Claude Meetup returns to AUT
AUT supported the latest Claude Auckland Meetup on 30 September, welcoming industry leaders, researchers, students and technology practitioners to its City Campus for an evening of discussion, learning and knowledge sharing around emerging technologies.
Organised by thecolab.ai, the meetup brought together people from across technology, business, education and research to explore how organisations are engaging with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The September event was the second Claude Auckland Meetup supported by AUT this year, building on a successful July gathering that attracted hundreds of attendees from across Auckland.
Simon Conroy, co-founder of thecolab.ai, says interest in the meetup series has grown rapidly over the past year.
"Colab AI has been organising these quarterly meetups for a year now and every time demand grows significantly. We had 200 register for the first event and close to 1,000 in July, so we very quickly outgrew our first venue."
"Luckily AUT was keen to partner and now we can fit 350 attendees in a lecture theatre, which is the perfect setting for these sorts of interactive events."
Bringing together industry leaders, researchers, students and technology enthusiasts, the meetup created opportunities to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore how emerging technologies are shaping organisations and communities.
Presentations from speakers representing AWS New Zealand, Anthropic and Overdose were complemented by community-led demonstrations and discussion, creating space for participants to learn from both experts and practitioners applying these technologies in real-world settings.
The event also provided opportunities for AUT students and staff to engage directly with people working across industry and technology, extending learning beyond the classroom and creating connections across education, research and the wider community.
AUT's Senior Director, AI Strategy & Transformation, Abby Dowd, presented on AUTGPT and AUT's approach to supporting staff and students as they explore emerging technologies.
"It was a pleasure to present at the Claude community meetup and see a full house. Business leaders, developers, founders, and students all came to see what others are building and find out what's working."
"That says a lot about where AI is in Aotearoa right now and is the kind of kōrero a university of technology should be part of," he says.
The presentation provided attendees with an opportunity to learn more about AUTGPT and how the university is supporting its community to engage with generative AI.
"AUTGPT started with a simple problem, our staff were already using AI, often on accounts they were paying for themselves," says Dowd.
"Now more than 4,000 staff can use Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and others in one place and know they can use AI on real university work with confidence."
During the first Claude Auckland Meetup hosted at AUT in July, AUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Damon Salesa spoke about the importance of creating spaces for learning and discussion around emerging technologies.
"Understanding technology, and particularly AI, requires ongoing dialogue, across sectors, disciplines and communities," he says.
"Events like this extend learning beyond formal programmes and into shared spaces where ideas can be exchanged, perspectives challenged, and insights gained directly from those doing the work."