Neurotechnology is moving from science fiction into daily life, unlocking astonishing possibilities while opening a new frontier for human rights – one that reaches directly into the mind. As Lorraine shows through examples from workplaces, classrooms and our own homes, these technologies are already tracking our attention, emotions and brain activity in ways that blur the line between support and surveillance. Her talk challenges audiences to consider what it means when our inner-most thoughts become accessible data-points – and how we can protect our humanity as these tools increasingly become woven into everyday life.

Lorraine Finlay is Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, where she works at the intersection of freedom, fairness and the fast‑changing realities shaping people’s lives – from modern slavery to the human impact of new technologies. Her career has taken her from courtrooms as a state prosecutor to classrooms as a law academic and into Southeast Asia, where she worked to protect trafficking victims as a Senior Human Trafficking Specialist. Together, these experiences have reinforced her commitment to ensuring that human rights are protected and reinforced in practice, not only articulated in principle. She brings this focus to her current role at the Australian Human Rights Commission, inspiring individuals to bring human rights off the page and into daily life, grounded in the simple truth of our shared humanity.