In 2018, my Australian co-worker asked me, “Hey, how are you going?”. My response – “I am taking a bus” – was met with a smirk. I had recently moved to Australia. Despite studying English for more than 20 years, it took me a while to familiarise myself with the Australian variety of the language.… Read more »
Australian workers are secretly using generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools – without knowledge or approval from their boss, a new report shows. The “Our Gen AI Transition: Implications for Work and Skills” report from the federal government’s Jobs and Skills Australia points to several studies, showing between 21% to 27% of workers (particularly in… Read more »
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday will give the diverse collection of participants at the economic roundtable their riding instructions, as he seeks to wring as much substance as possible out of the meeting. The success or otherwise of the three-day summit will reflect on Chalmers, who will not only lead it but has driven the… Read more »
Big tech company hype sells generative artificial intelligence (AI) as intelligent, creative, desirable, inevitable, and about to radically reshape the future in many ways. Published by Oxford University Press, our new research on how generative AI depicts Australian themes directly challenges this perception. We found when generative AIs produce images of Australia and Australians, these… Read more »
OpenAI claims that its new flagship model, GPT-5, marks “a significant step along the path to AGI” – that is, the artificial general intelligence that AI bosses and self-proclaimed experts often claim is around the corner. According to OpenAI’s own definition, AGI would be “a highly autonomous system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable… Read more »
Have you ever sat in a meeting where someone half your age casually mentions “prompting ChatGPT” or “running this through AI”, and felt a familiar knot in your stomach? You’re not alone. There’s a growing narrative that artificial intelligence (AI) is inherently ageist, that older workers will be disproportionately hit by job displacement and are… Read more »
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia made headlines when it announced recently that it would cut 45 call centre jobs, thanks to the introduction of an AI chatbot. This only added fuel to ongoing speculation – and some alarmism – about how artificial intelligence (AI) is going to transform the world of work in Australia. But… Read more »
Data and new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence present an opportunity to get Australia back on the path to productivity growth. But we can only seize this opportunity with the right policy framework. Australia can unlock billions in economic value through strategic reforms to data access, artificial intelligence regulation, and digital infrastructure. The Productivity… Read more »
Critics of those who misuse power tend to be outsiders. So, it’s striking that Alexander Karp, cofounder and CEO of data analytics giant Palantir Technologies, has written a book, with Palantir’s head of corporate affairs Nicholas Zamiska, calling on Silicon Valley to find its moral compass. Together, they upbraid fellow big tech companies for “building… Read more »
The money is easy to trace. Scroll back through tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s political donations and you’ll soon hit US$15 million worth of transfers sent to Protect Ohio Values, JD Vance’s campaign fund. The donations, made in 2022, are a staggering contribution to an individual senate race, and helped put Vance (Thiel’s former employee at… Read more »
The kettle is a household staple practically everywhere – how else would we make our hot drinks? But is it okay to re-boil water that’s already in the kettle from last time? While bringing water to a boil disinfects it, you may have heard that boiling water more than once will somehow make the water… Read more »
AI is on the agenda in Canberra. In August, the Productivity Commission will release an interim report on harnessing data and digital technology such as AI “to boost productivity growth, accelerate innovation and improve government services”. Shortly afterward, the government will host an Economic Reform Roundtable where AI policy will be up for discussion. AI… Read more »
The Albanese government has decided to include YouTube accounts in its ban on access to social media for those under the age of 16. The decision will be controversial with many social media users, especially young people, and face resistance from the company. YouTube, owned by Google, has threatened to sue if it were included… Read more »
As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and heats water using electric systems at the same time, peak demand could rise sharply, forcing costly grid upgrades. But this would… Read more »
Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot embedded in X (formerly Twitter) and built by Elon Musk’s company xAI, is back in the headlines after calling itself “MechaHitler” and producing pro-Nazi remarks. The developers have apologised for the “inappropriate posts” and “taken action to ban hate speech” from Grok’s posts on X. Debates about AI bias… Read more »
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