Macquarie University appoints interim AI chief

Macquarie University appoints interim AI chief

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/macquarie-university-appoints-interim-ai-chief-624553

Publish Date: 2026-03-25 13:42:00

Source Domain: www.itnews.com.au

Here’s a summary of the article using an unordered list:

– Macquarie University has appointed Richard Watts-Seale as the interim head of AI, following Phil Laufenberg’s move to La Trobe University.
– Laufenberg is transitioning to a dual role as pro vice-chancellor artificial intelligence and chief artificial intelligence officer at La Trobe University.
– Macquarie University expects its AI program to continue as planned despite Laufenberg’s departure, with ongoing pilots and existing leadership from Jonathan Covell and Eric Knight.
– Currently, Macquarie’s AI assistant, ChatMQ, allows staff to choose between AI models from OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet, with plans to add Google’s Gemini.
– La Trobe University views Laufenberg’s appointment as a key step in its goal of becoming an “AI-first” institution.
– Macquarie University spokesperson appreciates Laufenberg’s contributions and wishes him success in his new position.