Speaking.
Talks, workshops, panels and interviews on AI. 17 events since October 2024, in New Zealand, online, and in China and the Philippines.
Who was in the room
- 157 science teachers in 6 workshops across 5 cities, for Secondary Chemistry Educators of New Zealand. After the April round, 36 teachers answered a survey and 94% said their skills grew.
- 108 educators at a teachers-only day we organised and ran at Horotiu School, with 83% satisfaction.
- 86 people at Re:Gen AI, an evening of AI talks we organised at the University of Waikato. Over 100 registered.
Online, we coordinated EmpowerEd with the Asia-Europe Foundation. 68 education leaders across 18 countries took part over two cohorts, in 2025 and 2026.
What Benny speaks on
Benny Pan gives our talks. He was a cancer pharmacist, then a physics and chemistry teacher until July 2026.
AI at work
Most of the people in our rooms so far have been educators. In 2026 Benny also spoke about AI at work:
- "Open vs Close AI, why it matters to organisations", at AI in 5, Hamilton.
- What AI means for the next generation of talent, at a Connect Waikato evening, Hamilton.
- Whether employers who cut jobs for AI are now hiring people back, in an interview with Frog Recruitment.
AI in teaching and learning
- How to bring AI into lessons without losing critical thinking, for the Science Learning Hub.
- AI in science education, at the New Zealand Institute of Physics conference.
- AI for teachers, at the PPTA Leadership Summit.
- AI in education, at ASEF's Classroom Network conference in Manila.
- What EmpowerEd 2025 achieved, for educators from Asia and Europe, at ASEF's conference in Zhuhai.
Workshops and whole days
Hands-on AI workshops for secondary science teachers in five cities, and a whole teachers-only day we organised and ran.
AI for young people and everyday life
Evenings of AI talks in Hamilton for young people and anyone curious. An online talk for a Rotary club, with a live demo of a travel planner Benny built.
Every event, by role
All 17, newest first within each role. Each one has its own page.
Book Benny to speak
Benny gives talks and workshops on AI and sits on panels, in person or online. He is based in Hamilton. We have run workshops from Auckland to Dunedin, and Benny has spoken at conferences in China and the Philippines.
Tell us about your event: who will be in the room, how long you have, and what you want people to leave with.