Andrew Rothwell

Social Engineering ROBODEBT2.0 Australia's #NDIS Gets a Government App With Blockchain But No Ethics from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong dept. Good news, disabled Australians! You'll be getting an app that will implement a welfare #compliance regime designed by the people who brought you robo-debt. But don't worry, it'll have blockchain. No, this isn't good news at all. What makes it worse is that it's clear the #government wants to extend technology-driven compliance to all Australians, with an emphasis on cracking down on your mistakes, not theirs. Kathryn Campbell, ex Secretary of the Department of #Social Services, says the long-term plan is to have one app for all Commonwealth government services. "One to rule the world," she said, apparently oblivious to how evil that sounds. Senators are already worried that the disability app, intended to be used by participants in the #NDIS to claim expenses against their support plan, will go the way of COVIDSafe: Millions of dollars spent on #technology that doesn't really do the job. The intention was to fix a poor web experience, & allow claims to be made from a mobile device. But instead of simply creating a better website, in 2018, the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) joined forces with CSIRO's Data61 and the Commonwealth Bank to trial blockchain-based smart money that would magically know whether the expense was legitimate or not. According to the ex CEO of the NDIA, Martin Hoffman, that pilot app has been "very popular and well-received," and the feedback has been "extremely positive." The app will be "fully available in the coming months, first on Google Play and then Apple's app store," he said. "Given the horrendously complex NDIS environment, defective processes and vulnerable people, there needs to be considerable caution in the application of blockchain technology," wrote former NDIS Technology Authority chief Marie J. in a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS. "Blockchain in itself -- as with other technology innovations -- does not address fundamental design & human rights issues. Ethics is paramount. The involvement of the #Commonwealth Bank itself raises further ethics issues, given the value of participant data; the size of the market; and the yet to be realized emarket honey pot of data, funds and services." You can view the detailed "Making Money Smart: Empowering NDIS participants with Blockchain technologies" https://lnkd.in/gV9VWK64

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Thanks to everyone that came to see my talk at ServerlessDays ANZ yesterday! Here are the slides. For those that missed it, here are the main lessons I shared: ✨ LLMs are not magic, they're just another useful tool in a builder's toolkit ✨If you want to be build with LLMs quickly and cheaply, see how far you can go with prompts and RAG. ✨If you need more control than you can achieve with those, you'll likely need to do fine-tuning, tuning or even training, all of which are much more expensive comparably. ✨Plan for your models to change all the time - use Artificial Analysis to navigate the changes ✨Plan for your prompts - version your prompts and construct them independently of inference ✨Getting LLMs to behave consistently for your use case is super challenging, but there are tools like the Seed and Temperature features to help ✨Hacking LLMs to behave outside the intended behaviour is easy, but you can architect around this using techniques like prompt proxies (thanks to Tomasz Tunguz for sharing great design patterns) If you have any questions about building using these tools, feel free to reach out!

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💻Service-as-a-Software (SaaS) is the next AI breakthrough Move over traditional Software-as-a-Service—the new SaaS is here, where AI itself *is* the service. A game changer. I recently caught up with Varsha Ramesh Walsh, co-founder at Offstream (YC S24), who schooled me on this. Their platform is revolutionizing carbon project compliance. By automating the tedious regulatory layers, they free up developers to focus on what they do best—building biochar, direct air capture, and more. What are some other climatetech areas ripe for this new AI-driven SaaS revolution? Let’s discuss! #AI #SaaS #ClimateTech #M1C #CarbonTech

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The Reserve Bank of Australia #RBA today released a report analysing the benefits, design choices and challenges associated with linking #fastpayment systems across countries. The report finds that connecting fast #payment systems has the potential to considerably improve the #speed and #transparency of #crossborder payments, benefiting both end users and service providers. Crucial to realising these benefits are well-designed governance, scheme rules and payments processing capabilities, which help to manage risk and ensure a seamless cross-border payments experience. However, establishing an #interlinking arrangement poses challenges, including dealing with differences in #legal and #regulatory frameworks across participating jurisdictions and agreeing on governance arrangements and scheme rules. Linking national fast payment systems is receiving significant international attention as a promising way to improve the #crossborderpayments experience. In light of these developments and #Australia’s commitment to enhancing cross-border payments, the RBA recently collaborated with a number of Australian industry participants involved in cross-border payments to study the interlinking of fast payment systems. The report contributes to the international discussion on this topic and encourages further analysis of key design considerations. This work will also help inform future discussions in Australia about the potential for the domestic fast payment system, the New Payments Platform (NPP), to be linked to fast payment systems in other countries.

