Tech guru Julian Moore to tell Gnowangerup’s Fields and Fortunes Forum that AI can be the ‘vet in your pocket’

Anyone wondering where artificial intelligence is heading should find an answer next month at Fields and Fortunes Regional Business Forum 2026, a regional event forum hosted by the Shire of Gnowangerup at the town’s sporting complex on February 19.

The keynote speaker is Julian Moore, one of Australia’s leading AI experts, who will tell his audience that humanoid robots will appear in Gnowangerup this year and that artificial intelligence can already play a key role in the agriculture industry.

He said the technology would be a boon for one of the most traditional of industries.

“When we look at agriculture it is really traditional,” he said.

“The guy is in the field and the wife manages the business.

“But AI can manage your phone and make calls, sort out 80 per cent of your emails and is already pretty good in the office.

“On the machines you can use vision AI to see if your crop is ready for harvest and it can tell if your cow has mastitis — it can be the vet in your pocket.

“For a community like Gnowangerup, I’ll be looking at the practical, time-saving uses of the technology.

“But then we can talk about how it can help with the creative side — websites, videos and music — and I will be speaking about the first humanoid robots in Australia, which I’m sure you will see in Gnowangerup this year.”

Mr Moore said he had worked with a range of government and council organisations and was chief AI consultant at Strategic Membership Solutions.

Other speakers are Mat Lewis, the director at Creative Tech Village, Jason McFarlane, director at Curtin University’s GreenTech Hub, Renu Kannu, the national robotics and innovation lead and Bethany Findlay, the regional development and engagement manager with NBN.

Mr Lewis is a marketing expert and speaks regularly on creative innovation and opportunities in international markets, while Mr McFarlane is an economic strategist.

Ms Kannu works with the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct, an internationally recognised innovation hub near Perth.

Ms Findlay works with regional communities and businesses across the Great Southern, helping them understand how broadband can support growth, innovation and resilience — and how to make the most of the infrastructure already in place.

Tickets are available via the shire’s website.