From Waze to robotaxis: How Canberra's tech meetups are reshaping daily life

A new wave of tech meetups in Canberra is giving residents a front-row seat to technologies that are already reshaping their commutes, privacy and transport choices. This week, the Canberra Tech Collective hosts a panel on AI-powered navigation at the Kambri precinct on the ANU campus, drawing from developments like Waze's latest update adding AI-driven route suggestions and customisation tools. The event is expected to attract more than 120 people, engineers, small-business owners and retirees, all grappling with how these tools alter everyday decisions.

The timing matters. On the same day Waze rolled out its AI features, the Los Angeles Police Department let its contract with surveillance firm Flock expire over civil liberties concerns, and Uber's robotaxi lobbying campaign put it on a collision course with Waymo. For Canberra residents, these national stories hit close to home. The city's Civic neighbourhood already hosts test zones for low-speed autonomous shuttles, and local drivers increasingly rely on AI navigation to dodge congestion on Northbourne Avenue.

Privacy on the line

The LAPD's decision to drop Flock, a company whose automatic license-plate readers are used by dozens of Australian councils, has sparked debate at Canberra's monthly Privacy Salon meetups, held at Smith's Alternative in the city centre. Participants discuss how Flock-style surveillance could affect everyday activities like picking up children from school or running errands in Braddon. One organiser told the group that local police have been approached by Flock for trial deployments, though no contract has been signed. The meetup series has grown from 15 regulars in 2024 to more than 50 attendees this month.

Robotaxis on the radar

Canberra's tech scene is also watching the Uber-Waymo rivalry. Uber has been lobbying federal transport officials in Canberra for regulatory changes that would allow its planned robotaxi fleet to operate on Australian roads, putting it in direct competition with Waymo's existing trials in Sydney and Melbourne. At the Canberra Tech Collective panel, members are expected to discuss how autonomous taxis could change the daily commute for residents in suburbs like Kingston and Deakin, where car ownership is high and parking scarce. The panel follows a June workshop at the Canberra Innovation Network where engineers simulated robotaxi pickup routes on real city maps.

What happens next is uncertain. Organisers of the Monday panel plan to release a summary of key concerns, from data privacy to liability in crashes, for submission to the National Transport Commission, which is expected to accept public comments on autonomous vehicle regulations later this year. For residents wanting to engage, the Canberra Tech Collective meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the ANU Cultural Centre. The Privacy Salon meets at Smith's Alternative every third Thursday. No RSVP is required for either, and both are free.