Download This Show https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ en Copyright 2026, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved. Download This Show is your weekly guide to the world of media, culture, and technology. From social media to gadgets, streaming services to privacy issues. Each week Rae Johnston and guests take a fun, deep dive into how technology is reshaping our lives.  https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/30906fec-f24b-11ee-a804-177e6e0e6561/image/c81b9b3f6d092d800e5e87209e568428.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Download This Show https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ no episodic Download This Show is your weekly guide to the world of media, culture, and technology. From social media to gadgets, streaming services to privacy issues. Each week Rae Johnston and guests take a fun, deep dive into how technology is reshaping our lives.  ABC Australia Download This Show is your weekly guide to the world of media, culture, and technology. From social media to gadgets, streaming services to privacy issues. Each week Rae Johnston and guests take a fun, deep dive into how technology is reshaping our lives.  The AI model “too dangerous” for the public https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/anthropic-latest-ai-model-too-dangerous-to-release/106507966 Anthropic claims its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, is “too dangerous” to release given its exceptional cyber hacking capabilities. Is it all a PR stunt, or is this a genuine threat?  Plus, the FBI extracted messages from the secure messaging app Signal after exploiting a loophole involving iPhone notification databases. So how secure is Signal? And how might the loophole be closed?  Meanwhile, several major global news sites are blocking the Wayback Machine, an initiative of the Internet Archive. What threat does it pose to these sites? And what will it cost us to lose this information preservation?  GUESTS: Justin Hendry -- technology and business reporter and editor of Innovation Aus.  Fergus Halliday -- technology & gaming journalist at reviews.org Australia ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Anthropic claims its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, is “too dangerous” to release given its exceptional cyber hacking capabilities. Is it all a PR stunt, or is this a genuine threat?  Plus, the FBI extracted messages from the secure messaging app Signal after exploiting a loophole involving iPhone notification databases. So how secure is Signal? And how might the loophole be closed?  Meanwhile, several major global news sites are blocking the Wayback Machine, an initiative of the Internet Archive. What threat does it pose to these sites? And what will it cost us to lose this information preservation?  GUESTS:  Justin Hendry -- technology and business reporter and editor of Innovation Aus.  Fergus Halliday -- technology & gaming journalist at reviews.org Australia ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. Anthropic claims its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, is “too dangerous” to release given its exceptional cyber hacking capabilities. Is it all a PR stunt, or is this a genuine threat?  Plus, the FBI extracted messages from the secure messaging app Signal after exploiting a loophole involving iPhone notification databases. So how secure is Signal? And how might the loophole be closed?  Meanwhile, several major global news sites are blocking the Wayback Machine, an initiative of the Internet Archive. What threat does it pose to these sites? And what will it cost us to lose this information preservation?  GUESTS: Justin Hendry -- technology and business reporter and editor of Innovation Aus.  Fergus Halliday -- technology & gaming journalist at reviews.org Australia ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Anthropic claims its latest AI model, Claude Mythos, is “too dangerous” to release given its exceptional cyber hacking capabilities. Is it all a PR stunt, or is this a genuine threat? 

Plus, the FBI extracted messages from the secure messaging app Signal after exploiting a loophole involving iPhone notification databases. So how secure is Signal? And how might the loophole be closed? 

Meanwhile, several major global news sites are blocking the Wayback Machine, an initiative of the Internet Archive. What threat does it pose to these sites? And what will it cost us to lose this information preservation? 

GUESTS:

  • Justin Hendry -- technology and business reporter and editor of Innovation Aus. 
  • Fergus Halliday -- technology & gaming journalist at reviews.org Australia

