Come and Build the Decentralised Web in Canberra at the Solid 2026 Hackathon

Solid Hackerthon Free Tickets

Just been talking to Jess Moore, who is organizing the Solid 2026 Hackathon. This is a free event anyone can sign up for 14 to 16 July 2026 at the the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) Canberra. This is run by the Australian National University's  Software Innovation Institute.  The Solid protocol (SOcially LInked Data) is a way to have secure data under the control of the owner and has been adopted as a standard by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), based on work by Tim Berners-Lee. As well as protecting personal information, this has application in military and security systems, where sensitive information needs to be provided on a need to know basis. This is particularly difficult when working with allies you don't entirely trust.

Transport Hackathon Solving My Bus Problem

Greetings from the"ACET Zero-Emission-Transport Hackathon, run by the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) at the University of Canberra today. I am here to mentor teams, but ironically, I  missed the bus on the way here this morning. On a positive note, I told some of the teams about this, and they are working on a solution. The teams have until this afternoon to come up with an idea and pitch it for a share in $10,000. I just slipped out for a coffee at UoC's innovation center next door and saw it is still the office of Instaclustr, a Canberra startup success story.

CBRIN staff are taking the teams through the standard ideation process. This is a key skill which most students miss out on. They may know how to implement something, but not what the customer needs.

Industrial Design Capacity Building

Greetings from the Canberra Innovation Network where Ashley Marsh-Croft is running an Industrial Design Capacity Building and PVP Info Session. There is about $100,000 available in vouchers for startups to get help with their prototypes. This is about physical prototypes, not software, or services.

Inserting microphone into soft toy,
Photo by Tom Worthington, CC-BY 2022

The example I chose was a throwable microphone. These are available, but are not cheap and are so heavy I would not want one thrown at me. So I went out and got some stuffed toys with zips in them. Could this be improved on as a product? As an example, how heavy does it need to be to be easily throwable, but not dangerous. Would it be better rugby football shaped, rather the a cube or a ball, as many are? Adults seem to react well to a cartoon face on the microphone, will this help them orientate the unit?

Chat GPT generated image of a
teacher throwing a microphone. 

Copilot generated image of a
teacher throwing a microphone. 

I asked Chat GPT and Microsoft Copilot to "draw a throwable microphone shaped like a football being used in an australian classroom". They produced remarkably similar results, both with a female teacher and three students.  Chat GPT had a microphone end to the football. 

Some questions this brought up were if the microphone could be made of molded foam with no cover. This would be much cheaper, down to the point of being disposable (recyclable?).

How can Local Government use AI to improve services?

Dr Tim Turner, Chairing the meeting

Greetings from the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) where I am attending a meeting on "How can the ACT Government use AI to improve government services?" organised by the Pearcey Foundation. There are about 20 people in the room from government, industry and academia, with Dr Tim Turner chairing. I am not exactly sure why I am here, but when we went around the room I said I would teach this stuff, to students.

Each year, as well as sponsoring awards for Canberra entrepreneurs, the ACT Government sets a challenge for the Pearcey Foundation to address, with experts in Canberra. This year it is improving government services through AI. Apparently we are going to be doing brainstorming. 

Priority 1 is planning and development.

As it happens I know a little about ACT planning processes, as I chaired a local committee for redevelopment of the shopping center at Dickson. My suggestion was to train the staff to use AI, so they did not go off and use tools they should not, and put sensitive data into them. Also I suggested a tool to point citizens to other levels of government which provide relevant services. I am off to Singapore for Education and FinTech conferences in November, so did a quick search. I found the Singapore Government have had an AI for government plan since 2001, and have updated it since. So it would be worth looking at there experience (especially as Canberra is similar in some ways being a city state). One thing I put to the meeting was if AI could be used to improve social housing. As I was commenting on something another participant said, I commented "Like a smart patter book?". It turned out that wasn't what they meant, but perhaps this would be a good idea. NSW has a pattern book for cluster housing. If you use one of the designs it is pre-approved. The smart version would allow you to customise designs for different sizes and locations, but still meet planning requirements and get approved quickly. I then asked the meeting if there was an opportunity for small startup companies to provide AI products. It then dawned on me, this was why we were meeting at CBRIN. This raises the issue as to what is the role for government: do they need to build the software to do this, train the AI models, or can they just buy the service? Obviously Canberra's universities have teams of students who can build prototypes. 

