AUT Impact
At AUT, we believe in the value of ideas that make a difference in leading change. Through our AUT Impact conversation series, we are bringing expert knowledge, critical thought and diverse perspectives to the biggest issues facing our communities and our country.
In this series, our experts explore the issues New Zealanders are talking about and the topics that matter to you.
Introduction to AUT Impact
Welcome to AUT Impact, a series of on-demand public talks that is a place where big ideas and conversations converge and come to life. AUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Damon Salesa, introduces this new series of talks where speakers who are experts in their field tackle subjects that broaden our perspectives and contribute to the local or national debate.
Panellists
Professor Damon Salesa
Vice-Chancellor
Machines vs the mind: AI and creativity
AI is everywhere. Like many sectors, the visual effects industry is embracing the revolutionary impacts of the technology for creativity and workflow efficiency, while grappling with the ethical considerations around intellectual property, job displacement and the overall impact on artistic integrity.
This panel explores new AUT research that analyses the attitudes of VFX artists towards generative AI, and what it means for the future of human creativity.
Declining trust and the threats to our democracy
AUT’s fifth annual Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand report found a media landscape in crisis: shrinking audiences, plummeting public trust in the media and world-leading rates of news avoidance. With trust in media rapidly eroding, this conversation explores the impacts this lack of trust poses to participation in the political process and what newsrooms must do to regain trust among their audiences.
Should we be tougher on crime?
Ram raids, gang-related shootings and violent attacks dominate our news cycle. Is being “tough on crime” the answer, or does the solution lie in wider social reforms?
Growing New Zealand's Olympic legacy
For a select few of New Zealand's most elite athletes, the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics will be the culmination of a lifetime of sacrifice - but what does it take to get there and be successful?
Panellists
Ashlee Tulloch (moderator)
AUT graduate, former IOC Olympic Channel Presenter
Nicki Nicol
CEO New Zealand Olympic Committee
Alexis Pritchard
AUT graduate, Olympian, NZOC Athlete Engagement Lead
Professor Lesley Ferkins
School of Sport and Recreation
Professor Andrew Kilding
School of Sport and Recreation
What’s my future? Solutions to New Zealand’s cost of living crisis
Food insecurity, rising rents, out of control inflation, households under pressure... For an increasing number of New Zealanders, the rising cost of living has reached a crisis point, with no end in sight. Our experts share their insights into the crisis and discuss what needs to happen to turn things around.
What Taylor Swift tells us about society
Sixty years ago, the Beatles' hard-currency foreign earnings were credited with helping save the British Pound from being devalued. In 2024, another global pop sensation, Taylor Swift, is being credited for having a similar impact. Fresh off the back of the Swiftposium, an international academic conference which saw scholars engage in critical dialogue about Swift’s popularity, two of the masterminds behind the event discuss the singer’s impact and influence, and how it is shaping our society.
Get to know more AUT thought leaders
AUT’s world-class researchers are widely known for playing a critical role in shaping the future through their expertise, and we’re proud of the community of thinkers you can find at our university.
Explore AUT research
AUT research is focused on real-world impact, and we're known as a leading research university with innovative research that addresses issues facing the environment, society and the world.
Make an impact with an AUT degree
Interested in the topics covered in AUT Impact? Take your knowledge further with an AUT qualification. We’re one of the largest universities in New Zealand, with over 250 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across three campuses.