ANU School of Cybernetics

ANU School of Cybernetics We are drawing on the history of cybernetics and reimagining it for our 21st century challenges.

ANU School of Cybernetics seeks to establish cybernetics as an important tool for navigating major societal transformations, through capability building, policy development and safe, sustainable and responsible approaches to new systems. As people invent, commercialise and operationalise new technologies, we need new skills to manage them. Cybernetics offers a way of transcending boundaries, of thinking in systems and ensuring that humans, technology and the physical environment are in the frame. It is a way to imagine humans steering technical systems safely through the world. At ANU School of Cybernetics we are building capability around this. Our programs blend education, research and engagement to support students, collaborators and publics to tackle the challenges posed by technology at scale.

"I looked at how robots designed to assist with healthcare, such as physiotherapy assistance robots, actually integrate ...
11/09/2026

"I looked at how robots designed to assist with healthcare, such as physiotherapy assistance robots, actually integrate and interact with the healthcare system," says PhD candidate Amir Asadi.

"More specifically, I look at helping both developers and people who work on integration and implementation of human-robot collaboration in healthcare settings be better prepared for the unique contextual challenges in this space."

Read more about Amir’s PhD journey: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/news/2026/06/02/phd-spotlight-aa/

Katherine's appointment as the Vice President of the International Federation of Systems Research (IFSR) reflects a pers...
10/09/2026

Katherine's appointment as the Vice President of the International Federation of Systems Research (IFSR) reflects a personal legacy in systems research, education and practice at The Australian National University.

Now the Director of the ANU School of Cybernetics, Katherine has spent 20 years building on transdisciplinarity.

“The School is a collaborative venture built to bring people together with vastly different expertise, life experiences, knowledges, and practices to shape safer, more sustainable, and responsible futures, including with technology,” she says.

Over the course of her ANU career, Katherine has worked with the Centre for Policy Innovation, HC Coombs Policy Forum (Crawford School), Centre of European Studies (RSSS), the Pacific Institute, ICEDS, the Fenner School, 3Ai, and the Institute for Water Futures, with the objective of bridging and translating across people and their knowledge systems for sustainable development in innovative and meaningful ways.

Her election to the IFSR executive committee underscores the University's enduring influence in systems research and its commitment to transdisciplinary solutions for complex global challenges.

Read more: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/news/2026/09/04/Katherine-Daniell-IFSR-appointment/

Founder and President of The Center for Tomorrow Dex Hunter-Torricke joined the ANU School of Cybernetics for the panel ...
10/09/2026

Founder and President of The Center for Tomorrow Dex Hunter-Torricke joined the ANU School of Cybernetics for the panel event Another Tomorrow is Possible: AI and Australia’s Choice.

Bringing twenty-years of cumulative experience working at Meta, Google, and SpaceX, Dex led discussions around AI capability, and how Australia can secure its national interest in the face of rapid AI progress.

“We have been equipped with planetary-scale communities, with all sorts of tools of mobilisation and knowledge, and these are all imperfect tools, and yet they allow us to do much more with less resources,” says Dex.

“Australia has an opportunity to call for a vision of the future which is more humane and just, and sustainable.”

Joining him on the panel was School Director Katherine Daniell and PhD candidate and facilitator Joshua Castle.

📷: Matt Jelly

Is there a way I can look at this specific problem from a different lens?Our Learning Experience (LX) can help you do ju...
09/09/2026

Is there a way I can look at this specific problem from a different lens?

Our Learning Experience (LX) can help you do just that. Our short non-award workshops are not just about the technical understanding of technologies – it equips you to better understand and anticipate the implications of their deployment in service delivery, regulation, business strategy, information management and beyond.

Interested in going to one?

Explore our newly refreshed LX webpage here: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/education/learning-experiences/

What are the realities of rapid technological developments in large-scale, complex organisations?Desmond Seeley, Commonw...
07/09/2026

What are the realities of rapid technological developments in large-scale, complex organisations?

