Shovel pitted against gavel in debate on AI

Brisbane’s brightest engineers are pitting their wits against some of the city’s smartest construction lawyers on the controversial subject of artificial intelligence.

Sascha Kurz pitting engineers against lawyers

Is the shovel mightier than the gavel? Brisbane’s brightest engineers are pitting their wits against some of the city’s smartest construction lawyers on the vexed subject of artificial intelligence. Engineering firm Infrastructure Project Solutions (IPS) is teaming up with Helix Legal to stage a mock debate next month between the two professions on the success or otherwise of human-AI collaboration. IPS founder and director Sascha Kurz says the event promised to shine the spotlight on some of Brisbane’s sharpest minds.

“This debate is a fantastic opportunity to explore the relationships between human expertise and AI in shaping the future of project success,” says Kurz.

“It’s a chance to delve into some crucial questions about the evolving role of technology but also a great excuse for Brisbane’s business community to get together, have some fun and attempt to outwit each other.

Helix Legal boss Janelle Kerrisk

“We would love to see as many people as possible joining in the banter and supporting their favourite side, as we set out to discover which is mightier, the shovel or the gavel.”

Helix Legal chief executive Janelle Kerrisk say the lawyers would take the affirmative side, arguing that a human-AI partnership leveraged the strength of both, while the engineers would advocate for project management to stay primarily a human domain.

“Either way, this will be an entertaining and informative event filled with the best combination of arguments and laughter,” she says. Hosted by Queensland Major Contractors Association (QMCA) chief executive Andrew ‘Chappy’ Chapman the debate will be held at the Brisbane Club on Wednesday August 21 from 6pm to 8pm.

Capital idea

More women entering the venture capital industry is the aim of a new initiative backed by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) to address the underrepresentation of female investors in the local sector.

The 77 Venture program is led by Queensland VC firm 77 Partners and supported by Silicon Valley’s Bee Partners, with funding from the QIC-managed Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (QVCDF).

QIC Private Equity senior associate Matiela Baker says the program will provide a pathway into the early- stage technology investment industry, where female investors are notably underrepresented. “Approximately one in four members of early-stage VC investment teams in Queensland are women, and that drops to one in 10 at the general partner level,” Baker says. “We recognise the gender gap is a very real challenge and there is work to be done.”

77 Partners founder and managing partner Brent Watts says the early-stage venture capital firm is focused on backing a diverse portfolio of high potential opportunities and talent in Queensland. “We already support emerging founders through the 77 Venture Challenge in which we are partnering with a 40 frontier tech ventures,” Watts says. “However, as a VC firm, we also recognise the value of organisational diversity and are committed to growing female representation in our own investment team.”

Legal promotion

Family law specialist Vivianne Wilson-Tonscheck has been promoted to partner at Brisbane-based legal firm Creevey Horrell Lawyers.

Creevey Horrell principal Clare Creevey says Wilson-Tonscheck is a seasoned professional who had proven to be a great success with the firm since joining in 2020 as a senior associate. Wilson-Tonscheck’s expertise includes divorce, separation, property settlements, binding financial agreements, de facto relationships, children’s matters and child support.

Clare Creevey