# AI Commons

> AI Commons (#aicommons) is an Australian AI community that believes AI should give people time back — to think, and to be human with each other again. TED-style talk nights, AMAs and round tables in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

AI Commons (#aicommons) is an Australian community of AI engineers, CTOs, CEOs and AI entrepreneurs. It runs TED-style talk nights, AMAs and round tables in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, built on one belief: AI should give people time back — to think, and to be human with each other again.

## Facts

- Name: AI Commons (also written #aicommons)
- What: A community and event series for AI engineers, CTOs, CEOs, AI entrepreneurs, designers and product managers
- Where: Australia — Melbourne (live chapter), Brisbane (live chapter), Sydney (coming soon)
- Formats: Short talks on AI findings, tools and recommendations, then conversation; AMAs; intimate round tables
- Belief: AI should give people time back. Going faster is not the goal; judgement and taste stay human.
- Founder: Adam Johnstone, AI Lead in Melbourne (https://www.adamjohnstone.com.au/)
- Chapters: Anyone can apply to lead a chapter in a new city; applicants are interviewed and branding is strict
- Contact: hello@aicommons.au
- Website: https://www.aicommons.au/

## The AI Manifesto

We believe AI is here to give time back — to engineers, designers, product managers, and to all of us.
Going faster is not the goal.
It is what happens when people have time to think clearly, and act on well-informed plans.
AI is just the tool that frees us from tasks that consume entire days — giving back time to communicate, think, align, plan and act.

1. Guard taste, outsource the rest
2. More time to think, removes time to ship
3. Personal connection, over chats in threads
4. Focus on creating good, not creating more
5. Prioritise human creativity, not going faster

Download: https://www.aicommons.au/media/manifesto.pdf

## Upcoming events

- [Melbourne talk night](https://www.aicommons.au/events/melbourne-oct-2026): Melbourne, Oct 2026, Venue TBC. Placeholder — talk night. Venue TBC.
- [Brisbane talk night](https://www.aicommons.au/events/brisbane-nov-2026): Brisbane, Nov 2026, Venue TBC. Placeholder — talk night. Venue TBC.
- [Sydney talk night](https://www.aicommons.au/events/sydney-tbc): Sydney, date TBC, Venue TBC. TBC

## Blog

- [AI gifts us time back — don't waste it](https://www.aicommons.au/blog/why-ai-commons) (21 September 2026): Why AI Commons exists, and what we mean when we say AI should give people time back.

## FAQ

### What is AI Commons?

The Australian voice on how AI should work: give people time back to think, and to be human with each other again. TED-style nights in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane exist to prove that in public.

### How do I join?

Come to a night in a live city. There is no paid membership in this PoC. Watch Explore Upcoming Events.

### What types of events do you host?

Short talks on findings, recommendations and tools, then conversation. Engineers, CTOs, CEOs and enthusiasts in the same room.

### How can I sponsor or partner?

Partners put their name on nights that already have a belief — not a blank meetup.

### Are events free?

The intent is accessible nights. Ticket policy will be published per event once venues are confirmed.

### How do I start or lead a chapter?

Grab a grey city on the globe. We interview you. If you are a fit, you may run events only under strict branding and manifesto alignment.

### Which cities are live?

Melbourne and Brisbane. Other places stay grey until a lead is approved.

### Where is the manifesto?

On this page, and as a download. Five laws: guard taste, outsource the rest; more time to think, removes time to ship; personal connection, over chats in threads; focus on creating good, not creating more; prioritise human creativity, not going faster. If it cannot be quoted, it does not belong here.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.aicommons.au/): who we are, the manifesto, chapters, members, partners and FAQ
- [Events](https://www.aicommons.au/events): upcoming and past nights
- [Blog](https://www.aicommons.au/blog): notes from the room
- [Full text for LLMs](https://www.aicommons.au/llms-full.txt): every event and blog post in full