Metopcon II will bring together software engineers, business operators, investors and public sector risk managers to examine how AI agents are changing software development. Image: File.
Sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) models and infrastructure used to run teams and businesses will be a central theme when the second Meta Operations Conference returns to Canberra on 23 and 24 October.
Known as Metopcon II, the event will bring together software engineers, business operators, investors and public sector risk managers to examine how AI agents are changing software development and business operations.
The conference follows an inaugural gathering at the National Press Club in May, which attracted 27 practitioners from industries including defence, finance, media and technology.
Convener Tony Winmill said the October event would build on the practical experience shared at the first conference.
“Metopcon I showed that small Canberra teams are already using AI to drive individual productivity,” Mr Winmill said. “Metopcon II asks the next question, which is how an Australian organisation does that on models and infrastructure it controls to drive the collective productivity of a business.”
The program will focus on software development managed by AI agents, systems that can detect and repair faults, sovereign AI capability, and the use of agents to manage broader business processes.
Covate’s Matt Ryan will deliver the keynote address, outlining the company’s approach to agent-driven software development and its application in building ChimeDeck. His presentation will cover the models and processes used to produce bespoke software that can be tested against specified requirements using the commercial and free models.
Trellis Data’s Michael Gately will lead two sessions, examining what it would take for Australia to develop a frontier AI research and development capability, and the case for investing in an AI start-up.
Dr Andrew Blair, of Biz Integration, will discuss methods for obtaining consistent, verifiably correct results from AI.
Other sessions will explore cybersecurity, the use of AI agents to test and defend critical systems, data centre infrastructure and supply chains, and AI’s effect on product development businesses. A closing panel will consider the field’s next steps.
A published account of the May conference reported substantial productivity gains among some participants. These included a developer completing 128 development sprints in three weeks, compared with an estimated 12 months using conventional methods, and an AI marketing operation that cut manual work from 55 hours a week to about two.
The account also described a demonstration of an Australian sovereign large language model with per-million-token pricing reported at between one-fifth and half that of OpenAI or Anthropic models.
Friday’s presentations and panels will be held at the Hellenic Club Woden in Phillip, from 8:30 am to 5 pm, followed by drinks. Saturday’s program runs from 9:30 am to 4 pm and comprises three workshops, with delegates making their selections on Friday afternoon.
Both days will operate under the Chatham House Rule, which allows participants to use information shared at the event without identifying speakers or their affiliations. Sessions will also be recorded and summarised.
Tickets cost $350 and cover both days. The conference is convened by Tony and Maree Winmill of Covate, with sponsorship from Trellis Data, Micron21, Coax, Region and Revio Labs.
Bookings are available through TryBooking, with further information at metopcon.com.