I did the obvious, and asked Microsoft Copilot:

"The ACT Government can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public services by drawing on best practices and emerging trends from other jurisdictions. Here's a breakdown of how AI is being used and could be applied in the ACT:

---

### **1. Enhancing Service Delivery**

AI can streamline and personalize interactions between citizens and government services:

- **Customer Service**: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide 24/7 support, answer FAQs, and guide users through complex processes like applying for permits or accessing health services[1](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation).

- **Healthcare Inspections**: AI can assist in analyzing inspection data to identify patterns and prioritize high-risk facilities for review[1](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation).

- **Road Safety**: AI can analyze traffic data to optimize road maintenance schedules and identify accident-prone areas[1](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation).

---

### **2. Responsible AI Governance**

Governments are increasingly adopting frameworks to ensure ethical and safe AI use:

- **Pilot Projects**: Many states start with pilot programs to test AI applications in public services before full-scale deployment[2](https://cdt.org/insights/state-government-use-of-ai-the-opportunities-of-executive-action-in-2025/).

- **AI Task Forces**: Creating cross-agency task forces helps coordinate AI strategy, assess risks, and ensure alignment with public values[2](https://cdt.org/insights/state-government-use-of-ai-the-opportunities-of-executive-action-in-2025/).

- **Impact Assessments**: Agencies are encouraged to conduct assessments to evaluate the societal, privacy, and equity impacts of AI systems[3](https://www.dlapiper.com/en-us/insights/publications/2025/04/white-house-releases-guidance-for-ai-acquisition-and-use-in-government).

---

### **3. Equity and Civil Rights Protections**

AI systems must be designed to avoid bias and protect vulnerable communities:

- **Bias Mitigation**: Guidelines can require agencies to evaluate AI tools for potential discriminatory outcomes, especially in high-impact areas like housing, employment, and education[2](https://cdt.org/insights/state-government-use-of-ai-the-opportunities-of-executive-action-in-2025/).

- **Transparency**: Publishing inventories of AI tools and their use cases helps build public trust and accountability[2](https://cdt.org/insights/state-government-use-of-ai-the-opportunities-of-executive-action-in-2025/).

---

### **4. Workforce and Procurement Strategy**

AI adoption should support—not replace—public sector workers:

- **Workforce Impact**: Agencies should assess how AI affects staff roles and ensure it enhances rather than displaces human work[2](https://cdt.org/insights/state-government-use-of-ai-the-opportunities-of-executive-action-in-2025/).

- **Smart Procurement**: Governments are updating procurement policies to ensure ethical sourcing of AI tools, protect data rights, and avoid vendor lock-in[3](https://www.dlapiper.com/en-us/insights/publications/2025/04/white-house-releases-guidance-for-ai-acquisition-and-use-in-government).

---

### **5. Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks**

The ACT can learn from other states that have enacted AI-specific laws:

- **Transparency Laws**: Requiring agencies to disclose their use of automated decision-making tools publicly[1](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation).

- **Worker Protections**: Ensuring AI does not undermine existing labor rights or collective bargaining agreements[1](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation).

 

Here’s a tailored proposal for how the ACT Government could implement AI to improve services across health, transport, and education:

1. Health

AI Applications

Predictive Analytics for Hospital Demand: Use AI to forecast patient admissions and optimize resource allocation.

Virtual Health Assistants: Provide 24/7 support for mental health and chronic disease management via chatbots.

Medical Imaging Analysis: Deploy AI to assist radiologists in detecting anomalies in scans faster and more accurately.

Implementation Steps

Partner with Canberra Health Services to pilot AI triage tools in emergency departments.

Collaborate with universities for ethical AI research in diagnostics.

Ensure compliance with privacy laws and conduct regular audits for bias.

2. Transport

AI Applications

Smart Traffic Management: Use AI to analyze traffic flow and adjust signals dynamically to reduce congestion.

Predictive Maintenance: Monitor infrastructure (roads, bridges, buses) to predict failures and schedule maintenance.

Public Transport Optimization: Analyze commuter patterns to adjust bus routes and schedules.

Implementation Steps

Integrate AI with existing Transport Canberra systems for real-time traffic updates.

Launch a pilot with AI-powered predictive maintenance for ACTION buses.

Use anonymized MyWay card data to train models for route optimization.

3. Education

AI Applications

Personalized Learning: AI tutors can adapt content to individual student needs and learning styles.

Administrative Automation: Streamline tasks like enrollment, grading, and feedback.

Early Intervention: Identify students at risk of disengagement or poor performance using predictive models.

