Jon Whittle

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, and despite its numerous advantages, the associated risks are creating a pressing need for effective regulation. Proximity’s multi-disciplinary experts understand designing, developing, and reviewing complex and innovative regulatory frameworks. In this article on Consultancy Australia Proximity’s Declan Norrie and Kyle Wood discuss the importance of continuous improvement and collaboration across government portfolios as a necessary step in addressing AI’s safety standards and risk management. Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/xQew30sFwV2

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Data and Digital Ministers have agreed on a set of nationally consistent approaches to the safe and ethical use of AI in government projects and programs https://lnkd.in/gSnmV8au #AI #gov #Aus

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We are delighted to be working with the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) and the community on the development of the Australian National Persistent Identity (PID) Strategy and Roadmap. This is an opportunity to strengthen Australia's digital information ecosystem with a national approach to tracking research impact, and supporting research integrity and innovation. In 2022, the Australian Access Federation (AAF) and the ARDC commissioned an analysis into incentives for the adoption of PIDs by the Australian research sector. By implementing PIDs for people, datasets and instruments, research facilities can help identify strengths and weaknesses in research capabilities and reduce administrative burden on researchers. The report also found that PIDs can: > reduce time: the total time manually rekeying metadata is 38,000 days per year > reduce cost: the total cost of this manual rekeying is $24 million per year > reduce effort: administrative tasks make up the bulk (30-40%) of the researchers’ time that is wasted. The ARDC is now gathering Stakeholder Action Groups to enable the Australian National PID Strategy and to contribute to the National Collaborative Roadmap. The AAF is a member of these Action Groups and provides advice and input into the development and implementation of the Strategy and Roadmap. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work within the Stakeholder Action Groups to ensure the successful implementation of ORCID and PIDs in the community. Learn more > https://lnkd.in/gm-m-H2u #AustralianAccessFederation #NCRIS #NCRISimpact #research #digitalresearch #persistentidentifiers

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So many companies are looking to scale up their adoption of artificial intelligence. But, as my reliably-brilliant colleague Nicholas Davis explains in The Conversation Australia + NZ, anyone buying in new AI capability faces an information asymmetry. That information asymmetry arises because AI is technical and complex; the tech is often embedded inside bigger systems; and the jargon can be impenetrable. Put simply, with AI, it can be hard for a business or an individual to know what they're buying. The Australian Government's new Voluntary AI Safety Standard can help address this problem by providing practical guidance to businesses looking to use AI in their organisation. The standard will help businesses ask important questions about their own systems and, just as importantly, of the vendors selling AI tools. Over time, this will create market pressure for better, safer AI products and services. You can read more about this below!

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Register now: Australian National PID Strategy and Roadmap Information Session with ARDC and AAF. 🗓 Tuesday 23 July, 12:00pm – 1:00pm (AEST). Online. In 2022, the AAF Consortium as the Australian ORCID Consortium Lead, and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), commissioned a report into incentives for the adoption of persistent identifiers (PIDs) by the Australian research sector. This report led to the development of the Australian National PID Strategy and Roadmap.  We invite our ORCID Consortium members to learn how they can contribute to the Australian National PID Strategy, and how to better utilise data derived from research to harness the potential offered by PIDs. This webinar is open to all, including our ORCID Consortium members, national research infrastructures, AAF subscribers and researchers. Register now >> https://lnkd.in/gqAuBpdr This webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be available to all registrants and the public. Please register even if you are unable to attend the session and we will share the video with you when it is available. #AustralianAccessFederation #NCRIS #NCRISimpact #research #digitalresearch #ORCID #persistentidentifiers #PIDs #ARDC #webinar

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🌟 Access a wealth of information through the Australian Government Data Catalogue!   🔓 With the recent release of the Catalogue, researchers, policymakers and the public have access to over 60,000 data assets! In a new article from The Mandarin, the Catalogue is highlighted as a significant step towards enhancing transparency and fostering innovation within the public sector. Check out the Catalogue here:   Find out more about the benefits of the Catalogue and agencies who contributed data in the Mandarin's article below 👇   #ONDC #DATAScheme #AGDC #DataGovernance #DataSharing #FutureofData 

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Canberra opens scale-up #InnovationHub - Canberra Innovation Network’s Scale Up Hub provides a dedicated space for Canberra-based start-ups and small-to-medium enterprises to collaborate and grow ACT Government #EconomicDevelopment #ScaleUpHub #Canberra https://ow.ly/8V8Y50UlKME

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Thanks so much for highlighting the science behind scaling ANU College of Business and Economics!

