At Parliament House, our Digital Duty of Care Design Dialogue brought together parliamentarians, government, regulators, industry, civil society, researchers and youth voices for a day of substantive policy design.

Then, at Old Parliament House, Tech Futures 2026 continued the conversation. Supported by auDA and marking 40 years of the .au domain, the evening looked back at four decades of Australia’s digital development while bringing together the people and institutions helping shape what comes next.

Two very different events with one connected idea: nothing about tech is inevitable, a principle at the heart of TPDi’s work: humans shape technology. The choices we make in regulation and governance will determine how technology develops, and who it serves.

It was wonderful to have The Hon Anika Wells MP, Minister for Communications, join us at the Design Dialogue.

Tech Futures 2026 – Australia’s digital past, present and future

That evening, the conversation moved down the hill to Old Parliament House for the fourth annual Tech Futures.

This year’s event marked 40 years of the .au domain, giving us an opportunity to reflect on how profoundly Australia’s digital landscape has changed since 1986, and on the choices that will shape the decades ahead.

Across the evening, our speakers brought that history to life. There was humour, perspective and a strong sense of how our tech terrain is evolving.

Sarah Davies AM brought the experience of children and young people directly into the room, including the memorable words of one 11-year-old:

“Kids don’t want weird on the internet.”

Delia Rickard PSM reflected on the evolution of online safety policy with characteristic wit and perspective, while Acting Secretary David Mackay placed the evening in the context of the extraordinary institutional and technological change Australia has navigated over the past four decades.

Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker, Co-Chair of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, underscored the importance of access and inclusion in Australia’s digital future.

We were also privileged to hear from AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett and Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC, Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator, whose reflections traversed everything from future lunar outposts to UN leadership.

And, of course, there were cocktails, freshly shucked oysters and plenty of time for the one-to-one conversations that are as much a part of Tech Futures as the formal program.

A huge thank you to auDA for supporting the fourth annual Tech Futures and helping us mark 40 years of .au with a celebration of Australia’s digital past and future.