thought-provoking discussions exploring key issues in our increasingly multicultural society.

Bringing together thought leaders from academia, government, business, and the community to engage in robust discussions about multiculturalism in the Australian context, the series explores issues of who and where we are as a nation and what we need to do to create a society that better reflects and cares for all its people.

The second Changing the Conversation focuses on Cultural and Human Rights in the Digital Age. The discussion will explore opportunities of living in an era of seemingly unstoppable technology and new forms of community and culture shaped by online and offline interactions.

The digital world offers many different experiences. We are more connected, and at the same time more remote. The start-up movement has transformed our workplaces and our public lives are increasingly being lived from the privacy of our homes.

In the age of opportunity, where technology has the potential to build cultural bridges, enable greater inclusion and equal opportunity through increased connectivity, innovation, and transformation of services, how can we overcome the many challenges that come with technological advancements? Issues such as the digital exclusion of historically marginalised groups, the impact of systemic bias being embedded into AI systems and algorithms, and a lack of appropriate safeguards to protect the vulnerable have the potential to make our society more unequal.

Changing the Conversations is excited to welcome Marek Kowalkiewicz, Amanda Yeo and Lizzie O’Shea to this inaugural conversation.

About the Speakers:

Marek Kowalkiewicz
A Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School, Marek Kowalkiewicz joined QUT from Silicon Valley, where he led global innovation teams as a Senior Director at SAP. Before Silicon Valley, Marek worked in Singapore as a Research Manager of the largest SAP Research lab in Asia, focusing on Machine Learning. Prior to that, Marek was a Global Research Program Lead of one of SAP’s main research programs, as well as a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. He holds fifteen patents describing his contributions to enterprise software systems. He is a keen long-distance trail runner.

Amanda Yeo
A tech and entertainment reporter, as well as co-founder and host of award-winning technology podcast Queens of the Drone Age. Amanda Yeo previously worked in refugee law to assist people seeking asylum in Australia and holds degrees in both Communication and Laws. After making the switch to journalism, her articles have appeared in numerous publications such as Mashable, Cosmos Magazine, and Gizmodo Australia.

Lizzie O’Shea
A lawyer and writer, Lizzie O’Shea is also the founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch, an organisation advocating for human rights online. She also sits on the board of Blueprint for Free Speech and the Alliance for Gambling Reform. In 2019, she was named a Human Rights Hero by Access Now.

Presented by Multicultural Australia and QPAC.
Recorded at QPAC’s Concert Hall for Digital Stage.