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Following the suggestion from Ben; I used NotebookLM to explain the three key documents for NZDF's publicly Statement of Intent, Future force design, and Defence Policy Review. This was the results (NotebookLM may still sometimes give inaccurate responses, so you may want to confirm any facts independently). Summary The provided document is the 2024-2028 Statement of Intent from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence. It outlines the organization’s strategic intentions, focusing on the government's priorities and outlining its vision for a credible defense partner. The document details the Ministry’s role in procuring major military equipment, advising on defense policy and deployments, and fostering strong relationships with both domestic agencies and international partners. It also discusses the Ministry’s operating environment, highlighting increasing strategic competition and the implications of climate change. The document concludes with a description of the Ministry’s governance structure, values, and commitment to investing in its people and embracing a digital future. 17min AI generated conversation about these documents (quite impressive): https://lnkd.in/gMKeAVJN I welcome your thoughts on this.

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#Police are using #AI as an extension of #search & #seizure to review #cellphone data and #email in #Australia. https://lnkd.in/eT6dxiaa

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Today we published "Driving Blind - The Unexamined Privacy Risks of Connected Cars", the first in-depth analysis of Australian privacy terms for connected cars sold by the 15 most popular car brands in Australia. This is an area in need of regulatory guidance and enforcement, but the paper also provides further evidence in support of major privacy law reform. The Conversation article is here: https://lnkd.in/gmEkZ-tE The whole paper can be downloaded here: https://lnkd.in/gAYVnNUH We are planning a workshop on these issues in early 2025 hosted by the UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, so I will be in touch. This is intended to get the ball rolling on this conversation. Special thanks for excellent research assistance from Wanda Kuai , Vanessa Luong and Jessica Whetters, and generous comments from Vanessa Teague, Graham Greenleaf, David Vaile, and Roger Clarke. And to Signe Dean at The Conversation Australia + NZ for terrific editing. Errors are mine. Sushmita Ruj - look forward to chatting about this.

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Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman - Grant recently wrote of an "'...open-source hashtag #AI app with absolutely no guardrails that promises the user that they can "nudify any girl with the power of ai. just choose body type, and get a result in a few seconds.' Image-based abuse, including the production of deepfaked images and videos, is a persistent online harm and a grievous invasion of privacy. The uptake of generative AI means it no longer takes vast amounts of computing power or masses of content to create convincing deepfakes. We can provide real help to Australians who fall victim to image-based abuse including deepfakes and we have a very high success rate in getting this distressing material down." See her post at https://lnkd.in/gnzK7iSv Emanuel Maiberg wrote a compelling investigation on this issue back in April, for 404 Media. Maiberg noted that "Instagram is profiting from several ads that invite people to create nonconsensual nude images with AI image generation apps, once again showing that some of the most harmful applications of AI tools are not hidden on the dark corners of the internet, but are actively promoted to users by social media companies unable or unwilling to enforce their policies about who can buy ads on their platforms." Instagram Advertises Nonconsensual AI Nude Apps, https://lnkd.in/gZQ-Nez9 The article was the first to speak to what since January this year my Instagram feed has been incessantly flooded with. No matter what I do to say I am not interested in the ads, or in many cases report them to Instagram, the spam just keep flowing. It's bizarre - ranging from apps for generation of nudes from any photo, through to a plethora of AI 'girlfriend' chatbots which openly advertise submission, and sexual gratification. There's also very dodgy tracker apps, and a flood of pirated software advertised. Bizarre VPN apps also use scantily clad women, and explicit invocation of sex, and pornography as the opening image or video that resolves to the actual app. Instagram is a hellscape as of this year, and I just can't find a way to get Meta through app-based reporting alone to stop this tsunami of slime. It's bloody exhausting. This screenshot is from a running collection of content screen recorded from my Instagram account, originally created for Emanuel Maiberg to showcase just how prevalent what he wrote about in April was, on the platform. I'm glad Australia's eSafety Commissioner is taking a hard line on this. I hope more countries follow suit. This generative AI-enabled smut targeting women at scale, and underage individuals, also facilitating industrial grade NCII generation, simply has to stop.

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Is #FirstNations #Tech truly the next big wave? During the AI and Cyber Futures Institute annual conference, Celeste Carnegie brought a #vibrant #energy to the #discussion, framing First Nations Tech as a burgeoning field that blends #innovation with #cultural #wisdom. She discussed the importance of engaging with #FirstNations communities in ways that are honest, realistic, and mutually beneficial. Celeste stressed that timelines must respect the pace of communities, avoiding the imposition of external pressures. She also highlighted success stories where First Nations-led initiatives have thrived by grounding technology in community needs and cultural values. Sasha Sarago and Celeste Carnegie discussed how the intersection of First Nations knowledge and technology offers transformative opportunities for both communities and researchers. Here is what I learned from the session: (a) Engage Honestly: #Engagement with First Nations communities must be built on #transparency, #respect, and a willingness to listen to their priorities and offer value (why should First Nations people engage with you? What can you offer?). (b) Be Realistic About Timelines: Projects must allow time for #trust-building and alignment with community needs, rather than adhering to rigid external deadlines. (c) Focus on Community-Driven Solutions: The most impactful tech initiatives start with the needs and aspirations of the communities they aim to serve. Many thanks to Sasha and Celeste for talking to us and teaching us so much!

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