AI Ethics and Data Sovereignty Debate

Westech Festival 2026 Satellite Event by WA AI Hub In the midst of pure tech optimism, this session offers a serious, civic-minded counterweight. We’ll explore WA’s resources datasets, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), and enterprise AI accountability critical issues shaping the future of technology and society. Designed for participants seeking a structured, time-boxed, outcome-focused experience during WA’s peak technology week. Event Program • Doors Open Drinks, canapés, and civic networking for guests from policy, legal, enterprise, and tech sectors. • Opening Remarks Acknowledgment of Country and a current-state framing on AI regulation in Australia. • The Debate Tech optimists face off against ethics and regulatory experts on enterprise AI, ICIP, and data sovereignty. • Town Hall Q&A Audience questions probe practical implications for WA resources, startups, and public policy. • Close & Networking Wrap-up with next-step resources, responsible AI pathways, and final networking. Key Takeaways • AI regulation insights in the Australian context • Ethics vs optimism debate on enterprise AI • Responsible AI pathways for founders, enterprises, and policymakers • Cross-sector networking with leaders in law, policy, and technology Refund and Cancellation Policy Participant cancellation windows • 14 or more calendar days before the scheduled session: Transfer to another available WA AI Hub session or course credit, less any non-recoverable third-party platform fee. Refunds may be offered less an administration fee at WA AI Hub’s discretion. • 7-13 calendar days before the scheduled session: Transfer or credit only, subject to availability. No cash refund for change-of-mind cancellation. • Less than 7 calendar days before the scheduled session: No refund, no credit and no transfer for change-of-mind cancellation. WA AI Hub may consider exceptional circumstances at its discretion. • No-show or partial attendance: No refund, no credit and no transfer, except where required by Australian Consumer Law. Substitutions Participant substitutions are allowed up to 24 hours before the session if the substitute meets eligibility requirements and WA AI Hub receives the updated attendee details in writing. Organiser cancellation, rescheduling or major change If WA AI Hub cancels a session, cannot deliver the session, or makes a major change to the time, delivery mode or core advertised content, participants will be offered a reasonable remedy such as transfer, credit or refund, consistent with Australian Consumer Law. Australian Consumer Law statement Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. If a service fails to meet a consumer guarantee, participants may be entitled to a remedy depending on the circumstances. This policy does not limit those rights. Platform fees Ticketing platform fees and payment processing fees may be non-refundable where those fees are charged and retained by the platform, except where law or the relevant platform rules require otherwise. How to request a cancellation, transfer or remedy Email Junita [email protected] (08) 6156 4865 with the participant name, session title, booking reference, requested outcome and reason for the request. Recommended acceptance wording By registering, participants acknowledge the refund and cancellation policy and understand that statutory rights under Australian Consumer Law continue to apply. #ResponsibleAI #WAAIHub #WestechFestival2026 #AIAccountability #DataSovereignty #ICIP #EthicsInAI #PolicyAndTech #CivicTech #AIForWA