This week, an Australian video game called Hollow Knight: Silksong is the biggest video game in the world. It’s made by a small team out of Adelaide and has already sold millions of copies worldwide. What could this mean for our quietly successful games industry here in Australia? And why do we still have so much trouble seeing video games as a form of art? 

Also, new research is out that says up to a third of all women playing video games feel guilt-ridden about their hobby. While nobody bats an eye about consuming television or film, video games are still stigmatised as something to be ashamed of. What is it about video games that make us feel so unproductive?  

Plus, what if playing a video game could actively improve your mental health? A team out of Oxford University has developed a game with the express purpose of doing just that. Does it work? And what other games are out there that could be achieving the same thing? 

GUESTS:

• Ruby Innes, co-host of Back Pocket 
• Edmond Tran, managing editor of This Week in Video Games 

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal Land.

2025 is the 'International Year of Quantum Science and Technology', but what actually is quantum science? IBM and AMD are teaming up to champion 'quantum-centric supercomputing' – but what's the difference between a supercomputer and a regular computer? Will we ever see a supercomputer show up in our own homes? And why is Australia making a billion-dollar bet on a quantum computing facility in Brisbane? 

Plus, how and why did scientists develop a ‘biological qubit’, and could quantum computing be the missing piece in dealing with the impacts of climate change? 

GUESTS: 

• Justin Hendry, innovation and business reporter for InnovationAus 
• Ben McAllister, Research Fellow - ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics at Swinburne University of Technology 

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm.

How much is human adjudication in sport worth, and how much more accurate is Wimbledon's new system? Plus, the CSIRO and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have joined forces to research how AI can be used ethically and efficiently in sports.

When 1 in 5 people have been the victim of cybercrime and AI voice scams are on the rise, how do we protect ourselves online? Plus Google may soon be the default browser on Android phones in Australia and say 'hello!' to your new best friend, with new AI-powered kids toys.

America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a notice they intend to purchase an iris scanning technology that can identify "suspects and inmates who try to hide their identity". Unsurprisingly, it’s raised some red flags.

A sex doll brothel in Berlin is offering a combination of new VR and AI technologies in their plastic playmates. But the Cyberbrothel business falls outside traditional brothel regulations, raising questions how consent, sex work, and tech intersect.

Snapchat’s AI chatbot, My AI, is raising concerns among teens and parents — with questions about how it's used, what it says, and whether the platform is doing enough to keep young users safe. While there are parental controls available through Snapchat’s Family Centre, many parents may not know they can restrict access to the bot altogether. So, is this feature really as risky as it sounds?

Also, major automakers are cancelling their upcoming electric vehicle launches in the US - what does this mean for us here in Australia? And unlike Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface, Synchron’s doesn't require open-skull surgery, and it has an OpenAI chatbot baked in. Is this a win for disability tech? Or the first step towards a Terminator-like revolution?  

Plus, how do you stop an AI model turning Nazi? What does the Grok drama reveal about how we train our large language models? And is there a better way to be doing it? 

 GUESTS:

• Tobias Venus, technology and travel journalist 
• Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, Future Economies reporter for the Australian Associated Press 

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Meanjin.

Technical production by Ann-Marie Debettencour and Allyse Symons.

Big Brother is getting new powers in China with a digital ID system eerily similar to that being proposed in the upcoming teen social media ban. What are the privacy risks involved in needing your government ID to use any old website on the internet? And could this tech be seen in Australia anytime soon?

Teachers have been struggling to manage student use of generative AI for years, but maybe its time teachers were taught how to use AI themselves. Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic are investing millions to train teachers how to use AI. Could this be the solution to teacher burnout, or just another way to reduce costs for employers?

Also, could tracking your run be a risk to national security? Bodyguards using Strava revealed locations of Swedish leaders and its raised big questions when it comes to how we engage with any app with geo-tracking software. 

Plus, a new research centre has been unveiled that will explore how AI can help humans ‘speak’ with pets.

GUESTS:

• David Braue, technology journalist at Cybercrime Magazine
• Michael Cowling, 'Professor tech', Director, Hub for Apple Platform Innovation

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal, and Wurundjeri land, and in Naarm.

Technical production by Tim Symonds and Allyse Symons. 

Do you think you can tell the difference between what's real and what's made by AI? What about writing? Or even music?

More AI-generated content is making its way into what we hear, read, and write and it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. And when we can't tell who's making the things we consume, we can't tell their intentions behind it either. This is true when AI is causing more Australian job losses, and when the UN decides to use an AI avatar in place of real refugees.

GUESTS:

• Erica Mealy, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast
• Seamus Byrne, Head of Content at Byteside and a student member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Meanjin

Technical production by Tim Symonds and Marcus Hobbs

In recent years, like many other big technology firms, Microsoft has refocused its business towards developing AI, and this week the firm has announced it's slashing 9,000 jobs. A large chunk of these jobs are coming from its Xbox video gaming unit, with successful and longstanding titles like Elder Scrolls and Forza Motorport in the firing line. Why is Microsoft choosing AI over people? And what difference will this make for players of these games?

Also, Nintendo has told shareholders that they're investing in virtual reality. Is Nintendo able to revive this less-than-popular tech? Or is this just another shiny promise for investors?

Plus, two million people play eSports in Australia, which is more than five times the amount of Javelin throwers we have, so why is one an Olympic sport and not the other? Could the Brisbane Olympics be the chance for Australia to get in on the ground floor of elite competitive video gaming?

GUESTS: 

• Alice Clarke, award-winning tech journo and author of Press Any Button Substack
• Edmond Tran, managing editor at This Week in Videogames

This episode of Download This Show was made in Gadigal land and in Naarm. 

Technical production by Roi Huberman and Matthew Sigley.