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This week it's the next instalment of the Australian Government's consultation on Safe and Responsible AI. Arj and Jordan break down the government's 'interim response' to the consultation, and the case for regulation that it puts forward.

Though the detail is yet to come, we evaluate the government's proposals - new mandatory guardrails, updates to existing laws, international engagement and domestic investments - what will they mean for AI adoption in Australia, and is our legal system already falling behind?

Links:

The Australian Government’s interim response to safe and responsible AI consultation https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australian-governments-interim-response-safe-and-responsible-ai-consultation

Article on Gov response and reactions (SMH) https://www.smh.com.au/technology/husic-shuns-eu-path-for-ai-unveils-government-s-vision-20240116-p5exna.html

Prof. Ed Santow's response (AI expert and former Human Rights Commissioner) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/esantow_do-we-need-a-new-law-for-ai-sure-but-first-activity-7096667434794811392-hg_7/

US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework

This week we dive into the murky world of data brokers, courtesy of a new report by Reset Tech Australia.

The report provides a fascinating window into how data brokers operate - particularly the granular categories and segments that online users are categorised into. This data is sold to advertisers and, in some cases, even law enforcement bodies and other authorities. 

We share our reactions about the report and discuss how the availability of data about sensitive topics such as gambling, alcohol consumption, financial stress can make us more vulnerable to exploitation.

Links:

Report: Australians for Sale https://au.reset.tech/uploads/Reset.Tech-Report-Australians-for-Sale-2023.pdf

Article about Target working out a teen was pregnant (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/

Article about data broker selling data from Muslim prayer app (VICE) https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdkze/muslim-apps-location-data-military-xmode

Investigation into data brokers (The Markup) https://themarkup.org/privacy/2021/09/30/theres-a-multibillion-dollar-market-for-your-phones-location-data

Academic article defining 'online manipulation' (Susser, Roessler and Nissenbaum) https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/technology-autonomy-and-manipulation

Credits:

This week we explore the world of trust and safety, those teams at digital platforms and other tech service providers entrusted with ensuring services are safe for users.

These teams have grown in size and influence over the past decade, in response to the growth in the use of social media as well as the emergence of challenges including mis- and disinformation and increasing hate speech.

But they’ve also come under fire - from ideological opponents who see them as biased censors, as well being the target of layoffs.

We unpack these issues and also explore the evolution and challenges associated with the profession.

Links:

Christine Lehane on what trust and safety involves (Medium) https://medium.com/@christinemlehane/a-career-in-trust-safety-you-know-more-than-you-know-3a02f63059a4

Trust and safety – the most important tech job you’ve never heard of (New Scientist) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403999-trust-and-safety-the-most-important-tech-job-youve-never-heard-of/

Trust and safety on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_and_safety

Article on the impact of tech layoffs and understaffing outside the US https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tech-layoffs-hit-trust-safety-teams-raising-fears-backsliding-efforts-rcna69111

What are the twitter files and why do they matter? (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2022/12/14/1142666067/elon-musk-is-using-the-twitter-files-to-discredit-foes-and-push-conspiracy-theor

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto (Andreessen Horowitz) https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/

Welcome to hell Elon (The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/28/23428132/elon-musk-twitter-acquisition-problems-speech-moderation

Interview with Twitter's former Head of Trust and Safety Del Harvey (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/del-harvey-twitter-trust-and-safety-breaks-her-silence/

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We're signing off for 2023 with a relaxed re-cap of the year.

We reflect on the big conversation topics of the year (AI and privacy reform), what surprised us, what disappointed us and what we're looking forward to in 2024.

Thanks to everyone who listened, appeared as a guest, or otherwise supported us. Have a safe break and see you again on January 16.

This week we explore the human side of cybercrime, via a conversation with Dr Jonathan Lusthaus, director of The Human Cybercriminal Project at the University of Oxford.

Jonathan (full bio below) has spent over a decade researching who cybercriminals are, what drives them, and how they organise themselves, collaborate and innovate.

We explore his findings – which he chronicled in his book Industry of Anonymity (link below) – and why he ultimately believes that the cybercrime industry is “a tragedy”.

Jonathan Lusthaus bio

Dr Jonathan Lusthaus is Director of The Human Cybercriminal Project at the University of Oxford. He is an Associate Professor in Global Sociology in the Department of Sociology, a joint appointment held with the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies. He is also a Governing Body Fellow of St Antony's College.

Jonathan’s research focuses on the "human" side of profit-driven cybercrime: who cybercriminals are and how they are organised. He is a regular speaker at major conferences and is the author of Industry of Anonymity: Inside the Business of Cybercrime published by Harvard University Press.

https://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/people/jonathan-lusthaus#:~:text=Dr%20Jonathan%20Lusthaus%20is%20Director,Member%20of%20St%20Antony's%20College.