Implementation Steps

Partner with ACT public schools to trial AI learning platforms in STEM subjects.

Train educators on ethical AI use and data literacy.

Establish a student data governance framework to protect privacy.

Cross-Cutting Recommendations

Create an ACT AI Taskforce: Include representatives from government, academia, industry, and civil society.

Develop an AI Ethics Framework: Ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in all deployments.

Public Engagement: Host forums and consultations to build trust and gather feedback."

Better Fitting Body Armour for Australian Soldiers

Greetings from the University of Canberra where Dr Celeste Coltman just pitched on better fitting armour for soldiers. This was at First Wednesday.

ANU Computer Interns Available

Greetings from Canberra Innovation Network's First Wednesday pitch night. I am here to let people know the Australian National University has computer interns needing placements to hone their skills. 

Research to Product

Greetings from the  InnovationACT: Research to Impact Panel at the Canberra Innovation Network. Damith Herath nominated a coin operated robot he built at school as his first innovation. Inger Newburn described her Thesis blog as a career saving strategy. Elizabeth McGrath nominated her space research project.

I asked the panel if enterperur skills should be in the curriculum. The panel's consensus was this would work for undergraduates but not research students.

This event was part of Innovation ACT a competition for tertiary students.

Canberra's Digital Creatives Like Lunch

Creative Connect Panel at CBRIN:
Lucy Sugerman, Elvis Gleeson,
Emma Laverty, & Owen Walter

Greetings from Canberra Innovation Network, where I am taking part in "Creative Connect", sponsored by the ACT Government. We were surveyed beforehand and it turns out the largest group are digital creatives (which I guess I am) and we like meeting over lunch (CBRIN have put on a good spread). We have a panel with Lucy Sugerman (Music ACT), Elvis Gleeson (Blank Creative),  Emma Laverty (Project Dust), and Owen Walter (Oculo Digital). So we have a musician, writer, dancer, and video maker. This was a revelation, as most people think of Canberra as a place for public servants, and government contractors. I knew we also have a large education sector, but hadn't realized there was also a "creative" industry. Some of that supports education and government. One of the panel talked about getting paid to make "Beats to sound-cloud rappers". From this limited sample creatives don't fit the pattern of university fine arts degree and then work. 

The question for me is what can Canberra do to help this industry? One surprising answer is "Be a nice place to live". I had assumed creatives would want a grungy inner city squat, but apparently the novelty of that wears off quickly. Another answer was that it is a place you go when your partner gets a job in Canberra.

CIT New Campus at First Wednesday

Rikkii Norris, CIT CEO

Greetings from Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) catering school where Rikkii Norris  is pitching the new CIT Woden Campus. This will be a far cry from the old rooms I studied video production here on the Reid Campus. CIT are hosting June First Wednesday, so there are several CIT pitches, including fir the new EV Center of Excellence. It is assumed that Canberra is just about government work, but there are significant tech related industries in Canberra, underpinned by educational institutions. 

Technological Security for Business Success

Craig Davis, Andrew McCallum,
Mandy Snashall, & Petr Adamek

Greetings from the Canberra Innovation Network, where an .auDA panel is discussing "Unlocking Success: Harnessing Technological Disruption for Business Growth". Having spent much of the last week and a bit answering media enquirers about the Optus outage, as an ANU expert, I would like a little less technological disruption. The language of innovation talks about disruption, and failing early. However, failed systems the public rely on result in inconvenience, and at times deaths. We need technology which works reliably. AuDA is part of keeping the Internet reliable and secure, as Craig Davis joint pointed out. 

The discussion has got around to AI. Petr pointed out AI is not new, having written a PhD thesis on it, a long time ago. Craig pointed how smart phones were revolutionary, but are now normal. It occurs to me that the Optus outage was useful in pointing out to people how dependent they are. Craig points out there will be bad actors misusing AI, but suggests we need the good people innovating against this. Mandy wants to jettison some of her job into space. With several rocket startups in Canberra, that will soon be possible. ;-)

Petr worried about ChatGPT queries warming the planet. I just did a quick calculation, and worked out one query emits about 0.0002 g of CO2.

Billion Dollar UNSW Canberra Campus

Greetings from First Wednesday Connect in Building K at Canberra Institute of Technology. Normally this is at Canberra Innovation Network's office and I went there finding only two confused students. We found the event at the other side of the city, after a quick number 3 bus ride. We are here to celebrate approval of UNSW's new campus and new CIT courses.

