On 18 February 2026, the WA Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH) hosted a Stakeholder Breakfast in Perth, bringing together senior leaders from government, industry and universities to explore what the Australian Government’s new National AI Plan means for Western Australia.
The morning featured insights from Beth Worrall of the National AI Centre, who joined virtually to share national priorities — including opportunities to accelerate adoption, build capability and ensure responsible AI practices that support trust and safety across the economy. Natalia Kacperek, Chief Data Officer at the Office of Digital Government Western Australia, provided a strong local perspective on how WA is tracking against the national agenda and the innovative work already underway across the public sector. WADSIH also shared how it is responding to the National AI Plan — supporting stakeholders to build AI capability, drive meaningful adoption and strengthen collaboration across the state’s ecosystem.
As WADSIH Director Alex Jenkins noted: “Now is the time for WA industry to get excited about the AI opportunity. We’re already seeing some incredible innovation happening across our public sector, and we look forward to seeing even more use cases emerge that we can showcase to Australia — and the world.”
For those who were unable to attend the event, Sarah A James — Strategic Data & AI Executive, WiTWA Tech Award Winner and TEDx Speaker — has written a reflective piece capturing the key themes, discussions and takeaways from the morning. We reached out for her permission to reproduce her original article on our website. Read on for her insights.
You know that feeling when you walk into a room and it’s about to hit all your favourite topics — tech solving problems that have never been solved before — and you get to listen to ideas and thoughts from brilliant minds? That was the National AI Strategy Breakfast.
A room full of people who understand AI — the risks, the limitations, the opportunities and the future scenarios that could exist. Presenters who were energetic and generous with their thinking, open to ideas and above all humble. A topic sitting right in the sweet spot: AI, our National AI Strategy, and crucially, what it means for WA.
The pre-read materials had been devoured well in advance (standard behaviour), but hearing directly from Beth Worrall, Natalia Kacperek and Alex Jenkins added what every strategy needs: context, nuance, and a path to delivery.
Key questions that emerged throughout the session:
By the end, many of those questions felt answered. The message: Australia needs a comprehensive, human-centred, purposeful approach that is Responsible, Inclusive, and Innovative — designed to capture opportunity, spread benefits, and keep Australians safe.
And the energy that resonated most: “AI makers, not just takers.” Competent. Confident. Ambitious. Exactly where we need to be.
One of the standout moments of the morning was the clear scaffolding for how WA is building capability. These Program Pillars neatly organise what many in the sector have been pushing toward:
If you’re mapping where to plug in, start here. This is the backbone.
WA’s ecosystem is stronger than many realise. The conversation called out Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre alongside WADSIH, with a clear list of the players shaping momentum:
Add in WA’s Digital Inclusion Blueprint and you get a very WA flavour: practical, connected, and focused on impact across the whole community.
This landed beautifully because it’s simple, understandable, and deployable:
It complements the EU AI Act-inspired thinking influencing privacy, cyber, and responsible information sharing — exactly the kind of structure that lets innovation move while keeping people safe.
A snapshot shared during the session highlighted that WA hosts approximately 6–13% of Australia’s AI businesses, with some of the highest specialisation nationally in Energy, Raw Materials and Utilities. Add industry-led innovation, global research connections, and an ecosystem that knows how to operate in remote, hazardous, high-risk environments, and you get the edge: WA builds AI that works in the wild.
And yes — WA has done its time in PoC Hell. Which is why the state knows that strong foundations, security, and change management are the difference between demo and deployment.
It was great to see the National AI Centre (NAC) materials front and centre — frameworks, sector guides, responsible AI resources, and capability reports. The national plan comes with a library of practical artefacts to help leaders move from intent to implementation.
WADSIH called out a set of initiatives that are immediately actionable:
If you’re a leader wondering “where to start,” pick one of these. Build momentum, safely.
Two demos captured the future of digital literacy:
WizKid — A safe, parent-guided learning companion that adapts to a child’s age and interests. Currently in beta testing, it offers friendly, scaffolded chats that explain concepts in kid-appropriate language, with a tone that encourages curiosity.
Hugging Face Robot — Developed by the amazing Beth Cusack, this robot featured some cheeky, personality-filled responses.
Pair that with LaunchPad and you’ve got a path for students to learn what neural networks and LLMs are — practically and safely. Given the pace of change, regularly refreshing the tech curriculum feels less like a nice-to-have and more like essential infrastructure for our kids.
AI is stepping off the screen and into the physical world — the growing convergence of robotics and AI is a reminder that the next wave of capability isn’t just conversational; it’s embodied. For a state that builds things in tough environments, this matters.
When asked what tool to learn now, Alex recommended Claude Code for 40–50 minutes a week. The reasoning is compelling:
Pair that with a secure-first, human-in-the-loop approach and you avoid the classic traps: brittle proofs of concept, shadow IT, and privacy mishaps.
WA’s strengths—resources, utilities, robotics, remote operations, safety culture—make us unusually good at building responsible AI at scale. Our universities are producing globally recognised work (even if much of it is behind NDA), and our ecosystem is connected, humble, and highly competent.
“It’s not loud. But it’s quietly leading.”
Another question was asked from a university around international and local students and maybe giving incentives for people to attend AI courses especially minority groups. I thought this was an excellent idea. Women in Technology WA Inc. (WiTWA) something of interest and to maybe develop with the government.
Also, incentives for companies to get people upskilled or reskilled. This is a moment in time to change in the way we will work. Future Skills Organisation where there are gaps and currently undergoing a consultation.
Final Thoughts
The room felt exactly how I want Australia’s AI journey to feel: warm, curious, expert, and competently hopeful but above all with security and people front of mind and making decisions.
This is a moment in time. A shift in how we work, learn, build and imagine. And WA—quietly, confident—is ready.
Let’s avoid PoC Hell and build on trusted architecture, security principles, and the AI‑6 and the Essential Eight —like the Avengers: never alone, never without intel, always aware of the team around you and what you are fighting for our universe.
There’s something magical about the intersection between the Essential Eight | Cyber.gov.au and the AI‑6 — it feels like two superhero teams finally acknowledging they’re stronger together. The Essential Eight gives us the hardened, cyber‑resilient backbone that keeps systems secure, while the AI‑6 brings the intelligence, ethics, governance and guardrails needed to deploy AI safely and responsibly. When they collide, it’s a bit like the Marvel Avengers stumbling into an X‑Men timeline in an alternate universe: different origins, different strengths, but absolutely unstoppable when they operate as a single force. Cyber and AI aren’t just neighbouring disciplines anymore — they’re becoming a shared universe, one built to protect, empower, and evolve how we work.
For the Busy Humans
Note: Sarah A James used Microsoft Copilot for Teams to assist in developing this article, with 14 pages of handwritten notes recorded on the reMarkable. The final piece was refined through multiple iterations with a human-in-the-loop approach.
We’re pleased to welcome Mio Angela Gadon to the WADSIH team as our new Administration Lead. Mio is a Perth-based multidisciplinary artist, designer and arts worker originally from the Philippines.
Our AI Program Coordinator, Beth Cusack has been recognised for her work delivering inclusive Gen-AI Bootcamps that help autistic young people build practical technology skills, confidence and a sense of belonging. The program recently expanded to Geraldton, where students explored generative AI, robotics, coding and virtual reality through hands-on projects.
WADSIH brings AI learning to life at GoSHackathon Midwest Young innovators in Geraldton had the chance to explore artificial intelligence, robotics and future-focused problem solving when the WA Data Science
