The Conversation, Author at Startup Daily

80% of Australians are worried about AI posing an ‘existential risk’, and want government to do more to make it safe

The Conversation - March 11, 2024 3 MIN READ

A new nationally representative survey has revealed Australians are deeply concerned about the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). They want the government to take stronger action to ensure its safe development and use. We conducted the survey in early 2024 and found 80% of Australians believe preventing catastrophic risks from advanced AI systems should… Read more »

Space

More satellites, less launches: here’s what the first survey on Australian attitudes towards space tells us

The Conversation - December 18, 2023 4 MIN READ

If someone were to ask you how space technologies impact your daily life, or how much Australia should invest in space, would you have an immediate answer or would you wonder why these questions were even being asked? Understanding what the average Australian thinks about space is essential – voters and taxpayers will only encourage… Read more »

Business

The Optus blackout explained: what’s a ‘deep network’ outage and what may have caused it?

The Conversation - November 8, 2023 3 MIN READ

Optus customers woke up on Wednesday morning to find they were unable to get their social media fix, and they weren’t happy. Around 4am AEDT, customers started to report an inability to access both mobile and home internet services. Optus advised it was investigating the issue, with reports emerging around midday of some services coming… Read more »

Global tech

Apple’s new software update wants to know if you’re happy or sad. But why and for whose benefit?

The Conversation - September 13, 2023 4 MIN READ

Apple’s iOS 17 operating system is expected to drop any day. The software update comes with several new features, including a tool for daily mood and emotion logging – a technique known to emotion researchers as “experience sampling”. Although there are caveats, certain mental health studies have shown that regularly recording one’s feelings can be… Read more »

Global tech

Google is now 25, but could AI herald an early demise for the world’s most popular search engine?

The Conversation - September 4, 2023 4 MIN READ

Today marks an important milestone in the history of the internet: Google’s 25th birthday. With billions of search queries submitted each day, it’s difficult to remember how we ever lived without the search engine. What was it about Google that led it to revolutionise information access? And will artificial intelligence (AI) make it obsolete, or… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

There are hidden costs to the AI boom, including social exploitation and a massive carbon footprint

The Conversation - July 20, 2023 4 MIN READ

Mainstream conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) have been dominated by a few key concerns, such as whether superintelligent AI will wipe us out, or whether AI will steal our jobs. But we’ve paid less attention the various other environmental and social impacts of our “consumption” of AI, which are arguably just as important. Everything we… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

The limits of AI are apparent when you consider how robots should explore the Moon

The Conversation - July 12, 2023 4 MIN READ

Rapid progress in artificial intelligence (AI) has spurred some leading voices in the field to call for a research pause, raise the possibility of AI-driven human extinction, and even ask for government regulation. At the heart of their concern is the idea AI might become so powerful we lose control of it. But have we… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

Some powerful people want a pause on AI, but in the meantime what would a global framework for its regulation look like?

The Conversation - April 6, 2023 4 MIN READ

Last week, artificial intelligence pioneers and experts urged major AI labs to immediately pause the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. An open letter penned by the Future of Life Institute cautioned that AI systems with “human-competitive intelligence” could become a major threat to humanity. Among the risks,… Read more »

Workplace

Australia’s ‘great burnout’: there was no ‘great resignation’ – a new study reveals workers are simply exhausted

The Conversation - March 21, 2023 3 MIN READ

You’ve probably heard about the “great resignation” which saw large numbers of people resigning from their jobs in the US in 2021 and 2022. We didn’t see resignations over and above what is normal in Australia. However, we did see workers resisting the post-COVID return to the office. To better understand these trends, we conducted… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

From brain implants to super-intelligent humans: will we become homo ex machina?

The Conversation - March 14, 2023 5 MIN READ

Most people are familiar with the deluge of artificial intelligence (AI) apps that seem designed to make us more efficient and creative. We’ve got apps that take text prompts and generate art, and the controversial ChatGPT, which raises serious questions about originality, misinformation and plagiarism. Despite these concerns, AI is becoming ever more pervasive and… Read more »

Politics

Yes, Airbnb is now part of Australia’s housing shortage problem, but what should governments do about it?

The Conversation - March 10, 2023 5 MIN READ

The current housing crisis has renewed debates about how to regulate short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The international research on the impact of these rentals is clear: when landlords “host” tourists rather than residents, housing supply is depleted, rents rise and neighbourhoods change. Given Australia’s dire shortage of rental housing, restricting short-term rentals seems… Read more »

Women in tech

From pinkwashing to progress: the impact of using a gender lens when investing in companies

The Conversation - March 8, 2023 3 MIN READ

Gender equity continues to be a significant problem in business globally. We all know the story: the gender pay gap is a persistent issue and female-dominated industries tend to be lower paid. Female representation in senior leadership and board positions remains low in many countries, particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand. Women comprise only 28.5% of… Read more »

AI/Machine Learning

AI detection tools are struggling to keep up with ChatGPT – and why that’s concerning

The Conversation - February 20, 2023 4 MIN READ

As the “chatbot wars” rage in Silicon Valley, the growing proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools specifically designed to generate human-like text has left many baffled. Educators in particular are scrambling to adjust to the availability of software that can produce a moderately competent essay on any topic at a moment’s notice. Should we go… Read more »

Space

The ozone layer’s long term healing could be undone by a rapidly growing rocket industry

The Conversation - February 3, 2023 3 MIN READ

The ozone layer is on track to heal within four decades, according to a recent UN report, but this progress could be undone by an upsurge in rocket launches expected during the same period. The ozone layer protects life on Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Destruction of the ozone layer became a… Read more »

Global tech

With Big Tech sacking tens of thousands of workers, how worried should you be?

The Conversation - January 26, 2023 3 MIN READ

Tech companies are always in the news, usually touting the next big thing. However, the tech news cycle recently hasn’t been dominated by the latest gadget or innovation. Instead, layoffs are in the headlines. In the last year, more than 70,000 people globally have been laid off by Big Tech companies – and that doesn’t… Read more »

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