Co-founder & Head of AiLab: Dr. John Flackett
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Dr. John Flackett's passion and has been an integral part of his career via teaching, research, business and education. A distinguished AI educator, speaker, advisor and entrepreneur, John has been working in AI for 30 years and achieved his PhD in Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP)) in 2005.
John’s ground-breaking AI research in the mid-1990s aided in the early understanding of the AI techniques and algorithms used today by the best-known large language models. John is interested in numerous aspects of AI and cognitive science, in particular, representational adequacies, Natural Language Processing, feature extraction, signal fusion and hybrid systems for applied AI.
John has made significant contributions to the field of AI and is a recognised leader in the AI community. John was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) in recognition of his contributions to Artificial Intelligence and education from Southampton Solent University.
As the co-founder and head of AiLab, John leads AiLab’s workshops and masterclasses that help organisations across the globe understand AI, develop AI skills and capability, and build effective strategies for implementing AI to become AI-ready.
Passionate about creating environments where people can learn about AI, John's love for education came from 10 years as senior university academic teaching masters and undergraduate Artificial Intelligence and undergraduate Computer Studies and Software Engineering at a UK University. He has also worked in a wide range of industries and sectors, designing and developing commercial-grade software for use in major corporations around the world (including solutions used in retail, oil and gas, education and IT.
John was also the AI Specialist in Residence and AI Ambassador for Auckland University of Technology (AUT), and as part of AiLab’s expansion into New Zealand, John launched an AiLab at the university (‘AiLab at AUT’). Additionally, John is a PhD Supervisor to university students researching AI.
An acclaimed international Artificial Intelligence speaker, John also speaks at events around the world presenting key insights on AI and emerging technologies future impact on society and the workforce. As an AI advisor and consultant with contributions in government, education, industry and community, John is a sought-after media interviewee. He is regularly called upon to share his perspectives and frequently contributes to media interviews, radio discussions and publications. He has served on multiple boards and committees, including Australian Federal Government’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan Committee.
John's accolades include various awards, including from the British Computer Society (BCS) and an Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc). His academic and business career was also featured in the UK's Million Plus 'Think Modern' campaign that launched at the Palace of Westminster.
Along with AiLab, John is the co-founder of the smart web specialist company koolth, that empowers businesses with next generation online tools and delivers cutting-edge technology solutions and consultancy to a host of industries across the globe. He is also the co-founder and organiser of the popular Adelaide Artificial Intelligence Meetup (Adelaide AI) event series, which is the largest AI networking community in South Australia.
A champion and advocate of equity and inclusion in technology, John encourages and promotes diversity at every opportunity. He also enjoys assisting with hackathons and social good initiatives, as well as mentoring individuals and businesses in the technology community.
Passionate about his craft, John is proud to have helped thousands of people learn about AI and dedicated to guiding organisations through their AI journey. He is committed to building AI awareness and helping everyone to develop AI skills, capability, and knowledge.
John's work at AiLab is pivotal in shaping the future of work and business through the adoption of AI.
Education & Academia
John graduated from Southampton Solent University as the first student to be awarded a first-class honours on the BSc (Hons) Computer Studies course in 1996, going on to achieve a PgC in Research in 1997, followed by his achieving his PhD in Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP)).
John’s research concentrated on connectionist systems that could encode and represent symbolic structures in distributed, compositional representations. His PhD produced a hybrid symbolic/connectionist natural language parsing system that showed it was possible to start scaling such systems.
As well as his role as a senior academic teaching MSc and BSc Artificial Intelligence, BSc Computer Studies and BSc Software Engineering at the University, John had a lead role in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and was a Cisco Java Instructor. Additionally, John was Year Tutor for all Level 2 BSc (Hons) Computer Studies and Software Engineering students. He also supervised and coordinated the final year undergraduate and postgraduate student projects and developed and managed the annual end-of-year Technology Degree Show.
A Few Other Highlights & Roles
John is a currently a member of the Advisory Group for the Women in AI Australia and New Zealand Awards , as well as the Women in AI Asia-Pacific Awards. He was also on the judging panel for the Women in AI ANZ Awards in 2021 and 2022. John contributed to the book ‘The Essence of Neural Networks’ by Rob Callan and was chosen as one of the ‘Emerging Tech Inspirations' for 2017 by DevDiner readers. John was part of the team that won three awards at GovHack – the annual open government data competition held all over Australia and New Zealand. The awards included the South Australia Premier's Award, the National People's Choice Award and the Building on Science, Research & Environmental Data Award. John was also featured in the UK's Million Plus 'Think Modern' campaign that launched at the Palace of Westminster, where his academic and business career was profiled and highlighted. As well as a mentor in the AI/Tech community, John is also board advisor for start-ups and businesses.
Dr. John Flackett: Artificial Intelligence Speaker
Please see the scrolling list below for a summary of some of John's keynotes, lectures and talks around the world. You can also visit the AiLab Event Journal for some of the event details and the AiLab Testimonials page for feedback from people we have worked with.
Dr. John Flackett: Media Interviews
Please see John’s interviews page.
Dr. John Flackett: Publications/Contributions
Please see John’s publications page.
If you would like to interview John for your publication or would like John to facilitate a workshop or speak at your next event, convention or conference, please drop us a line.
