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What I Learned from a Day Inside the SXSW Sydney 2025 Hackathon x Build Club powered by National AI Centre.
Yesterday at the SXSW Sydney 2025 Hackathon, I had one of those rare experiences that leaves you both exhausted and energised at once. (For a related reflection from the same week, see Building the Plane While Flying It.)
For the past year, I have followed Noelle Russell (Microsoft MVP, AI) and Rita Arrigo, two extraordinary women shaping the conversation on responsible and practical AI. Yesterday, I finally met them in person, along with Eloise Leaver and Emma Haller from the National AI Centre. Their openness, insight and generosity reminded me why this community matters.
The Build Sprint
The hackathon was a true build sprint. I brought a real-world use case to life through a VR AI crew onboarding system prototype for maritime operators. I used Lovable, HeyGen, Descript, Gamma and GPT-5 to explore how immersive onboarding could support learning, safety and engagement at sea.
What Stayed With Me
What stayed with me most was not the prototype but the people. The shared focus, the creative problem-solving and the sense of community.
A special shoutout to my fellow hacker who kindly lent me his laptop charger for the day. Even in a room full of advanced tools, it is people who make innovation possible.
"The future of AI is not only about what we build. It is about who we build it with."
Great to have a crack at the hack with you, fellow hackers.
