On Wednesday evening at Lot Fourteen, CORE Innovation Hub, something shifted.
Not because of a major announcement or a new piece of technology, but because of the kind of conversation happening in the room.
AI in Action – Networking with Real Intelligence, hosted by the Australian Artificial Intelligence Industry Group, brought together a cross-section of South Australia’s business, workforce and innovation ecosystem – business owners, AI practitioners, consultants, educators, government and industry.
Please see the Event details, Pre-event LinkedIn post and discussion, photos by Wendy on the night.
It had been booked out for weeks, with a waitlist still growing so that alone tells you something.This wasn’t about what AI might do. It was about what people are already doing.
Moving Beyond the Noise
There is no shortage of AI events right now. Many are highly technical. Others stay at a surface level, full of possibilities but light on application. What stood out here was the intent to sit in the middle.
The event invitation made that clear from the outset — this was about:
- practical case studies
- real examples of what worked (and what didn’t)
- applied use across business, operations and service delivery
- genuine conversations, not sales pitches
The promise was simple: real intelligence, not buzzwords.
And importantly it delivered.
Why the Location Mattered
Holding the event at CORE Innovation Hub within Lot Fourteen added another layer.
CORE sits at the centre of South Australia’s innovation ecosystem, bringing together startups, scaleups, corporates, government and research.
It is not just a venue. It is an environment where collaboration is expected and where new ideas are tested in practice.
CORE supported the event, including venue and catering, reinforcing something important – this is not just a community conversation, it is one backed by the broader ecosystem. And that matters.
Because AI adoption is not happening in isolation. It is being shaped by:
- where people connect
- who they learn from
- and how quickly ideas can be tested
The People Behind It: Building More Than an Event
What often gets overlooked is who is building this momentum. This event was driven by the AAIIG events committee :
- Michael Levene (Chair)
- Wendy Perry
- John Valeondis
Behind that sits a broader management committee bringing together capability across AI, consulting, business and innovation :
- Ted Deane
- James Fantasia
- Brenton Gowland
- Dr Jamie Sherrah
- Laura Hernandez
- Rebecca Bennett
This structure is deliberate. As outlined in the AAIIG slides, one of the biggest challenges in AI adoption is fragmentation with businesses working in silos, no shared learning and no clear industry voice. The role of this group is to change that – to connect, to share, and to build capability together.
Bringing AI Down to Earth: The Speakers
The speaker sessions reinforced the intent of the evening.
Shane Boulden brought an enterprise and technical perspective, showing how AI is being integrated into real systems, infrastructure and organisational environments. This grounded the conversation in what it actually takes to implement AI beyond the tools.
Dante St James took a different approach demonstrating AI live, in real time. Showing how business owners, consultants and entrepreneurs can start using AI immediately in their day-to-day work.
Together, these perspectives worked. One showed technical depth. The other showed broad accessibility and examples. Both were practical.
A Reflection of a Bigger Shift
The mix of people in the room reflected what is happening more broadly as AI is no longer sitting within technology teams alone.
It is now part of:
- workforce conversations
- business operations
- service delivery
- education and training
- leadership and strategy
This aligns directly with what is happening at a state level where South Australia has elevated AI into a central economic priority, with:
- a dedicated Minister for Artificial Intelligence
- a $28 million investment into capability and adoption
- the establishment of the Office for Artificial Intelligence
This is the top-down signal and what this event showed is the bottom-up response.
The feedback from the night was immediate and consistent, reflecting relevance:
“Thank you for all the effort you put in to make this event a success”
“Awesome! Thank you! And what a great event!”
“Good event last night, well done”
From Awareness to Action
What people left with matters more than what was presented including:
- ideas they could test immediately
- clarity on where AI fits (and where it doesn’t)
- connections with others navigating the same challenges
- confidence to take a next step
This is where adoption happens, not through strategy documents but through small, practical actions.
What This Means for Employers and Industry
The key question coming out of the night is simple, How are you actually using AI in your work right now?
Not whether you understand it or whether you have attended an event but whether it is being applied.
- Where is it saving time?
- Where is it improving decision-making?
- Where is it changing roles and capability needs?
The intent of Australian Artificial Intelligence Industry Group is clear :
- accelerate practical AI adoption
- connect industry, government and community
- build sovereign capability in Australia
- create a trusted, collaborative ecosystem
And importantly keep it grounded in real use.
People sharing what they’ve tried, comparing notes, working things out together and that is where real intelligence sits, in applying, testing and learning.