------------

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

------------

Get in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au

Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1545 Artemis II isn't the only cool thing happening in space tech at the moment https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/artemis-ii-space-projects-in-australia/106483054 In this special episode, what's happening in Australia's space industry? Between Australia's first lunar rover, and putting plants on the moon (this year!), we'll take a peek behind the curtain. Space technology is having a moment right now. NASA’s Artemis mission is the first time humans have launched themselves into space since 1972. The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is an astronaut. So, what does our local space industry look like right now? And where is it headed? GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios -- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute. Dr Lauren Fell -- outreach and marketing specialist at Lunar Outpost Oceania, co-lead of the ELO2 industry consortium building Roo-ver. She's also a director at Lunaria One, who is putting plants on the moon. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia In this special episode, what's happening in Australia's space industry? Between Australia's first lunar rover, and putting plants on the moon (this year!), we'll take a peek behind the curtain. Space technology is having a moment right now. NASA’s Artemis mission is the first time humans have launched themselves into space since 1972. The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is an astronaut. So, what does our local space industry look like right now? And where is it headed? GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios -- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute. Dr Lauren Fell -- outreach and marketing specialist at Lunar Outpost Oceania, co-lead of the ELO2 industry consortium building Roo-ver. She's also a director at Lunaria One, who is putting plants on the moon. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.  In this special episode, what's happening in Australia's space industry? Between Australia's first lunar rover, and putting plants on the moon (this year!), we'll take a peek behind the curtain. Space technology is having a moment right now. NASA’s Artemis mission is the first time humans have launched themselves into space since 1972. The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is an astronaut. So, what does our local space industry look like right now? And where is it headed? GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios -- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute. Dr Lauren Fell -- outreach and marketing specialist at Lunar Outpost Oceania, co-lead of the ELO2 industry consortium building Roo-ver. She's also a director at Lunaria One, who is putting plants on the moon. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices In this special episode, what's happening in Australia's space industry? Between Australia's first lunar rover, and putting plants on the moon (this year!), we'll take a peek behind the curtain.

Space technology is having a moment right now. NASA’s Artemis mission is the first time humans have launched themselves into space since 1972. The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is an astronaut. So, what does our local space industry look like right now? And where is it headed?

GUESTS:

------------

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

------------

Get in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au

Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1760 Does Australia have the energy and water to power the AI data centre boom? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/australia-ai-boom-energy-and-water-demand/106456584 The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough? About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way. The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill. The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here. GUESTS: Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia. Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough? About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way. The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill. The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here. GUESTS: Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia. Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough? About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way. The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill. The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here. GUESTS: Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia. Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here. ------------ This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. ------------ Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough?

About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way.

The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill.

The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here.

GUESTS:

  • Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia.
  • Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here.

------------

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

------------

Get in touch:

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au

Find all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 On the down-low: Do tech companies have a duty of care when it comes to kids? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/john-livingstone-unicef-social-media-ban-check-in/106473408 John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. He's been talking directly to students about how the Australian social media ban is affecting young people, and whether it's making their lives better. This is Rae's full conversation with John. You can hear a broader analysis of the social media ban in our recent episode. ---------- This is the first edition of our 'on the down-low' series -- longer standalone interviews with interesting people in the tech world. ---------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. He's been talking directly to students about how the Australian social media ban is affecting young people, and whether it's making their lives better. This is Rae's full conversation with John. You can hear a broader analysis of the social media ban in our recent episode. ---------- This is the first edition of our 'on the down-low' series -- longer standalone interviews with interesting people in the tech world. ---------- John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. He's been talking directly to students about how the Australian social media ban is affecting young people, and whether it's making their lives better. This is Rae's full conversation with John. You can hear a broader analysis of the social media ban in our recent episode. ---------- This is the first edition of our 'on the down-low' series -- longer standalone interviews with interesting people in the tech world. ---------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices John Livingstone is the Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. He's been talking directly to students about how the Australian social media ban is affecting young people, and whether it's making their lives better.

This is Rae's full conversation with John. You can hear a broader analysis of the social media ban in our recent episode.

----------

This is the first edition of our 'on the down-low' series -- longer standalone interviews with interesting people in the tech world.

