The Australian Museum in Sydney once again hosted this meeting, organized by the Spanish Researchers in Asia-Pacific with support from the Council Foundation
The "Australia-Spain Research Forum," organized annually by the Association of Spanish Researchers in Australia-Pacific (SRAP), dedicated its eleventh edition to Artificial Intelligence (AI). This Forum is a multidisciplinary meeting aimed at the general community, highlighting Australian and Spanish research on topics of particular interest to the societies of both countries. In addition to Australian and Spanish researchers from multiple fields, the Forum brings together universities, research centers, industries, diplomats, and artists interested in scientific research.
The objective of this year's edition was to discuss and reflect on how Artificial Intelligence is impacting our lives and our work, sometimes positively, but often negatively. According to SRAP, asking whether AI is "friend or foe" is not a rhetorical question, but an urgent matter that crosses disciplinary and national boundaries. "Scientists, academics, diplomats, artists, media, and industry leaders all have a role to play in how humanity navigates this technological transformation." The Forum invited participants to examine "not just what AI can do, but what it should do, and how we can, collectively, shape its future."
The Australian Museum in Sydney hosted the SRAP Forum once again this year. This museum is the oldest in Australia and the fifth oldest natural history museum in the world. For more than 190 years, the museum has been at the forefront of Australian scientific research and education, providing a perfect setting for this Research Forum, where the public was expected to participate in the conversation.
As usual, the Spain-Australia Council Foundation collaborated as a sponsor of this event, along with the Spanish Embassy, the Ramón Areces Foundation, the Cervantes Institute in Sydney, and Indra Australia. The event opened with remarks by the Spanish Ambassador to Australia, Esther Monterrubio, and recorded messages from the Director General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Inmaculada Riera, and Luis Sánchez-Vellisco, Spanish Ambassador to New Zealand. Welcoming remarks were also given by Coral Martínez, Director of the Cervantes Institute in Sydney; Rod Noel, Director General of the Spain-Australia Chamber of Commerce; and other dignitaries.
More information on the SRAP website
Official website of the 11th SRAP Forum