Desmond Seeley, Commonwealth Bank’s Executive Manager of AI and Engineering will join us to share his lessons and insights from leading major digital transformation within one of Australia’s largest and most complex organisations.

This will be followed by a panel discussion with academics from ANU School of Cybernetics, bringing different perspectives to the challenges of navigating technological and organisational change.

Register on Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/another-tomorrow-2026/tickets
Thursday 17 September, 12–2pm AEST
Innovation Space, Australian National University.

Australia is facing one of the most consequential technology shifts in a generation.The choices we make now will shape w...
03/09/2026

Australia is facing one of the most consequential technology shifts in a generation.

The choices we make now will shape whether AI improves life for Australians and the environment, or erodes what we've already built.

Join guest speaker Dex Hunter-Torricke, Founder and President of The Center for Tomorrow, with nearly two decades experience at SpaceX, Meta, Google and UN, as he answers the question ‘What can Australia do to secure its national interests in the face of rapid AI progress?’

Along with Director of ANU School of Cybernetics Professor Katherine Daniell, the panel will address what long-term governance of AI would mean for Australian society.

Come discuss, ask hard questions, and meet others who share a common interest. A flourishing future is possible if we're willing to ask the right questions and imagine what it could look like.

Register on Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/another-tomorrow-2026/tickets

Monday 7 September, 12–1.30pm AEST
Innovation Space, Australian National University

Systems & Society at ANU

The August edition of The Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics newsletter is out now! The month was bu...
28/08/2026

The August edition of The Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics newsletter is out now!

The month was busy, with visiting speakers, workshops and the ANU Community Day.

In this newsletter, you can find out more about:
📌the upcoming event with guest speaker Dex Hunter-Torricke, Founder and President of the Center for Tomorrow
📌our Unplugged Education workshops, co-facilitated by Cybernetics and visiting speakers Professor Tim Bell – creator of CS Unplugged – and Dr Henry Hickman
📌The Attachment Hacking episode of the Alive to This podcast, where Associate Professor Maia Gould was invited to contribute to the conversation around connection, attachment and rewards dependence.

Click through to read: https://mailchi.mp/lists.anu.edu.au/cybernetics-2026-july-newsletter-12852521

You can subscribe to our mailing list via the ANU School of Cybernetics site.

What does it actually mean to “know,” “generate,” or “participate” in a world?Earlier this year, the ANU School of Cyber...
27/08/2026

What does it actually mean to “know,” “generate,” or “participate” in a world?

Earlier this year, the ANU School of Cybernetics visited the Museum of Contemporary Arts for the exhibition, Data Dreams: Art and AI.

Two of the works featured were Angie Abdilla’s Meditation on Country and Kate Crawford in collaboration with Vladan Joler’s Anatomy of an AI System.

Read along to see how Dr Sungyeon Hong reflected on visiting this exhibition.

Read the full reflection on our news page: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/news/2026/05/20/more-to-human/

Early in June, Dr Ben Swift, Eddie Aloise King, Dr Hannah Feldman and Cole Cooney went to teach upper primary kids about...
25/08/2026

Early in June, Dr Ben Swift, Eddie Aloise King, Dr Hannah Feldman and Cole Cooney went to teach upper primary kids about large language models (LLMs) for the first time.

Using cutouts, the Year 5 students were able to sort pairs and generate new sentences from children’s books, helping them see the probabilistic nature of LLMs.

This was made possible thanks to Pip Hall and the Duffy Primary School team and ACT Academy of Future Skills for the connection.

Read the full article on our news page: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/news/2026/06/02/how-ai-writes-stories-at-duffy/

1 week left until applications close! Do you have everything you need to apply for our Master of Applied Cybernetics?Rea...
21/08/2026

1 week left until applications close! Do you have everything you need to apply for our Master of Applied Cybernetics?

Read the checklist here or go to our webpage to read our application pack.

Applications close 12pm AEST, Friday 28 July. Apply here: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/education/masters/

We look forward to receiving your applications!

Address

Canberra, ACT

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when ANU School of Cybernetics posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category