The Committee for Adelaide, in partnership with Flinders University, the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, and major series partner Hays, invites you to the third lecture in the 2026 Democracy Series: 

AI Changes the Scale, Not the Story: When does Online Interaction become Offline Action

As AI increasingly shapes the information we consume, the content we create and the conversations we have online, understanding how digital interactions translate into real-world action has become a critical challenge.

Professor Emma Thomas Deputy Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre, leading social and political psychologist and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, will explore the psychological mechanisms that drive people from online engagement to offline participation. The discussion will examine how social identities, group norms and emotions influence behaviour, and how AI-powered technologies are changing the scale, speed and reach of information, mobilisation and influence.

Attendees will gain insights into the ways AI is reshaping online environments, amplifying both opportunities for public participation and risks associated with misinformation, extremism and social polarisation. The session will explore what remains fundamentally human about collective action, and what changes when AI becomes an increasingly powerful influence on how people connect, organise and act.

Please note that this is a member event. If you are not a member and would like to find out more, please contact Lisa at info@committeeforadelaide.org.au or call 0481 576 588.