On this episode of AI Australia, we are going on the road! Join us as we go inside the National AI Centre (NAIC)’s inaugural AI Leadership Summit, held in Sydney in March. We hear from some of the leaders from NAIC, CSIRO and industry on the progress of NAIC’s three think tanks (Responsible AI, Diversity & Inclusion in AI, and AI at Scale); the purpose of the summit; and how NAIC are aiming to bring together AI leaders across Australia under the banner of Responsible AI. NAIC director Stela ...
Apr 05, 2023•31 min
On this episode of AI Australia, we bring about an exciting topic and project being taken on by those at the children’s charity Variety in collaboration with the data consultancy company Eliiza and not-for-profit service provider Data4Good to analyse data over the past several years to gain insights into where funding and grants are being distributed. We’re joined on the podcast by Mandy Burns from Variety and Mahdi Rasouli from Eliiza. They share with us the story behind how they were connected...
Mar 15, 2023•33 min•Ep. 24
We begin this week’s discussion on all things AI and its developments over the past few days by talking about love and war. We chat about the Bing chatbot that declared its love for a New York Times reporter as well as concerns over the ease with which these systems can be turned hostile and spread harmful misinformation. This leads to a discussion on liability, governance, and how to hold companies responsible for the harm caused by their AI or algorithms. We also talk about language and how th...
Mar 10, 2023•16 min•Ep. 23
As we continue our discussion on everything that has happened in the world of AI in the past week, we begin today’s episode with what the public is currently saying about ChatGPT-3 and Google’s new alternative, Bard. The recent circumvention of ChatGPT’s ethics guardrails has sent shockwaves through the industry, and we talk about why academics are worried about AI chatbots as well as other general concerns about the technology. Then, we dive into the “why” of AI, paying particular attention to ...
Feb 16, 2023•14 min
The AI space is complicated and there are so many questions that we don’t have the answers to. Although it may seem like ChatGPT-3 does in fact have all the answers, in this week’s episode, Natalie and Kobi explain why this is a potentially dangerous assumption. Although it presents enormous opportunities for societal progress, ChatGPT-3 also has the ability to be used as a form of weaponry, and we need to be careful about using it as a tool for learning. Then there are the issues of exploitatio...
Feb 07, 2023•19 min
Today's panel discussion is an extra special one. We welcome three guests from the Human Technology Institute, or HTI, to talk about how AI can be used and directed for building the kind of future we actually want. Sally Cripps, Edward Santow, and Nicholas Davis offer a host of insightful opinions and reflections from their work in the field, commenting on the most recent developments we are seeing around OpenAI and ChatGPT, prioritising ethics and governance, and how Australia might approach pl...
Jan 31, 2023•43 min
Welcome back to the AI Australia Podcast. After an extensive hiatus, we decided to revive the show but felt it was paramount to pivot the overall theme. Incredible advancements are being made in the world of artificial intelligence; however, very little attention is given to the moral and ethical considerations of the technology. Given how fast AI technology is progressing, we feel it is imperative to bring these issues to light. To help unpack these nuanced ideas are hosts Natalie Rouse & D...
Dec 20, 2022•22 min
Dan Jermyn joins us today to share his experiences as the head of the biggest AI and Data Science practice in Australia. He explores the criticality of thought diversity in AI development, the need to break the status quo regularly, and the importance of regulations to customer safety. He also shares his insights about building effective data science teams as well as navigating politics to create AI that, first and foremost, serves a purpose with defined ethics and explainability even within com...
Mar 03, 2021•43 min
Jeannie Paterson and Tim Miller join us from CAIDE to discuss AI, ethics, accountability and explainability. What is changing in these spaces, especially in light of Covid-19, and what should researchers and governments turn attention to in order to ensure helpful, beneficial AI that is used ethically? More About Our Guests: Jeannie Paterson & Tim Miller are the co-directors of the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, a new collaborative, interdisciplinary research, teaching and policy centre a...
Jul 20, 2020•48 min
Today on AI Australia, we have the opportunity to talk to Professor Jon Whittle of Monash University about the impacts - both good and bad - data science is having on the world around us. As co-author of a series of published and soon-to-be-published papers in the fields of software development, ethics, and values, Jon is well placed to talk to us today about the heightened risks and opportunities that the development of data-science based systems brings to our world. About Professor Jon Whittle...
May 07, 2020•44 min
In today’s episode, Lizzie O’Shea discusses the great power of data and AI — and how we can use them to empower people rather than oppress them. She’ll discuss which technologies should be off-limits, compares data policies around the world, and proposes a code of ethics for engineers building these influential technologies. Lizzie probes who holds the power of AI and data and who should be responsible for ethics in this realm — corporations or the government — and who is better equipped to do s...
Mar 10, 2020•50 min
Kriti Sharma, seen in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Technology, is an artificial intelligence technologist, business executive, and humanitarian. She has been a part of Google India’s Women in Engineering, a United Nations Young Leader, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. In 2018, Kriti launched rAInbow for domestic abuse victims in South Africa. She is the founder of AI For Good UK as well as an advisor to the United Nations Technology Innovation Lab. Previously, Kriti was VP of Artificial I...
