This panel brings together leaders from machine learning research, industry, behavioural science and public engagement to examine effective academic collaboration. Drawing on the CommBank Centre for Foundational AI Research and CommBank's behavioural science research network, panellists will discuss how partners identify meaningful research questions, connect academic discovery with industrial application, and test new approaches within a large, regulated organisation.
The discussion will examine what each side contributes. Academia provides deep expertise, independent challenge and long-term inquiry. Industry provides complex real-world problems, operating environments and pathways to scale. The panel will also explore the human dimension of research translation, including how evidence on trust, disclosure, decision-making and AI attitudes informs the design and communication of AI-enabled experiences.
The session will also consider how internal AI capability contributes to public confidence and understanding. Rather than presenting partnership as sponsorship, the discussion will share practical lessons on governance, incentives, research translation, capability building and communication. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of what makes industry-academic AI partnerships effective, where friction occurs, and how research ecosystems create value for organisations, researchers and society.

Moderator
Sabina L Streatfeild, Executive Manager, AI Powered Engineering, CommBank
Panel
Simon Lucey, Director, Australian Institute for Machine Learning and CommBank Centre for Foundational AI
Luiz Pizzato, Distinguished AI Scientist, CommBank
Will Mailer, Chief Behavioural Scientist, CommBank
Bel White, Executive Manager, AI Engagement & Adoption, CommBank