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Great result by the Kiwi SaaS community In 2023 New Zealand’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) sector earned $3.6b in revenue. It has been growing revenue by a 15 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016, and at this rate it is on track to earn $9.7b by 2030.  By 2030 the report estimates that SaaS export-led added value will be growing faster and contributing more nominal GDP ($4.5b) than New Zealand’s top three primary sector industries (horticulture, dairy product manufacturing and meat product manufacturing).  Since 2016 SaaS exports have been growing at an inflation adjusted rate of 8.7 percent.  This is two and a half times higher than the inflation adjusted CAGR of 3.4 percent that New Zealand’s overall export economy has recorded in the past two decades.  Bruce Jarvis, Head of kiwiSaaS, says that the SaaS sector remains an ‘invisible giant.’  “How much the SaaS sector contributes to our economic wealth today, and could do in the future, is only just becoming visible,” says Jarvis. 

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#NDIS app with blockchain technology raises a multitude of ethical, technical & governance concerns, particularly given the controversial background of its developers who were previously involved with the robo-debt system. This initiative indicates a continued push towards automating compliance & accountability, which could potentially replicate past issues associated with #robodebt #Blockchain, while known for its security & immutability, can present significant challenges in #privacy management, especially concerning sensitive personal data of PWD. The lack of clarity about how data will be handled, who has access & how privacy is safeguarded is a major concern. The use of #algorithms to determine eligibility & the level of aid could replicate biases if not carefully designed & constantly monitored. This is particularly worrying if the algorithm's decision-making process is not transparent to the users or if they cannot contest its decisions effectively. The design of technological #solutions should prioritize the rights & needs of the end-users. This means designing with a focus on enhancing the autonomy & support for PWD, rather than merely streamlining government processes or cutting costs. Implementing blockchain technology in a #complex system like the NDIS involves significant challenges, not just in terms of technology integration but also ensuring that the system is user-friendly for people with varying levels of technical ability. Blockchain systems can face issues with latency & #transaction throughput, especially when scaled to accommodate the needs of all NDIS participants. This could impact the timeliness & reliability. Collecting & managing data across different #stakeholders within the NDIS ecosystem, such as healthcare providers, caregivers & government, requires a robust framework that ensures accuracy & timely updates of records. NDIA must maintain transparent about how the blockchain application was/is developed, deployed, & managed. Establishing an independent #ethical oversight committee would help address potential ethical issues arising from the use of blockchain & other tech. This should include representatives from the #disabled community, ethicists, technologists, & legal experts. The system should be continuously monitored & evaluated against #performance indicators not just related to technical performance but also user satisfaction & impact on service delivery. This should include mechanisms to quickly address any issues or failures in the system. Blockchain technology, while innovative, must be approached with caution to avoid repeating past mistakes associated with #automated decision-making in government services. The focus should always remain on improving the welfare & rights of PWD, ensuring they receive the support they need in a manner that respects their dignity & autonomy. Marie J. https://lnkd.in/g2a9Xetw