Nov 24, 2019•33 min
On this episode of AI Australia, we’re changing things up a little. With James overseas, Nigel and his friend Sarah Turner from REA Group hosted multiple panel conversations with some of Australia’s best and brightest in the field of AI, computer science, mathematics, and regulation to discuss the launch of OVIC’s new book: Closer to the Machine . OVIC is the Office of Victorian Information Commissioner and is the primary regulator and source of independent advice to the community and Victorian ...
Sep 30, 2019•35 min
Dr Karin Verspoor works at the intersection of Science and Technology, applying computation to analysis and interpretation of biological and clinical data, particularly unstructured text data. Karin is a Professor in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, as well as the Deputy Director of the University's Health and Biomedical Informatics Centre. She was previously a Principal Researcher at NICTA's Victoria Research Lab and served as the Scientific Direct...
Sep 02, 2019•59 min
On today’s episode of AI Australia, we have the pleasure of speaking with Suelette Dreyfus renowned researcher and journalist on digital privacy and whistleblowing. She has a personal connection to these topics and even co-authored a book with Julian Assange. Suelette will explore with us the implications of AI on privacy, the complexity of context able to be extracted from collected data thanks to this technology, as well as tech’s impacts on personal security. She will also cover how technolog...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Today we’re talking with Data Scientist Katherine Bailey and Professor of Philosophy Oisin Deery about bias in machine learning systems. Katherine and Oisin share their perspectives on why philosophy and ethics of AI is such a hot topic, the scandals engulfing the tech industry and how philosophy could be applied to chart a new course, and how philosophy can help us frame solutions to bias in machine learning systems. Katherine Bailey is the Natural Language Processing lead within Accenture Aust...
May 01, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Today we’re talking with Aire co-founder and mum of the Rita AI, Sarah Bell. Sarah discusses with us the evolution of Rita, humanisation of machines, our sci-fi future, and the ethics of big data and bias-free AI. More about Sarah: As a co-founder of the PropTech startup Aire, Sarah Bell is a sought after speaker and expert on the strategic application of artificial intelligence and automation in real estate. She helps real estate businesses harness the opportunity within their data and transiti...
Mar 26, 2019•41 min
Today, we’re chatting with artist and scientist J.J. Hastings. Her research explores self-experimentation, genome editing, machine learning and the future intersections between tech and the human body. She has long-standing roots as a biohacker—having co-founded two community labs, London Biohackspace and Melbourne’s BioQuisitive—and now has the first garage lab start-up in Australia to be approved by the OGTR to work with genetically modified organisms. Her work has been exhibited at venues acr...
Mar 07, 2019•50 min
Today we’re speaking with Chris Hausler, Senior Data Science Manager at Zendesk, a global customer support SaaS company. Chris believes that the future of AI and humanity will be a bright one, but humans must adapt and seek new opportunities as old opportunities evaporate. Hausler is working to help clients resolve customer service issues before they crop up by giving users access to the information they need at their fingertips. Hausler speaks about artificial intelligence growth, development, ...
Feb 18, 2019•54 min
Today, we’re chatting with Dr Niels Wouters, Head of Research and Emerging Practice for Science Gallery Melbourne and Research Fellow in the Interaction Design Lab at the University of Melbourne. Dr Wouters’ research focuses on social good and the human element of technology, especially as it pertains to AI and Human-Computer Interaction. A renowned speaker across national and international media, Wouters regularly speaks about the impacts of new technology on urban life. He has been featured on...
Feb 04, 2019•55 min
Joining us today is Zane Lackey, Co-Founder and Chief Security Officer at Signal Sciences based in New York. Zane serves on multiple public and private advisory boards and is an investor in emerging cybersecurity companies. He is incredibly well versed in the various trends and advancements in cybersecurity and defending against attacks. He is the author of Building a Modern Security Program , a how-to in building and scaling effective security teams. Prior to co-founding Signal Sciences, Zane l...
Dec 17, 2018•55 min
Today, we’re chatting with AI expert, activist, and author Toby Walsh. Toby is a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales and Data61 with an educational background from the University of Cambridge and University of Edinburgh in mathematics, theoretical physics, and artificial intelligence. He has also been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research and has chaired multiple AI conferences. As an activist, Toby helped in the release of an op...
Dec 10, 2018•57 min
On this episode of AI Australia, we’re excited to be speaking with Kendra Vant. Kendra is currently the principal data scientist at SEEK, and has had an extensive and diverse career in AI/ML and data science (among other things) across insurance, banking, telecommunications, government, gaming, the airline industry, and the job board market. With SEEK being one of the leading Australian companies in the field of AI, Kendra really is someone to pay attention to as the AI landscape unfolds. We’re ...
Dec 03, 2018•53 min
Today we’re speaking with Tim Miller , associate professor in the School of Computing and Information Systems at The University of Melbourne. Tim’s primary area of expertise is in artificial intelligence, with a particular emphasis on the concept of explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). Tim describes his background as being at the intersection of artificial intelligence, interaction design, and cognitive science/psychology, so we knew this was going to be a fascinating conversation! Tim doe...
Nov 19, 2018•52 min
We’re so excited to announce our first guest: Ellen Broad. Ellen is a renowned expert in the field of data ethics and AI. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience, having worked around the world advising governments and corporates on data sharing, open data, strategy and licensing. Ellen’s writing has appeared in the New Scientist, the Guardian and a range of civil service and tech publications. She has spoken about AI and data to ABC Radio National's 'Big Ideas' and 'Future Tense' programme...
Nov 13, 2018•58 min
