Australian Institute for Machine Learning director Professor Simon Lucey has stepped down after six years at the 200 member research institute to lead a new AI venture.
Professor Lucy became director in 2020, two years after the AIML launched as a joint initiative of the University of Adelaide and the South Australian government to conduct research and help industry with machine learning and AI.
He grew it to Australia’s largest university-based machine learning research institute and an early champion for local AI capabilities.
Adelaide University pro vice-chancellor research performance Professor Mark Hutchinson said Professor Lucey is a “trailblazer”, while the outgoing director thanked those around him.
“Being part of this community has been a career highlight in every sense of the word,” Professor Lucey said.
He will now pursue a yet to be revealed AI venture, but will remain with Adelaide University on a fractional appointment to continue teaching and administer existing grants.
While Professor Lucey’s new venture is still under wraps, others at the AIML have revealed another, a new neolab backed with $10 million dubbed Metacognition.
This venture also involves the Rozetta Institute’s chief executive Dr Paul Dalby, who will leave the institute to launch Metacognition.
In the interim, Rozetta Institute research and impact director Tim Bradley and chair Andrew Dyer will split CEO duties while its board undertakes the search for Mr Dalby’s replacement.
Former Defence chief technology officer and Treasury CIO Peter Alexander has been appointed to lead US enterprise software giant ServiceNow’s public sector push amid a wave of back end upgrades in government agencies.
Mr Alexander, who was also once deputy CEO at the Digital Transformation Agency and a government chief digital officer, switches to the private sector 10 months after announcing his retirement from the public service.
He surfaces as the chief technology officer for public sector at ServiceNow as the company tries to capitalise on dozens of agencies’ needing replacements for end of life SAP systems and after the GovERP disaster pushed many back to market.
“His tenure across Treasury, the DTA, and Defence, combined with his proven ability to deliver at scale, makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team,” ServiceNow vice-president Pete Andrew said.
The Community and Public Sector Union this week appointed Rebecca Fawcett as secretary, replacing Melissa Donnelly, who has been voted head of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Ms Fawcett is a long time campaigner for the CPSU and becomes the first working single mother to serve as its secretary. Elected by members, the secretary sets the union’s strategic direction and objectives.
Ms Fawcett convened the union’s AI reference group, which will have a significant say in how the technology is deployed in the public service. Last week, she also led the union’s call for a pause on complex automated decision making by agencies.
“We will keep fighting to bring public sector work back in-house, strengthen protections around AI and automated decision-making, and make sure workers have the pay and conditions they need during a cost-of-living crisis,” Ms Fawcett said.
The Greens have a new spokesperson for Science, Industry and Innovation after awarding the role to new Tasmanian senator Vanessa Bleyer.
Other changes in the Greens party room saw David Shoebridge take on a new role as spokesperson for artificial intelligence.
He told InnovationAus.com the progressive party will try push the AI policy debate toward stronger protections for workers and culture, and the need for domestic AI capabilities to blunt Australia’s reliance on US tech firms.
Speaking of AI, Australia’s AI Safety Institute has reclaimed Jack He after a fellowship at the US focused Institute for AI Policy and Strategy. Mr He had previously worked in the federal industry department on AI.
Transport for NSW’s cyber defence director Imtiaz Khan has headed south to the Victorian Department of Health. He has been appointed Health Sector Chief Information Security Officer.
The National Disability Insurance Agency has promoted Phillip Bergersen to customer relationships manager for platforms as the agency searches for a system backup for its Salesforce system and spends years probing the original procurement.
Uber’s local boss Ed Kitchen has left to take a new role in its EMEA region amid a global restructure at the company that cut 3,300 corporate jobs, including some in Australia.
“I’m very conscious that while these changes have created a new opportunity for me, for others they have meant their time at Uber has come to an end,” Mr Kitchen said in a LinkedIn post.
The Tech Council of Australia has appointed former government adviser Sebastian Brash as its head of innovation and industry policy.
Mr Brash worked in both the Industry and Prime Minister’s departments, which control most of Australia’s national AI and tech policy.
Anthropic has appointed former Meta communications boss Antonia Sanda to lead communications in Australia and New Zealand.
Digital Rights Watch has added Dr Venessa Paech as head of community.
Former Sussan Ley press secretary Liam Jones has landed at the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He will head up the employer group’s communications and media.
Griffith University on Friday announced the appointment of Professor Jessica Vanderlelie as its next vice chancellor and president.
New England University CIO William Confalonieri will move to the same role at the ANU in November. He has spent almost a decade in similar roles at Deakin University.
ASX-listed battery materials maker AnteoTech has announced its CFO Scott Waddell has resigned to pursue other business interests.
DroneShield will next month add Rebecca Lowde as CFO. She joins from MYOB and was also been CFO at Afterpay before its monster $39 billion acquisition by Block.
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