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👁️‍🗨️ Headlines: Today in ANZ AI BUSINESS AI-enabled driver behaviour monitoring technology company Acusensus (ASX: ACE) has made a breakthrough in New Zealand with a tender that could bring in NZ$92 million ($83.45 million) for a nationwide mobile speed camera enforcement program. "We were the first in the world to enforce mobile phones with camera systems, first for seatbelt, and now first in the world for multifunction enforcement delivering a single asset that deters speeding both at a point and over a distance, while also deterring phone use and seatbelt non-compliance." Alexander Jannink. More here: https://shorturl.at/uDiQ0 STARTUP Melbourne startup TALY Australia has raised $500,000 in pre-Seed funding led by Skalata to transform how companies use personality data to make better decisions. “It’s like having an organisational psychologist on call 24/7, but powered by validated science rather than gut feel – and minus the hourly rate,” Peter Treloar said. More here: https://shorturl.at/QqaUi WOMEN LEADERS Aishwarya Kansakar, COO at Women 4 STEM and 2025 Young Australian of the Year for VIC… Kansakar is a multi-award-winning AI and automation entrepreneur, Not-for profit (NFPO) Executive, STEM education innovator, and Automation engineer. Featured on SBS World News (2024) and ABC News Radio. She was nominated for the Prime Minister's Science Prize for Innovation in 2024 for developing novel technology systems. Aishwarya is also a hyperpolyglot and fluent in 7 different languages. Get it queen. More here: https://shorturl.at/e2Tv4 ETHICS & REGULATION A committee in the Australian parliament has published a report on AI urging the country’s government to help creators stop the “unprecedented theft of their work” by AI companies. Unsurprisingly, the music industry has welcomed the report and its key recommendations. Article by Complete Music Update: https://shorturl.at/kWJHA HEALTH Petbarn creates first-of-its-kind generative AI solution to make pet care easier for Australian owners. ‘PetAI’ provides highly personalised advice and product recommendations for pet owners. More here: https://shorturl.at/6w7FK ONE GLOBAL UPDATE Sizzling valuations are no bar for Asia data centre deals as AI growth beckons. SINGAPORE/HONG KONG/SYDNEY, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Global investors are queueing up to invest in data centre operators in Asia Pacific either by buying stakes directly or via public offerings, unfazed by their rich valuations that are driven by demand for AI-based services. The AirTrunk deal has propelled Asia Pacific to the top of the M&A league table in the global data centre market this year, with deal value totalling $17.03 billion, more than half of the global transactions, LSEG data showed. More here: https://lnkd.in/gTyTu588 ONE AI DEFINITION Generative AI: is one subset of general purpose AI and can generate text, images, video and sound. 

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🎉 Dive into the wild world of APIs with us! 🚀 Ever wonder why Australia’s big banks are tapping into CreditorWatch's data using API integrations? 🤔💰 Well, wonder no more! 👉 https://lnkd.in/g2yRGPgw Our Principal Solutions Architect Samer Sadek is here to spill the beans on how APIs can jazz up your operations and make your user experience sing! 🎶 Check out our latest article to unlock the secrets to finding the perfect API match for your credit reporting needs. Hint: Not all APIs are created equal! 😉  🌟🔍 #creditorwatch #api #apis #data #business #credit #creditreporting #solutions #banks #creditrisk

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How to attract and retain top talent.... A question most CTOs want the answer to. We recently interviewed over 200 developers and 50 CTOs from our community, check out the results https://lnkd.in/gEqpBAkj

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Google's Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian has weighed in on the UniSuper fiasco. The multi region setup accidentally deleted... These incidents are possible, always ask the "What if question....?" "How do we recover...?" #cloud #privatecloud #dr #businessplan #gcp #google #aws #microsoft #azure https://lnkd.in/er_MNmEh

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https://lnkd.in/gK6Vi6jy Tall order to beat CarPlay and Android Auto in the car. It's not just the software experience but also the value proposition for the consumer. At some point (and I think that's sooner than companies think) consumers are going to balk at yet another $9.99 a month charge for "internet". My kids have the base model Subaru Crosstrek and with CarPlay their experience is superior, and way cheaper, than any other car experience out there. If the new car experiences used the cell data plan from people's phones as the default, then perhaps this will have legs but until the user value proposition is delivered it's all "hope is our strategy". Underestimating what it takes to bring apps to platforms is another huge blind spot. Took Tesla a *long* time to get Audible yet it's one of the most important apps to me along with BBC Sounds (still not there) All been on CarPlay/Android Auto for years. Why? User base. Target CarPlay/Android Auto and you have billions of users to target. Even in GM's most optimistic goals are millions of users. Then you have to choose a platform to build the apps and things get really interesting. #PrioritizeTheUser #SmartVehicles #ConnectedCars #ProductLeadership #AppEcosystem

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DDD Melbourne's agenda voting opens on November 8. Anyone can take part in the voting process (though your vote counts for more if you're a ticket holder!) How does it work? Read on to find out! #DDDMelb #agenda #voting #techcommunity