----------

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 905 Is Australia's social media ban *actually* working? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/social-media-ban-check-in/106409204 Australia banned under-16s from social media at the start of summer, and the world has been watching. Today, we're doing a full audit. What the ban is doing, what it isn't, and whether we even built it on the right foundations. GUESTS: Josh Taylor -- technology reporter for The Guardian. Jocelyn Brewer -- psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition. With a special appearance from John Livingstone, Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. You can hear Rae's full interview with him when it's released next Wednesday (25/03/2026). Rae also mentioned If Books Could Kill's analysis of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Australia banned under-16s from social media at the start of summer, and the world has been watching. Today, we're doing a full audit. What the ban is doing, what it isn't, and whether we even built it on the right foundations. GUESTS: Josh Taylor -- technology reporter for The Guardian. Jocelyn Brewer -- psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition. With a special appearance from John Livingstone, Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. You can hear Rae's full interview with him when it's released next Wednesday (25/03/2026). Rae also mentioned If Books Could Kill's analysis of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Australia banned under-16s from social media at the start of summer, and the world has been watching. Today, we're doing a full audit. What the ban is doing, what it isn't, and whether we even built it on the right foundations. GUESTS: Josh Taylor -- technology reporter for The Guardian. Jocelyn Brewer -- psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition. With a special appearance from John Livingstone, Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. You can hear Rae's full interview with him when it's released next Wednesday (25/03/2026). Rae also mentioned If Books Could Kill's analysis of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Australia banned under-16s from social media at the start of summer, and the world has been watching.

Today, we're doing a full audit. What the ban is doing, what it isn't, and whether we even built it on the right foundations.

GUESTS:

With a special appearance from John Livingstone, Head of Digital Policy at UNICEF Australia. You can hear Rae's full interview with him when it's released next Wednesday (25/03/2026).

Rae also mentioned If Books Could Kill's analysis of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Who owns art created inside video games? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-washing-and-job-restructures-art-in-video-games/106407038 There's a fresh wave of headlines claiming that AI is eating the workforce whole, and that the only way to have a job is to become the person who builds the robots. Is this a reasonable assumption? Or has "AI-washing" just become the most convenient way to excuse a restructure? Plus, a genuine artistic community has grown around taking photos in video games. Who owns those creations? And, wired headphones are back? Wired headphone revenue jumped 20 percent in the first six weeks of 2026. Why? GUESTS: Kath Albury -- Professor of Technology at Swinburne University, and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre for Excellence In Automated Decision Making and Society.  Mark Serrels -- Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia There's a fresh wave of headlines claiming that AI is eating the workforce whole, and that the only way to have a job is to become the person who builds the robots. Is this a reasonable assumption? Or has "AI-washing" just become the most convenient way to excuse a restructure? Plus, a genuine artistic community has grown around taking photos in video games. Who owns those creations? And, wired headphones are back? Wired headphone revenue jumped 20 percent in the first six weeks of 2026. Why? GUESTS: Kath Albury -- Professor of Technology at Swinburne University, and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre for Excellence In Automated Decision Making and Society.  Mark Serrels -- Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. There's a fresh wave of headlines claiming that AI is eating the workforce whole, and that the only way to have a job is to become the person who builds the robots. Is this a reasonable assumption? Or has "AI-washing" just become the most convenient way to excuse a restructure? Plus, a genuine artistic community has grown around taking photos in video games. Who owns those creations? And, wired headphones are back? Wired headphone revenue jumped 20 percent in the first six weeks of 2026. Why? GUESTS: Kath Albury -- Professor of Technology at Swinburne University, and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre for Excellence In Automated Decision Making and Society.  Mark Serrels -- Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices There's a fresh wave of headlines claiming that AI is eating the workforce whole, and that the only way to have a job is to become the person who builds the robots. Is this a reasonable assumption? Or has "AI-washing" just become the most convenient way to excuse a restructure?

Plus, a genuine artistic community has grown around taking photos in video games. Who owns those creations?

And, wired headphones are back? Wired headphone revenue jumped 20 percent in the first six weeks of 2026. Why?

GUESTS:

  • Kath Albury -- Professor of Technology at Swinburne University, and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre for Excellence In Automated Decision Making and Society. 
  • Mark Serrels -- Editorial Director at Choice and co-founder of Continue Magazine.

