Dr Sasha Nikolic is an Associate Professor and an internationally recognised leader in artificial intelligence-based learning design, integrity and ethics. His work focuses on helping organisations and education systems adapt confidently and responsibly to the profound transformation driven by AI.

Based in Wollongong, NSW, Sasha is the founding President of the Australasian Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Education Centre (AAIEEC), a major multi-institutional initiative that brings together more than 50 academics from over 20 institutions. Through this work, he leads large-scale research programs examining the ethical, learning and integrity challenges created by generative AI, and how institutions and industries can respond with clarity, confidence and strategic advantage.

What sets Sasha apart is the rare combination of deep academic expertise and real-world leadership experience. His career spans retail, manufacturing, banking, management and higher education, giving him a unique ability to translate complex research into practical strategies that organisations can act on immediately. His keynotes and workshops synthesise research and real-world practice into highly engaging, interactive and outcome-driven experiences tailored to each audience.

Sasha has delivered keynotes, executive briefings and strategic workshops across Australia, Europe, and Asia. His sessions help leaders, educators and organisations move beyond fear and uncertainty, equipping them with clear frameworks to navigate risk, seize opportunity and design effective AI-enabled futures.

At the heart of Sasha’s work is a simple but powerful idea: AI should strengthen human capability, not replace it.

Through his speaking and advisory work, Sasha helps audiences understand not only how to respond to AI, but why it matters, and how to lead that change with confidence, integrity and impact.

Available keynotes include:

CORPORATE & INDUSTRY KEYNOTES

The AI Advantage: Reinventing Training & Workforce Capability

AI is transforming how people work, learn and adapt. This keynote offers practical insights into how organisations can leverage AI to modernise training, upskill their workforce, and enhance organisational learning, thereby embedding continuous improvement, ethical practices, and innovation to stay competitive in volatile markets.

Target Audiences:

All employees, executives, HR & L&D leaders, transformation managers, innovation teams

Participants will:

• Learn how AI changes workforce development
• Gain frameworks for building resilient learning organisations
• Develop practical plans for organisational transformation

Thriving with AI: How People and Organisations Grow, Not Disappear

AI is not the end of work; it is the beginning of a new chapter in human capability. This keynote reframes AI from a threat into an opportunity, showing how individuals and organisations can learn to live with AI, grow their skills, and excel in an evolving workplace. It provides practical strategies for building confidence, adaptability and sustainable performance in an AI-driven world.

Participants Will:

• Understand what AI will and will not change about work and jobs
• Learn how to work effectively alongside AI to amplify human strengths
• Develop practical strategies for continuous learning and personal growth
• Build confidence and resilience in the face of technological change

Trust by Design: How Ethical AI Becomes Competitive Advantage

As AI systems increasingly shape decisions, products and services, trust has become one of the most valuable currencies in modern organisations. This keynote explores how ethical AI, transparency and responsible governance are no longer just risk controls, but powerful drivers of reputation, performance and long-term competitive advantage.

Participants will:

• Understand why trust is emerging as a core strategic asset in the AI economy
• Examine the key ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of AI adoption and how these shape organisational responsibility and strategy
• Leave with actionable leadership principles for building sustainable, trusted organisations in an AI-driven world

EDUCATION SECTOR KEYNOTES

Co-Intelligence: Learning with AI, Not from It

Generative AI is reshaping how people learn, but only if we design for partnership, not replacement. This keynote presents a practical framework for building human-AI co-intelligence that strengthens thinking, creativity, integrity and lifelong learning across modern education systems.

Participants will:

• Understand the shift from AI as a tool to AI as a learning partner
• Gain strategies to redesign learning for deep thinking, creativity and integrity
• Leave with actionable ideas for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching

Assessment in the Age of AI: From Control to Capability

Traditional assessment models are breaking. This keynote explains the risks and presents strategies and approaches to designing assessments that develop authentic skills, academic integrity and professional readiness in an AI-rich world.

Participants will:

• Understand why traditional assessment models are failing
• Learn principles for future-proof assessment design
• Gain practical strategies to embed integrity and capability development

Ethics is Not Optional: AI, Responsibility and the Future of Education

AI systems embed values, biases and consequences. This keynote explores the ethical responsibilities of educators and institutions, providing practical approaches to integrating ethics, integrity and responsible AI use into learning at every level.

Participants will:

• Understand ethical risks and responsibilities of AI in education
• Learn how to integrate ethics across the curriculum and teaching
• Gain practical models for responsible AI adoption