Ed Husic
Quantum Computing

The federal government wants more quantum research commercialised – as it eyes off a US supplier for its secretive computer plan

- February 22, 2024 3 MIN READ

Quantum technologies are the “future of made in Australia’, federal industry minister Ed Husic said as he pushed for more quantum research commercialisation in Australia. Husic made a speech at a Quantum Australia event on Wednesday morning, focusing on the federal government’s National Quantum Strategy and efforts to make Australia a quantum powerhouse in the… Read more »

Investing

The ‘small scale offering’ exemption is a problem that needs to be addressed alongside any changes to the sophisticated investor test

- February 20, 2024 3 MIN READ

Rumoured changes to the sophisticated investor test will create more holes in funding for technology founders to navigate when we should be bringing more people into startup investing with education pathways.  While jostling over whether the changes can be tweaked to lessen the damage on early-stage startup investing, the whole episode seems to fundamentally misunderstand… Read more »

DALL-E drawing robot
AI/Machine Learning

Discriminative AI v generative AI – when does the intelligence actually kick in? A computer systems expert explains

- February 16, 2024 4 MIN READ

Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, is reportedly trying to find up to US$7 trillion of investment to manufacture the enormous volumes of computer chips he believes the world needs to run artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Altman also recently said the world will need more energy in the AI-saturated future he envisions – so… Read more »

Apple, William Tell, arrow
Global tech

Europe is paving the way for Apple App Store changes in Australia for app developers

- February 14, 2024 3 MIN READ

Significant changes that Apple was forced to make to its App Store in Europe will likely pave the way for similar reforms in Australia. In the biggest changes to the App Store since it was launched, Apple relinquished some control over its platform earlier this month in response to the Digital Markets Act in the European Union.… Read more »

Neuralink
Other tech

Elon Musk claims Neuralink put its first chip in a human brain. Here’s what it means for Australian startup competitor Synchron

- February 5, 2024 3 MIN READ

Last week, Elon Musk announced his brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, had implanted a device in a human for the first time. The company’s PRIME study, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last year, is testing a brain implant for “people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts”. The first human received… Read more »

Taylor Swift
Opinion

The Taylor Swift deepfakes are a reminder, yet again, that new tech is often weaponised against women

- February 3, 2024 4 MIN READ

Sexually graphic “deepfake” images of Taylor Swift went viral on social media last week, fuelling widespread condemnation from Swifties, the general public and even the White House. The circulation of false images of Taylor Swift are alarming. We know that incidences like this disproportionately impact women and girls. @POTUS is committed to ensuring we reduce… Read more »

Mark Zuckerberg
Social Media

‘Blood on their hands’: US politicians rip into social media bosses over child sexual abuse concerns

- February 1, 2024 3 MIN READ

Social media firms are offering “a product that’s killing people” and their CEOs have “blood on their hands” for failing to protect children from online predators, a US senator has told five tech executives during vitriolic hearings in which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was forced to apologise to angry families of victims of online child grooming.… Read more »

Apple Vision pro 2
Global tech

Apple’s hoping its $5000 computer headset, Vision Pro, will be the new iPhone, but will we all walk around wearing augmented reality googles?

- January 30, 2024 4 MIN READ

Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset – which the company hopes is a “revolutionary spatial computer that transforms how people work, collaborate, connect, relive memories, and enjoy entertainment” – that begins shipping to the public (in the United States) later this week. Critics have doubted the appeal of the face-worn computer, which “seamlessly blends… Read more »

Angel
Investing

Let’s not clip the wings of angel investors by changing the Sophisticated Investor test

- January 24, 2024 3 MIN READ

Late last week we felt compelled to start a petition urging the Australian Government to reconsider the ‘Sophisticated Investor’ test. This petition has now been signed by over 700 leaders in the Australian startup ecosystem who represent the diverse aspects of the startup community. United, these signatories agree that we should reject not just the… Read more »

Ed Husic
AI/Machine Learning

‘A little light and a little late’: a risk the federal government’s AI policy doesn’t address is missing our chance

- January 18, 2024 3 MIN READ

On Wednesday, the federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic revealed an interim response from the Australian government on the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). The public, especially the Australian public, have real concerns about AI. And it’s appropriate that they should. AI is a powerful technology entering our lives quickly.… Read more »

Employment, interview, job
Workplace

6 questions you should have answers for to nail your job interview

- January 18, 2024 4 MIN READ

With the new year underway employers are beginning to resume normal business activities and restart their hiring process. Similarly, many school and university graduates are beginning their job search after a well-earned break. While some employers are using increasingly sophisticated approaches to recruiting such as psychometric testing and artificial intelligence, interviews remain one of the… Read more »