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Your free VPN might be spying on you https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/vpn-iran-fake-videos-macbook-neo/106378838 VPNs have topped the charts this week, after major adult websites blocked Australian users. Several of these most popular VPNs are free, but at what cost? Plus, fake videos of the war in Iran have been circulating online. How do we tell what's real from what's not? Also, the Macbook Neo. It runs on an iPhone chip, is remarkably cheap, and comes in a variety of colours. Has Apple become fun again? ------- Benjamin Law's episode of Compass, Outsourcing Our Souls, will be out on Sunday 15th of March. ------- GUESTS: Michael Cowling — Professor of Educational Technology at RMIT and Director of the Hub for Apple Platform Innovation. AKA Professor Tech, and you can find his YouTube channel here. Tobias Venus — technology and travel journalist, and video producer at tobygv.tv. His YouTube channel is here. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia VPNs have topped the charts this week, after major adult websites blocked Australian users. Several of these most popular VPNs are free, but at what cost? Plus, fake videos of the war in Iran have been circulating online. How do we tell what's real from what's not? Also, the Macbook Neo. It runs on an iPhone chip, is remarkably cheap, and comes in a variety of colours. Has Apple become fun again? ------- Benjamin Law's episode of Compass, Outsourcing Our Souls, will be out on Sunday 15th of March. ------- GUESTS: Michael Cowling — Professor of Educational Technology at RMIT and Director of the Hub for Apple Platform Innovation. AKA Professor Tech, and you can find his YouTube channel here. Tobias Venus — technology and travel journalist, and video producer at tobygv.tv. His YouTube channel is here. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. VPNs have topped the charts this week, after major adult websites blocked Australian users. Several of these most popular VPNs are free, but at what cost? Plus, fake videos of the war in Iran have been circulating online. How do we tell what's real from what's not? Also, the Macbook Neo. It runs on an iPhone chip, is remarkably cheap, and comes in a variety of colours. Has Apple become fun again? ------- Benjamin Law's episode of Compass, Outsourcing Our Souls, will be out on Sunday 15th of March. ------- GUESTS: Michael Cowling — Professor of Educational Technology at RMIT and Director of the Hub for Apple Platform Innovation. AKA Professor Tech, and you can find his YouTube channel here. Tobias Venus — technology and travel journalist, and video producer at tobygv.tv. His YouTube channel is here. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices VPNs have topped the charts this week, after major adult websites blocked Australian users. Several of these most popular VPNs are free, but at what cost?

Plus, fake videos of the war in Iran have been circulating online. How do we tell what's real from what's not?

Also, the Macbook Neo. It runs on an iPhone chip, is remarkably cheap, and comes in a variety of colours. Has Apple become fun again?

-------

Benjamin Law's episode of Compass, Outsourcing Our Souls, will be out on Sunday 15th of March.

-------

GUESTS:

Michael Cowling — Professor of Educational Technology at RMIT and Director of the Hub for Apple Platform Innovation. AKA Professor Tech, and you can find his YouTube channel here.

Tobias Venus — technology and travel journalist, and video producer at tobygv.tv. His YouTube channel is here.

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Trump takes on Anthropic AI and Meta's AI glasses changing privacy https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/trump-s-takes-on-anthropic-v1/106467354 A US government official has called Anthropic a national security risk, after the company drew ethical lines around its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. How comfortable would you be with AI firing missiles? Plus, Facebook's parent company, Meta, sold seven million pairs of AI-enabled Ray-Bans last year. And now they want to add facial recognition. How will that change public spaces? And, Microsoft tried to ban the word 'microslop'. It didn't go well. GUESTS: Seamus Byrne — tech reporter and PhD research candidate with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making & Society. Hannah Geremia — digital content editor at Whistleout Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia A US government official has called Anthropic a national security risk, after the company drew ethical lines around its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. How comfortable would you be with AI firing missiles? Plus, Facebook's parent company, Meta, sold seven million pairs of AI-enabled Ray-Bans last year. And now they want to add facial recognition. How will that change public spaces? And, Microsoft tried to ban the word 'microslop'. It didn't go well. GUESTS: Seamus Byrne — tech reporter and PhD research candidate with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making & Society. Hannah Geremia — digital content editor at Whistleout Singapore. A US government official has called Anthropic a national security risk, after the company drew ethical lines around its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. How comfortable would you be with AI firing missiles? Plus, Facebook's parent company, Meta, sold seven million pairs of AI-enabled Ray-Bans last year. And now they want to add facial recognition. How will that change public spaces? And, Microsoft tried to ban the word 'microslop'. It didn't go well. GUESTS: Seamus Byrne — tech reporter and PhD research candidate with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making & Society. Hannah Geremia — digital content editor at Whistleout Singapore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices A US government official has called Anthropic a national security risk, after the company drew ethical lines around its technology being used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. How comfortable would you be with AI firing missiles?