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Want to know why large US companies are "committed" to building datacentres in New Zealand? It's to export our green energy. They're running out elsewhere. The sad thing is that Kiwis hardly benefit from this at all, indeed, we're already seeing manufacturing getting priced out. That's just going to get worse thanks to Microsoft and AWS. Let's build DCs at a level that Aotearoa needs, not for the rest of the world. https://lnkd.in/guG_bcNw

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I talk about AI, a LOT. It has huge business potential, but it is also very very personal. In Australia and New Zealand, we are big experimenters. 84% of us are using generative AI at work in some way shape or form (whether our organisations know it or not). That is a long way ahead of the global average. But, we aren't all being open and honest about it. There is a stigma to it, a sense that it is still cheating, and we are very worried if we are too good at using it, we might lose our jobs. Today the Tech Council of Australia has released a report that looks at exactly this. What skills do we need for the future when we think about AI and where is the gap? The answer is that we need 200,000 more jobs to meet the demand being generated by AI. But make sure you have a look at the breakdown of those roles. Close to 20% of the new roles being created are not technical roles. There will be significant demand for skills that help to scale, manage and govern AI over the next six years. No, that doesn't mean you don't have to go and do an AI course, that is just good personal development. But it does mean you don't need to be a data scientist in order to play an important role in this unfolding AI (r)evolution. https://lnkd.in/gQGQYRiq Tech Council of Australia Microsoft Workday LinkedIn #AI #AIskills #skilling

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Only 4% of early-stage NZ SaaS businesses manage to cross the $3m ARR threshold each year*. Why? Many think they have Product-Market Fit (PMF), but they haven't. Often early-stage SaaS businesses struggle to align their products with market needs, leading to wasted potential and missed opportunities. This challenge is not just about business—it's about realising a vision and avoiding the common pitfalls that lead to unrealised potential. 'First Steps to Product-Market Fit' is a kiwiSaaS Masterclass presented by Ian Daniel, Lead Product Management Trainer at Brainmates. It will equip you with the tools to validate and refine your product with confidence. Working around your busy life, this series of interactive online sessions offers high value: • Workshop 1: Friday 10 May 2024, 9AM - 1PM (Market Opportunity assessment) • Workshop 2: Monday 20 May 2024, 1PM - 5PM (Business Opportunity assessment) • 1-hour personal Coaching Session: 21 - 30 May 2024 (times to be confirmed with participants) Designed precisely for early-stage SaaS businesses, this kiwiSaaS Masterclass is for you if:  • You have a product but haven’t validated market need and potential  • Have launched your product but struggle to attract customers  • Find converting trial users to paying customers challenging Hurry, places are limited! Find details and book at: https://bit.ly/3JetBSp *(Data collected by kiwiSaaS community based on 743 revenue-earning NZ SaaS companies in 2023. Average annual conversion rate to $3m+ ARR band during the period 2016-2023.) #kiwisaas #masterclass #productmarketfit #harnesspotential  Kathryn Shepherd-King Paul Wissam

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Cal Wilson from Crikey has surfaced an interesting 40 page report from AWS and ASIC on an AI proof of concept conducted at the start of 2024. It seems like a well-designed and run proof of concept (PoC), given it was for just five weeks, but unfortunately did not show very good results for AI. Some key quotes: "The final assessment results of the PoC showed that out of a maximum of 75 points, the aggregated human summaries scored 61 (81%) and the aggregated Gen AI summaries scored 35 (47%)." "ASIC assessors generally agreed that AI outputs could potentially create more work if used (in current state), due to the need to fact check outputs, or because the original source material actually presented information better. The assessments showed that one of the most significant issues with the model was its limited ability to pick-up the nuance or context required to analyse submissions." However, the results are already out of date. The Llama2-70B model that was used in the PoC was superceded by Llama 3 when that was released in April. Also, the PoC used a traditional RAG approach, which has already fallen out of favour compared to graph database RAG approaches. This points to the rapidly moving landscape of what is considered AI best practice, and makes it difficult to use the results to make a recommendation, other than: be prepared for any AI implementation today to likely be out of date in six months. (Note there are ways to insulate projects from this risk, but you need to design those in.) https://lnkd.in/eR_z22VX

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