Joining virtually, Dr Sandy Chong brought a global lens to the summit, drawing from her participation in international forums including the WTO’s AI policy dialogue. She unpacked the complexities surrounding AI trust and equitable deployment, emphasising the evolving global regulatory environment, particularly the implications of the EU AI Act. Dr Chong championed Asia-Pacific’s forward-leaning approach to AI adoption and highlighted the importance of localised AI strategies for international engagement. She encouraged Australian businesses to view Singapore as a gateway to Southeast Asia, proposing a Singapore–Australia AI Hub to foster research partnerships and innovation. Her powerful message? The future of AI is not just technological, it’s strategic, ethical, and deeply human.

Cr Bruce Reynolds, Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, delivered an energetic and globally-minded reflection on AI’s role in shaping society and commerce. Drawing on personal and professional experiences across Australia, Singapore, and the ASEAN region, he emphasised experiential learning and innovation by doing. Cr Reynolds introduced HyperCycle, a decentralised AI neural network, and spoke about AI’s potential to uplift ASEAN’s digital trade, from e-commerce to digital identity systems. He also advocated for AI’s role in addressing global challenges, such as combating human trafficking. His call to action urged all stakeholders, from startups to policymakers, to engage in AI adoption while keeping ethics and accessibility at the core.

SJ Price, Partner and AI Practice Lead at Stirling & Rose, explored the regulatory nuances shaping AI governance across Australia and Singapore. She referenced the 2020 and 2023 bilateral MOUs and emphasised that although both nations have developed ethical AI frameworks, a divergence is emerging. Singapore favours industry-led governance and voluntary compliance, while Australia leans toward mandatory regulation in high-risk sectors. Despite this, SJ reiterated that AI is already subject to existing laws and that the real challenge lies in implementing tailored risk and governance frameworks. Her remarks reminded attendees that the human element, trust, connection, and collaboration, remains at the heart of successful AI innovation.

Appearing virtually, Dr James Ong, founder of the Artificial Intelligence International Institute (AIII), presented a thought-provoking vision for AI’s future. Framing the conversation around three major shifts, the scientific revolution, decentralised AI power, and the rise of AI for humanity, Dr Ong called for urgent, global cooperation in ethical AI development. He warned of AI’s use in autonomous weapons and deepfakes, and proposed strengthened regulatory partnerships between ASEAN and Australia. His vision included a “Global AI for Humanity Summit” and bilateral frameworks to ensure AI is deployed for peace, sustainability, and economic inclusion. Dr Ong’s insights offered a compelling call to action: now is the time to act responsibly in shaping the AI landscape.

Stuart Riddle, Managing Director of Knkt Digital, shared practical and entrepreneurial insights drawn from his company’s development of four AI-driven products. He walked attendees through the evolution of product design in an AI-native environment, detailing both the opportunities and operational challenges. From managing data pipelines and machine learning workflows to navigating team resourcing and customer adoption, Stuart’s experience underscored the iterative nature of AI innovation in startups. His story reinforced the importance of flexibility, continuous learning, and strategic partnerships, particularly in an emerging field where user trust and tangible outcomes are crucial for success.

Muneaki Goto, author of "Reskilling to Keep Updating Your Skills", emphasized the critical need for interdisciplinary skills in the AI and robotics era. As President of the Japan Reskilling Initiative, he collaborates with enterprises and government bodies to address workforce skill gaps. Muneaki is also associated with SkyHive Technologies, leveraging AI to help organizations adapt to evolving skill requirements. His contributions to the field have been recognized with the Readers' Choice Business Book Grand Prix 2023 for his work on continuous skill development. ​

At the AI Innovation Summit Australia–Japan, Dr. Ryoji Otsu shared his extensive experience in developing over 100 robots, emphasizing his commitment to leveraging technology for societal benefit. Motivated by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake's impact on his hometown, he founded a robotics company focused on creating life-saving technologies. Currently, as a researcher at Waseda University, Dr. Otsu continues to advance AI-powered automation across various sectors, including disaster response and healthcare.

Sean Oldenburger, shared insights on AI agents and their potential to transform the workforce. He emphasized the importance of establishing AI policies, educating teams, and developing interdisciplinary skills to effectively integrate AI technologies. Sean has also actively participated in events like Startup Weekend, engaging with entrepreneurs passionate about AI-driven business ventures. His commitment to AI innovation extends to organizing meetups and speaking at conferences, aiming to bridge the gap between AI advancements and practical business applications. Notably, he took the stage at TEDx Perth to discuss building AI-grounded companies, reflecting his dedication to fostering growth and innovation in the AI sector.

Fay Duda shared a powerful reflection on how AI is shaping the present, not just the future. Despite limited experience with AI, Fay embraced the challenge, using an AI app herself to prepare her talk. She highlighted South Korea’s leadership in AI, from smart cities and healthcare to manufacturing and semiconductors, and emphasised its growing investment in Western Australia, particularly in sectors like green energy, mining, and digital tech. Fay also shared the inspiring story of 28 Curtin students who returned from a South Korea exchange program with new clarity on their career paths. Her message: AI’s promise must be balanced with governance, ethics, and people-first thinking.

Jisoo Kim brought a human-centred view to the Summit, showing how AI can enhance people-to-people connections, business collaboration. Drawing from her background in defence and diplomacy, she shared how AI tools, like real-time voice translation and cultural insight generators, can support cross-cultural engagement between Australia and South Korea. With CLEAR AI, she’s helping organisations adopt AI that enhances rather than replaces human connection. She urged the audience to embrace AI as a powerful tool for strengthening partnerships. Her talk was a reminder that technology can be a bridge, not just a tool.