Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA), one of the biggest video game companies in the world behind games such as The Sims and Battlefield, has been sold to a consortium of buyers for US$55 billion (about A$83 billion). It is potentially the largest-ever buyout funded by private equity firms. Not AI, nor mining or banking,… Read more »
Whether you’re streaming a show, paying bills online or sending an email, each of these actions relies on computer programs that run behind the scenes. The process of writing computer programs is known as coding. Until recently, most computer code was written, at least originally, by human beings. But with the advent of generative artificial… Read more »
Twenty-one years after Facebook’s launch, Australia’s top 25 news outlets now have a combined 27.6 million followers on the platform. They rely on Facebook’s reach more than ever, posting far more stories there than in the past. With access to Meta’s Content Library (Meta is the owner of Facebook), our big data study analysed more… Read more »
This month, the Australian-made video game Silksong became one of the most played titles worldwide. Created by Team Cherry, a three-person indie studio in Adelaide, the sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight shows how small studios can capture global attention. Its success matters not just for its artistry but because it demonstrates why video games are… Read more »
Have you recently cut down on caffeine and feel like you’re having the most vivid dreams of your life? While there are a number of potential benefits of reducing our caffeine intake – such as whiter teeth and fewer trips to the toilet – we often hear one downside of cutting back on caffeine is… Read more »
The Australian government today released regulatory guidance on the social media minimum age law, which comes into effect on December 10. The law will restrict individuals under 16 from holding accounts on many social media platforms. Reasonable steps for tech companies This guidance follows a self-assessment guide for technology companies recently released by the eSafety… Read more »
Tesla is expected to soon turn on its “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” (FSD) mode in Australia and New Zealand. Is a future of driverless cars upon us? Not exactly – it’s essentially more advanced driver assistance. Legally, Tesla drivers using this mode must be ready to take control and pay attention at all times. Calling it… Read more »
Just for a moment last week, Larry Ellison, co-founder of US cloud computing company Oracle, became the world’s richest person. The octogenarian tech titan briefly overtook Elon Musk after Oracle’s share price rocketed 43% in a day, adding about US$100 billion (A$150 billion) to his wealth. The reason? Oracle inked a deal to provide artificial… Read more »
Google will not have to sell its Chrome web browser in order to fix its illegal monopoly in the online search business, a United States federal judge has ruled. It will, however, need to do a few other things, such as sharing data with rival companies, in order to improve competition. The remedies ruling was… Read more »
Midway through a difficult discussion in her performance review, an employee named Jane finally cracks, and the tears start. Her boss doesn’t know what to do and handles the situation awkwardly. Ask yourself: how would you react in this situation? And would you have the same reaction if it were not Jane who was crying… Read more »
When you ask ChatGPT or other AI assistants to help create misinformation, they typically refuse, with responses like “I cannot assist with creating false information.” But our tests show these safety measures are surprisingly shallow – often just a few words deep – making them alarmingly easy to circumvent. We have been investigating how AI… Read more »
Last year I attended a panel on generative AI in education. In a memorable moment, one presenter asked: “What’s the big deal? Generative AI is like a calculator. It’s just a tool.” The analogy is an increasingly common one. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman himself has referred to ChatGPT as “a calculator for words” and… Read more »
The government’s trial has found age-assurance for its under-16 social media ban can be done effectively and protect privacy but there is not a one-size-fits-all model. The report, from an independent company and released in full, also warns continued vigilance is needed on privacy and other issues. It found some providers, in the absence of… Read more »
In less than four months, world-first legislation will ban Australian under-16s from certain social media platforms. Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit and YouTube will all be off limits for children and teens. It’s still not clear exactly how the restrictions will be implemented. But the federal government says social media platforms must take “reasonable… Read more »
So your boss wants you in the office more? If this makes you anxious, you’re not alone. Return-to-work tensions aren’t simply resistance to change. They reflect deeper questions about how different people work best and what modern organisations actually need to succeed. After COVID, return-to-office rates stabilised by around June 2023, without much movement since.… Read more »
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