Takeaways from New Zealand’s First AI Safety Conference

This is a virtual session

In just six months, Emma Humphrey grew an non-profit organisation from the ground up to host New Zealand’s inaugural AI Safety Conference— bringing together 80 leading academics, researchers, and policy thinkers.

In this session, Emma breaks down how she mobilized the community to make the conference happen, shares the critical insights surfaced during the talks, and outlines actionable next steps for individuals and organisations eager to make New Zealand safer in the age of AI.

Emma will also share key takeaways from her recent trip as a New Zealand delegate to the Australian AI Safety Forum in Sydney and the GOVIS Conference in Wellington.

She will unpack trans-Tasman perspectives on the evolving ecosystem, including how new startups are forming in the safety space, how professionals are transitioning into long-term AI safety careers, and who the key market players are to watch in the coming years.

What You’ll Learn:

• Building from Scratch: The playbook behind organising NZ's first 80-person academic AI safety conference in six months.

• New Zealand's AI Safety Roadmap: Key insights from local leaders and critical next steps for domestic impact.

• Trans-Tasman Perspectives: Firsthand observations from Australia's forum on emerging startups, key ecosystem players, and long-term career pathways in AI safety.