Plus, Facebook's parent company, Meta, sold seven million pairs of AI-enabled Ray-Bans last year. And now they want to add facial recognition. How will that change public spaces?

And, Microsoft tried to ban the word 'microslop'. It didn't go well.

GUESTS:

Seamus Byrne — tech reporter and PhD research candidate with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making & Society.

Hannah Geremia — digital content editor at Whistleout Singapore.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1805 Does Elon Musk's X make you more right wing? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/new-research-x-shifts-political-attitudes-long-term/106339224 New research about the social media platform X suggests that just a few weeks on what used to be Twitter can shift political attitudes AND the effects can last long after we log off. So is it really possible to use these sites at all without being affected by the system? Plus, Australia's planned AI advisory body has been scrapped after 15 months of preparation. It's been replaced by the Australian AI Safety Institute. What does this mean for AI regulation? And, scientists have found a way to make 3D printed guns traceable. GUESTS: Seamus Byrne, tech reporter and PhD research candidate. Erica Mealy, senior lecturer of computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia New research about the social media platform X suggests that just a few weeks on what used to be Twitter can shift political attitudes AND the effects can last long after we log off. So is it really possible to use these sites at all without being affected by the system? Plus, Australia's planned AI advisory body has been scrapped after 15 months of preparation. It's been replaced by the Australian AI Safety Institute. What does this mean for AI regulation? And, scientists have found a way to make 3D printed guns traceable.   GUESTS: Seamus Byrne, tech reporter and PhD research candidate. Erica Mealy, senior lecturer of computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. New research about the social media platform X suggests that just a few weeks on what used to be Twitter can shift political attitudes AND the effects can last long after we log off. So is it really possible to use these sites at all without being affected by the system? Plus, Australia's planned AI advisory body has been scrapped after 15 months of preparation. It's been replaced by the Australian AI Safety Institute. What does this mean for AI regulation? And, scientists have found a way to make 3D printed guns traceable. GUESTS: Seamus Byrne, tech reporter and PhD research candidate. Erica Mealy, senior lecturer of computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices New research about the social media platform X suggests that just a few weeks on what used to be Twitter can shift political attitudes AND the effects can last long after we log off. So is it really possible to use these sites at all without being affected by the system?

Plus, Australia's planned AI advisory body has been scrapped after 15 months of preparation. It's been replaced by the Australian AI Safety Institute. What does this mean for AI regulation?

And, scientists have found a way to make 3D printed guns traceable.

GUESTS:

  • Seamus Byrne, tech reporter and PhD research candidate.
  • Erica Mealy, senior lecturer of computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1805 Did AI secretly make your favourite video game? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-in-games-sector/106310948 AI is sliding into game development pipelines, but the rules around telling players what is machine-made and what is made by people are patchy at best. So, how much transparency do players deserve, and does it even matter? Also on the program, how the RAM shortage is impacting the price of game consoles. And, why VR is better suited to the medical and training fields than replacing the open-plan office. GUESTS:  Chloe Appleby, games curator at the Powerhouse Museum.  Alex Kidman, freelance technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. -------------- If you liked this episode, you might like to check out our previous episode about whether a dating app for games could be the solution for that indecision of what to start next. You can find the link here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia AI is sliding into game development pipelines, but the rules around telling players what is machine-made and what is made by people are patchy at best. So, how much transparency do players deserve, and does it even matter? Also on the program, how the RAM shortage is impacting the price of game consoles. And, why VR is better suited to the medical and training fields than replacing the open-plan office. GUESTS:  Chloe Appleby, games curator at the Powerhouse Museum.  Alex Kidman, freelance technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. -------------- If you liked this episode, you might like to check out our previous episode about whether a dating app for games could be the solution for that indecision of what to start next. You can find the link here. AI is sliding into game development pipelines, but the rules around telling players what is machine-made and what is made by people are patchy at best. So, how much transparency do players deserve, and does it even matter? Also on the program, how the RAM shortage is impacting the price of game consoles. And, why VR is better suited to the medical and training fields than replacing the open-plan office. GUESTS:  Chloe Appleby, games curator at the Powerhouse Museum.  Alex Kidman, freelance technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech. This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people. -------------- If you liked this episode, you might like to check out our previous episode about whether a dating app for games could be the solution for that indecision of what to start next. You can find the link here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices AI is sliding into game development pipelines, but the rules around telling players what is machine-made and what is made by people are patchy at best. So, how much transparency do players deserve, and does it even matter?