Links:

Book: Industry of Anonymity: Inside the Business of Cybercrime https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674979413

Newsletter: Industry of Anonymity, https://industryofanonymity.substack.com/

Book: Dark Market https://www.amazon.com.au/Darkmarket-Misha-Glenny/dp/0307476448

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) eastcoaststudio.com.au

Music by Bensound.com

This week we unpack the soap opera that was Sam Altman's firing-then-reinstatement at OpenAI (makers of ChatGPT).

Beneath the drama, and there was a lot of it, the saga potentially stands as a commentary on the state of AI safety approaches within the tech community, and on the effectiveness of self-governance.

We also touch on the US Government's executive order on safe and trustworthy AI and the UK governments AI Safety Summit, both from the last month or so.

Links:
Article on Sam Altman's firing and re-instatement (The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/22/23967223/sam-altman-returns-ceo-open-ai

Winners and losers from OpenAI/Sam Altman saga (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-11-22/sam-altman-return-to-openai-makes-clear-winners-and-losers-of-debacle

Timeline of events in OpenAI/Sam Altman saga (TechCrunch) https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/29/a-timeline-of-sam-altmans-firing-from-openai-and-the-fallout/

Article about Helen Toner, (now former) OpenAI board member (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/23/who-is-helen-toner-australian-woman-openai-chatgpt-board

US Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/

Official statement of UK AI Safety Summit (including comments from Richard Marles) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leaders-top-ai-companies-set-out-plan-for-safety-testing-of-frontier-as-first-global-ai-safety-summit-concludes

Analysis of UK AI Safety Summit (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/11/09/uk-ai-safety-summit-opened-new-chapter-in-ai-diplomacy-pub-90968
Credits:

This week we explore the issue of privacy in the workplace.

Historically employers have been exempt from Privacy Act in Australia, but this is a live issue again with the privacy reform process underway and the Government having agreed in-principle to extending privacy protections to workers.

We also explore how the problem space is expanding in the era of hybrid working and as technologies for tracking and quantifying work continue to evolve.

Links:

Privacy Act Review final report: https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/privacy-act-review-report

Article about rise in workplace surveillance (CNBC) https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/24/employee-surveillance-is-on-the-rise-that-could-backfire-on-employers.html

Data and algorithms at work report (UC Berkeley Labor Center) https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Data-and-Algorithms-at-Work.pdf

Article about the rise of 'Bossware' (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/27/remote-work-software-home-surveillance-computer-monitoring-pandemic

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) eastcoaststudio.com.au

Music by Bensound.com

This week, Jordan sits down with elevenM privacy communications expert Tessa Loftus to debate whether we should just give up on privacy policies.

Historically, privacy regulation has leant heavily on transparency and consumer choice - the idea that if we just give consumers the right information, then they can take control of their privacy. But the reality is that most privacy policies are an unintelligible to most people, and we've all lost control.

So what's the answer? Can businesses communicate better about privacy? Or should we give up on consumer choice and put the onus on businesses to act 'fairly and reasonably'.

Links:

Privacy Act Review final report: https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protections/publications/privacy-act-review-report

International Association of Privacy Professionals Privacy and Consumer Trust Report: https://iapp.org/resources/article/privacy-and-consumer-trust-summary/ (full report is paywalled)

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey 2023: https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/research-and-training-resources/research/australian-community-attitudes-to-privacy-survey/australian-community-attitudes-to-privacy-survey-2023

Consumer Policy Research Centre 2020 Data and Technology Consumer Survey: https://cprc.org.au/cprc-2020-data-and-technology-consumer-survey/

This week Jordan sits down with Brett Watson, elevenM's resident expert on Digital ID to figure out how far we are from proving who's a dog on the internet.

The Optus data breach led to a renewed commitment to modernising the way that we prove our identity online. Today there is a huge amount of activity in this complex space. In just the last few weeks, the Australian government released draft legislation to establish a national digital identity framework, and the several major banks and a major payment service provider announced that they are forging ahead with their own, private solution.

But what actually is a digital ID and how do all these frameworks and solutions fit together?

Links:

All about the DVS and other government identity matching services: https://www.idmatch.gov.au/

The Commonwealth Government’s Digital ID website: https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/

The Trusted Digital Identity Framework: https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/tdif

About the Trusted Digital identity Framework ID proofing levels (which we mentioned but didn't come back to in the show): https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/about/what-are-id-proofing-levels

Draft legislation: Digital Identity Bill 2023 (https://www.digitalidentity.gov.au/have-your-say/2023-digital-id-bill-and-rules-submissions);

Article describing the launch of Connect ID: https://www.themandarin.com.au/232499-commonwealth-bank-leapfrogs-delayed-government-digital-identity-launch-with-connectid/

NAB Digital Next podcast - episode with David Birch on Digital ID: https://news.nab.com.au/news/nab-digital-next-identity-fraud-and-the-rise-of-the-bots-with-david-birch/

Stephen Wilson of Lockstep on Digital ID: https://lockstep.com.au/rip-trusted-digital-identity-but-whither-australias-tdif/