The Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSAI) at Victoria University of Wellington, with support from the Royal Society Te Apārangi Catalyst: Leaders Fund, successfully hosted its one-day workshop on 1st July 2026 at the Kelburn Campus. The event brought together leading researchers, academics, and industry experts from across New Zealand to explore how cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies are actively solving critical, real-world problems.

The workshop featured an exceptional keynote address by world-renowned evolutionary AI expert Prof. Wolfgang Banzhaf (Michigan State University), alongside a diverse lineup of insightful talks from the University of Auckland, University of Otago, the Malaghan Institute, and Victoria University of Wellington. The presentations spanned highly impactful domains, ranging from adaptive AI for social good and explainable AutoML in aquaculture to AI-driven material science and crisis communication.

The day concluded with an engaging panel discussion on “AI and the Future of Work, Research, and Society”, which sparked brilliant academic exchanges and opened up exciting avenues for future collaborations.