Monthly Meetup: EFF-Austin/Austin Science Network present: AI and Cybersecurity 2026
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About the event
Join EFF-Austin and the Austin Science Network for a public discussion on AI and cybersecurity, featuring senior technologists as panelists. The event will explore recent developments, including the June 2026 US Government export control directive suspending access to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for non-US citizens, the rise of open-source AI models, and the broader implications of AI capex, cybersecurity risks, and geopolitics. The broader Austin community is encouraged to listen and contribute via Q&A.
Panelists
- Owen McNally (Moderator) – Founder of the Austin Science Network and a PhD with decades of experience in healthcare technology, personal data protection/cybersecurity, IT systems testing, usability/UX, cognitive science, psychology, biotech, and applied research.
- Xander Smith – Platform Engineer with 14 years of experience transforming legacy monoliths into resilient containerized systems. Specializes in Terraform, AWS automation, and building AI agents to handle operational tasks. Ask him about esoteric programming languages or pre-Docker containers.
- Kevin Welch – President of EFF-Austin, a digital civil liberties organization. Has spoken at venues including Austin City Council, the Texas Legislature, SXSW, and the European Parliament. Leads the Austin-based No ALPRs coalition against surveillance technologies.
Event details
Date and time: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM CST
Location: FUTO Open Repair Workshop, 2410 San Antonio St, Austin, TX 78705. Enter through the center door facing the street and proceed to the big event hall on the 2nd floor.
Parking: Limited free parking in front of the building, metered street parking available, and the UT San Antonio Garage next door ($3/hr).
After the discussion, attendees are invited to join for a cafe visit.