Moderator: Simon Pampena

Simon Pampena is a world-renowned science and mathematical communicator with over 16 years experience performing for audiences in the US, UK, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Brazil, and all across Australia. He was appointed the Australian Numeracy Ambassador from 2009 to 2017 and is a presenter on Discovery Channel’s Outrageous Acts of Science and groundbreaking YouTube channel, Numberphile. His pioneering blend of comedy and mathematics has been wowing crowds around the world with numerous seasons at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe, and the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Combining comedy, storytelling, and performance with a deep love for mathematics, Simon has forged a unique career bringing an important subject area to life for a wide audience.

Abstract: LINK TO EVENT PAGE

Generative AI can now write, plan, code, and recommend at lightning speed, so do we still need optimisation? Or are solvers, constraints, and objective functions relics of a slower past?

OPTIMA returns with its annual debate exploring a timely question: why optimise when AI appears to have all the answers?

Join researchers and industry experts as AI and optimisation go head-to-head over whether prompting powerful AI systems makes optimisation obsolete, or whether it remains the hidden engine keeping AI effective, efficient, and safe.

Expect bold claims, sharp rebuttals, real-world reality checks, and plenty of humour as we explore what is gained, and what is at risk, when decisions increasingly move from models to machines.

This lively debate is open to students, professionals, researchers, and anyone curious about how AI and optimisation are shaping the future of decision-making.

This event is IN-PERSON ONLY:
The Studio, Melbourne Connect

EVENT: THURSDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2026 12:00PM – 2:30PM (AEST, Melbourne Time)