The catering for this event was excellent, as Building K is the CIT Hospitality and Culinary School. ;-)

ANU Technology Showcase on Tuesday, All Welcome

The students at the Australian National University will be showing off their project work on Tuesday, 12 Noon to 2:00pm. All are welcome in person at the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) in Canberra, or online via Remo, but please register. These are mostly the ANU Techlauncher computer projects, but there will be some others, from across disciplines. I help the students think about what career they may want.

Keeping the best bits of online learning after COVID-19, at EdTechPosium, Canberra, 10 December 2021.

The fourth in my Keep Calm and Carry Online Series, "Planning for the Online Learning Future: Keeping the best bits of online learning after COVID-19", is planned for 10 December 2021, at EdTechPosium, in Canberra. 

Poster generated using Keep Calms.

Recently I was interviewed by John Ross, for Times Higher Education, on the future of the lecture. As I see it, teachers who can have their students feel a personal connection, online and face to face, will make for a quality educational experience. You can continue to call these "lectures", if you want, but they need to be more interactive, and available online, with the classroom an optional extra. I gave up conventional lectures in 2008, and moved my teaching online. 

By 2019 I had a format suitable for students working in groups in a classroom, and online, just in time for COVID-19. 

This series is exploring how individual teachers and universities can better deliver learning through the use of technology on campus and online. These are aimed at the Australian university sector but may be of interest to other educators. Keep Calm and Carry Online" a sign on the wall behind me, during webinars from my lounge room for the last eighteen months. So that as the working title for this series of talks. Contributions, corrections and offers of where to present would be welcome.

1. Some tips and tricks for e-learning, 7 September 2021 (also video 1),
2. Creating an X-factor Experience for Students, ANU Computing Seminar, 20 October 2021 (also video 2),
3. Keeping the best bits of online learning after COVID-19, in the Maskwacis Cultural College Microlearning Series from Canada, 3 November 2021.

Start-up Pitches by Smartphone

Automed Battery
Powered Medication Delivery

Greetings from First Wednesday Connect at the the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN). This was planned to be in the foyer of the ACT Government's new HQ, but has been moved online due to COVID-19. CBRIN kept the format the same: informal discussion, followed by 60 second pitches, but moved it online using the Remo platform. In the past I have had difficulties getting Remo to work on my old slow computer, but have found it works much better on my newer smartphone. One of the startups is Automed, with a livestock medication system. One of the participants commented that perhaps this could be used for COVID-19 vaccinations. It is not such a silly idea, to use a computerized powered injector which links to a database. That would not only allow injections to be given faster, it would reduce the time spent manually recording details. But a patient QR code might be used for identification, rather than an ear tag. ;-)

Train PhD Students as Enterpreneurs

This week I attended a presentation from an early career academic on the challenges of having a family and a research career, even before COVID-19 made it much harder. Also this week I was welcomed to the Canberra Innovation Network's Virtual Co-workingonline community. It occurred to me that the approach which the entrepreneur/startup community takes to mutual support may be of use for training doctoral students and supporting early career academics.

From one point of view entrepreneurs are business people all competing with each other, but on the other hand there is a lot of sharing and support. There is also an emphasis on learning from failure, as at least 90% of startups fold. With the usual face to face events closed, this support has moved online.

Part of the stress and frustration for new researchers may come from too high expectations during their training. If they do well, they hope to be funded as a post-doctoral researcher and then, in time, a secure tenured position. However, there are far fewer post doctoral positions and even fewer tenured positions, than PhD graduates.

Even a supposedly permanent university position is dependent on funding from student fees, research grants and other variable sources to pay a salary. This can come as a shock to a new graduate who has worked for years in the expectation of a career in research. PhD students could be instead encouraged to think of themselves as entrepreneurs, with conducting research being just one skill they need to succeed.

Doctoral training could be changed to incorporate features of that provided for entrepreneurs. This emphasizes any one project has only a very slim chance of success and you should be prepared to learn from repeated failed projects. Skills in identifying what makes a project appealing to funding bodies can be taught. Also the ability to "pivot" can be nurtured: take a small sliver of potential from a failing project and run with that. Lastly, students can be provided with a broad set of skills useful for industry, as that is where 90% of them will end up working, not in research.

K12 EdTech Showcase

My third video meeting for the day was a K12 EdTech Showcase hosted by EduGrowth, an Australian educational technology innovation hub. There were quick presentations from education entrepreneurs. Interestingly, these were not just online platforms for delivering content, but also curated libraries of content. This could be particularity useful for teachers looking for stuff to keep students at home occupier.

