Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO is set to convene the First Nations Data Governance & Sovereignty Forum this month, bringing together Indigenous leaders, policymakers, researchers and technology experts to examine how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can retain authority over data concerning their communities, cultures and Country.

Supported by the Indigenous Data Network (IDN), the Forum will take place across November 11-12 at the University of Melbourne and will explore how Indigenous data sovereignty can move from principle to practice across government, health, research and digital infrastructure.

The program will examine the risks of AI exploiting or misrepresenting cultural knowledge, alongside practical approaches to Indigenous-led data governance, accountability and community-controlled infrastructure.

Key speakers include Professor Peter Anderson, Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at the University of New England; Selwyn Button, Indigenous Commissioner at the Productivity Commission; Associate Professor Kristen Smith, Co-founder of the Indigenous Data Network; and Dr Fadwa Al Yaman of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Key discussions will examine: AI and Indigenous data rights: Who decides what AI learns, and how can First Nations governance protect cultural knowledge?; Data, policy and accountability: How can data better represent First Nations peoples and support meaningful change?; Indigenous Data Commons: How can shared digital infrastructure enable data access and collaboration while preserving Indigenous authority and community control?; Cultural knowledge and digital preservation: How can data governance support language preservation, cultural heritage and the return of Indigenous knowledge?; and Building capability: What skills, systems and partnerships are needed to strengthen Indigenous-led data governance for the future?

The Forum organisers say the event "aims to strengthen understanding of how governments, research institutions and technology providers can move beyond consultation towards arrangements that recognise Indigenous decision-making authority and deliver meaningful community benefit".