The Commonwealth of Learning – Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) launched the Australia Cohort of the Commonwealth Student Community for AI Governance through a virtual convening held on 18 August 2026. Students from different parts of Australia and a range of academic disciplines came together to establish a student-led community through which they can engage with AI-related issues and contribute to wider conversations on its governance.

Addressing the participants, Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, encouraged students to move beyond being users of AI and take an active role in shaping how it is developed and governed. He spoke about opportunities for the Australian cohort to engage with national priorities, including AI safety, data sovereignty, innovation and challenges where AI could support Australian communities.

The convening was joined by Professor Ioana Chan Mow, Professor of Computing and Computer Education at the National University of Samoa, who spoke about the importance of placing young people at the centre of conversations on how the future of AI is shaped. Drawing on the Pacific context, she also discussed responsible and ethical AI, data sovereignty and the importance of accessible approaches to AI in countries with differing levels of digital infrastructure.

Participants then led a plenary discussion on AI priorities from the Australian student perspective. The discussion explored concerns around the responsible and ethical use of AI, its adoption in universities and workplaces, equitable access to AI tools, privacy, transparency, bias and the need for stronger AI literacy. Students also discussed practical measures including AI education and training, responsible institutional policies, mechanisms to question AI-influenced decisions, and opportunities for the Cohort to bring together student experiences and perspectives across disciplines.

The launch marks the beginning of Australia’s participation in the growing Commonwealth Student Community for AI Governance, providing a platform for students to identify national priorities, work collectively on issues that matter to them and connect their perspectives with students across the Commonwealth.