ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other tools explained in plain English Want to learn more about AI, but do not know where to start? Want to use AI in your business, work or community group, but feel unsure which tools are worth your time? Curious about how to use AI safely and practically in everyday life? Join us for a relaxed, guided AI conversation designed for non-technical people who want practical answers, useful examples and a chance to ask questions in a friendly local setting. Each session starts with one practical focus topic, then opens up for discussion, examples and questions from the room. You do not need to be an AI expert. You do not need to know the right question before you arrive. The aim is to help you leave clearer, more confident and with one or two practical things you can try. This month, we will look at a common question: which AI tool should I use? We will compare tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini in plain English, looking at what each one is useful for, where the differences matter and how to choose the right tool for your work, business or everyday tasks. What we can help with: Bring your questions, comments or examples. We can help you think through: how to use AI better in your business, work or community group which tools may give you the best value for your needs when a free tool is enough, and when a paid version may be worth considering how to use AI safely, responsibly and productively where AI can save time, and where it may not be the right fit practical next steps if you are just getting started If you do not have a specific question, you are still very welcome. You can listen, join the discussion and hear what other local people are trying. Hosted By Adrian Holtham from Plainlight, an AI training and consultancy firm based here in Ballarat. Adrian works with local businesses to help them understand AI in plain English and integrate useful tools into their everyday workflows. Rob Layton from BRAIN, the Ballarat Regional Artificial Intelligence Network. Rob has more than 15 years of experience working with AI, leads the Ballarat AI Meetup and is a highly experienced technology trainer. This is a collaboration between BRAIN (www.brain.net.au), Plainlight (https://plainlight.com.au/) and the Ballarat Hackerspace. Looking for something more technical? Experienced with AI, or want the technical deep-dive? Try our AI Tooling Workshops (BRAIN meetup) instead. See the previous session and the next session. Tickets are required, see you there.

The Ballarat Hackerspace is hosting "Introduction to 3D Printing for Makers and Artists" workshops on the 1st Wednesday of every month. Whether you're an amateur maker, artist, professional product designer/prototyper, or just keen learner of hands-on crafts, this is a casual workshop evening for adults of all skill levels to learn how 3D printers work, go through the workflow from creating/finding artwork and editing/slicing the files, to a small finished product/item that you can take home with you. Absolutely no experience necessary, volunteer members of the Hackerspace will be on hand to show you through the process. We're also doing "Introduction to Laser Cutting" workshops on the 3rd Wedneday of every month. Check our website for more details if you're interested in that. Thanks to the City of Ballarat for helping fund these workshops for the community. Tickets are required for all participants (including members), and bookings close 24 hours before the event so that we can plan appropriately for numbers.   Workshops are 18+ only due to insurance/liability reasons. Tickets are free for existing members of the Hackerspace. If you're currently a member and wish to attend, please make sure you're logged in to TidyHQ and the free ticket below will process for you.

Come share and learn how people are actually using AI in their day-to-day work - whether that's coding, engineering, creative projects, or solving business problems. We'll skip the "what is AI" basics and focus on practical stuff: real workflows, useful tools, and honest experiences. You don't need to be an AI expert - just curious about doing more than asking ChatGPT questions. This month Rob Wise is back, with a hands-on session on voice AI — from talking to ChatGPT and Claude, all the way to building a voice agent that can answer and make real phone calls. Voice mode in the apps, how to use voice in ChatGPT and Claude, what it's good for, and where it hits its limits. Building a voice agent, how to create a voice agent in ElevenLabs for your business or personal use, and how to build them for others. Extending it,  connecting your agent to Twilio for a real phone number, plus MCP servers, connectors, calendar, and tool calls, so it can answer and make calls hooked into your systems. Want to follow along live? Bring your laptop and code along, and try get it working for yourself. Not required to attend, and we are happy to help at the end. We will also have the big screen up, and anyone can present anything cool they've found or project they have been working on.   What to expect: Main Talk: A chosen presenter will give a 15-30 minute feature talk on an emerging AI technology or a unique use-case in their industry. Lightning Talks: Any participants are welcome to stand up for 5 minutes and talk/show how they use AI day to day, or a project they're excited about. Feel free to bring your own talk! Info about BRAIN (Ballarat Regional AI Network) and future meetups   Who should come: Anyone already tinkering with AI or ready to move beyond the basics. Developers, engineers, creators, business folks - all welcome. Bring your laptop if you want to try things out. This is a collaboration between BRAIN (www.brain.net.au) and Ballarat Hackerspace. We're planning more sessions, so let us know if you'd like to present your own AI workflow at a future meetup. Topic's covered: Text, image and audio generation. Software used. System architecture breakdown. Live demos. If you’re a developer, engineer, or curious technologist, this session is a hands-on look at running and integrating local LLMs into real-world environments Tickets required - see you there! New to AI, or after a friendlier intro? Come to the Ballarat AI Exchange instead. See the previous AI Exchange and the next AI Exchange.