What worked particularly well for this event were the moderator using an interview technique, where they asked questions. As with previous events, Zoom was used. This worked better when the video was turned off, with just the presenter's voice and slides.One frustration was that each time the presentation shifted to a new presenter, the display switched to full screen video. It would be useful if Zoom could be configured to stop this happening.

Work Integrated Learning in the Age of COVID-19

The Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) held a video meeting today to discuss what to do about Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Post secondary educational institutions (and some secondary), have students who undertake part of their program gaining practical experience in a workplace. This is required for some accreditation to work in industry. But what happens to these students with workplaces closed?

Part of the answer to that was provided by ACEN, leading by example, in convening a video conference. This was attended by about 280 people around Australia, and some from other countries.

I help teach ANU TechLauncher students who undertake group software development projects for a real client. This is a little easier to manage, as these students are normally not on the client's premises. Also computing professional routinely do much of their work using computer based tools, and the students have already been introduced to coordinating their work online. I have provided some tips on how to work remotely, from the client, from their tutor, and from each other.

The ACEN video conference suffered from some technical glitches. I have provided some tips on what to do to place less strain on our digital infrastructure. This was my second video meeting for the day, with two to go.

Use Recorded Videos and Small Online Tutorials

It is time for lecturers to swallow our pride and accept the "sage on the stage" is not that important to student learning. In place of large live events, I suggest the flipped approach. Provide videos and other materials for students to study in advance (you can provide quizzes to help). Then have online tutorials for small groups. The lecturer can record some short videos for them to use during the tutorials (I suggest around 60 seconds each).

Video conference systems, such as Zoom, allow for hundreds of students to take part in an online interactive events (Webinar). During the event the class can be divided into smaller groups, to work on a task for a few minutes, then the class brought back togehter. This is an excellent teaching method, however, it places demands on the technology, and staff which may be too much due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. There is likely to be very high utilization of videoconferencing, straining resources. Also large complex real-time events are harder to organize.

University Researchers Need to Implement COVID19 Measures NOW

Staff of universities and research organizations should have by now been issued guidelines for them to limit face to face meetings, and move activities on-line, due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. University teachers have needed to make changes to accommodate students, but there has perhaps been less pressure on researchers to change their work habits.

Stop Gathering in the Common Room

One of the delights of being on the academic staff of a university has been gathering in the common room for regular morning tea. This is a very good way to find out what is going on, and to sound out colleagues about ideas. However, this must now stop.

Move Seminars On-line

Over the last few weeks I have been asking each organizer of a meeting, seminar, or conference I have been invited to attend or speak at to provide an online option. This started happening gradually, with notices from organizers saying they have either moved events entirely online, or at least added an online option. However, it is now time to drop the in-person option for events, and focus on providing good online alternatives.

Online events need to start on time, with someone to welcome arrivals, and assure them the audio is working. Also the number of people together running the event needs to be limited. There is no need for all the presenters to be together in the one room.

The Research Project You Save May Be Your Own

For those who are unconcerned about their own safety, I urge them to consider their colleagues and their families. If for no other reason, they need to change their behavior to protect their research, which will suffer if their research team is the center of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Free Online Teaching Course Starting 20 March

Dr. Martha Cleveland-Innes,
Instructor

Athabasca University (Canada), is offering a free five-week online course Learning to Learn Online, starting 20 March. This is the university where I undertook a Master of Educaiton in Distance Educaiton. I was an online international student, and Athabasca certainly know how to use e-learning to teach digital teaching.

"In this , you will explore the fundamentals of the learning process and various models of online courses to determine your learning preferences and which forms of online learning are best for you. Activities will address common misconceptions, frustrations and fears about online learning, and introduce techniques to help overcome such obstacles and gain confidence as a learner.

Throughout the course you will be guided through an interactive and reflective process by a team of online learning specialists, with the opportunity to join in live sessions with leading researchers in online education.

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe what it means to learn - anywhere, anytime.
• Clarify personal learning preferences.
• Identify common components of an online learning environment.
• Compare differences between online and traditional learning.
• Plan for areas of personal adjustment required for success in online learning.
• Analyze different types of learning environments including a personal learning environment.
• Explore and employ effective online communication tools and strategies.
• Describe the role of an online learning community in supporting learning.

Certificates of completion are available for participants who pass all five module quizzes."