Zhang E1, Chawla S1
1Australian Research Data Commons, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Shikha is an experienced Business Analyst with deep expertise in emerging technologies, data governance, and the delivery of innovative, data-driven solutions in complex research and digital infrastructure environments. With a strong command of Agile methodologies, she excels at fostering cross-functional collaboration between stakeholders and IT teams to translate strategic objectives into actionable outcomes. Shikha is passionate about enabling continuous improvement, ensuring data integrity, and aligning project deliverables with organisational policy and compliance frameworks. Her work consistently bridges the gap between technical implementation and business value, supporting the development of scalable, sustainable digital research ecosystems.
Abstract:
This presentation explores what AI readiness could look like in Research Data Australia (RDA), offering a lens into how RDA might evolve as AI continues to reshape the way researchers find and interact with data.
This session is an invitation to picture what is possible. We showcase forward-looking prototypes that test the feasibility of AI-assisted discovery, including natural language faceting, where a researcher can describe what they are looking for in plain language and be guided directly to relevant results. And a conversational chatbot assistant that helps researchers search in their own words and responds conversationally. The chatbot also incorporates trust and safety guardrails through content moderation, ensuring interactions remain appropriate and reliable.
It closes with the cross-cutting themes that shape AI readiness and the key governance questions we are facing. The goal of this presentation is to open a conversation about the future we are building towards, one where AI empowers researchers to discover data in ways that are more intuitive, flexible and powerful than ever before.
