Macquarie Uni’s AI chief heads to La Trobe

Source Domain: www.itnews.com.au

La Trobe University has poached Macquarie University’s head of artificial intelligence Phil Laufenberg, appointing him to a pro vice-chancellorship position focused on the technology.

Phil Laufenberg, La Trobe University’s inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor (Artificial Intelligence) and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.

Laufenberg will join La Trobe from early April, taking on dual titles of pro vice-chancellor artificial intelligence and chief artificial intelligence officer, reflecting twin responsibilities overseeing both its strategy and technical deployment.

While it’s not unheard of for technology leaders to be given prestigious pro vice-chancellorships, La Trobe said that Laufenberg’s appointment with a mandate to focus solely on AI is a first of its kind in Australia’s university sector.

Laufenberg will have a busy schedule in the new role.

La Trobe has set itself a goal to become an “AI-first” university and vice-chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said Laufenberg’s appointment is the start of a new phase in the transformation.

It’s given itself until the end of the year to provide all its staff and students access to advanced AI tools.

“Over the past two years, we have upskilled staff, built a vibrant community of practice, piloted high-impact use cases, and tested secure agentic AI systems,” Farrell said.

“[Laufenberg’s] appointment ensures we have the leadership capability to…

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