Also on the program, how the RAM shortage is impacting the price of game consoles. And, why VR is better suited to the medical and training fields than replacing the open-plan office.

GUESTS: 

This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.

--------------

If you liked this episode, you might like to check out our previous episode about whether a dating app for games could be the solution for that indecision of what to start next. You can find the link here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1802 How tech is changing how we watch the Winter Olympics https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/how-tech-is-changing-how-we-watch-the-winter-olympics/106284564 The Winter Olympics is using drones, AI and cloud-based broadcasting to track curling stones, freeze mid-air jumps, even talk to an official Winter Olympics chatbot. It’s turning sports spectatorship into something more high tech than ever before. Is it likely to be used in other sports? Plus, a battle is being waged in court between a 20-year-old and Meta/YouTube. The argument is over whether Meta and YouTube's social media sites are engineered to be intentionally addictive. What precedent will this set if the case is successful? GUESTS: Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT.  David Braue, technology journalist at Information Age.  If you want to get in touch, you can contact us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au This episode was produced on Dharug and Burramattagal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The Winter Olympics is using drones, AI and cloud-based broadcasting to track curling stones, freeze mid-air jumps, even talk to an official Winter Olympics chatbot. It’s turning sports spectatorship into something more high tech than ever before. Is it likely to be used in other sports? Plus, a battle is being waged in court between a 20-year-old and Meta/YouTube. The argument is over whether Meta and YouTube's social media sites are engineered to be intentionally addictive. What precedent will this set if the case is successful? GUESTS: Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT.  David Braue, technology journalist at Information Age.  If you want to get in touch, you can contact us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au This episode was produced on Dharug and Burramattagal land. The Winter Olympics is using drones, AI and cloud-based broadcasting to track curling stones, freeze mid-air jumps, even talk to an official Winter Olympics chatbot. It’s turning sports spectatorship into something more high tech than ever before. Is it likely to be used in other sports? Plus, a battle is being waged in court between a 20-year-old and Meta/YouTube. The argument is over whether Meta and YouTube's social media sites are engineered to be intentionally addictive. What precedent will this set if the case is successful? GUESTS: Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT.  David Braue, technology journalist at Information Age.  If you want to get in touch, you can contact us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au This episode was produced on Dharug and Burramattagal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Winter Olympics is using drones, AI and cloud-based broadcasting to track curling stones, freeze mid-air jumps, even talk to an official Winter Olympics chatbot. It’s turning sports spectatorship into something more high tech than ever before. Is it likely to be used in other sports?

Plus, a battle is being waged in court between a 20-year-old and Meta/YouTube. The argument is over whether Meta and YouTube's social media sites are engineered to be intentionally addictive. What precedent will this set if the case is successful?

GUESTS:

  • Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT. 
  • David Braue, technology journalist at Information Age. 

If you want to get in touch, you can contact us at downloadthisshow@abc.net.au

This episode was produced on Dharug and Burramattagal land.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1760 Are there more bots than people on the internet? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/more-bots-than-people-dead-internet-theory/106256520 Having an AI agent act as your personal executive assistant may seem like a sweet deal, but security experts have a few concerns. Also on the program, Moltbook is a new social media platform specfically designed for AI agents to chat. So far, they’ve started a religion, made their own scripture and called for humanity’s downfall. What happens when we anthropomorphise binary code?  And, the dead internet theory used to be a fringe conspiracy theory. But AI is getting us closer and closer to it being a reality. So, how much of the internet is still occupied by humans? GUESTS: Kai Riemer, professor of information technology at University of Sydney, and and director of Sydney Executive Plus. Tegan Jones, deputy editor at SmartCompany and co-host of Weird Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Having an AI agent act as your personal executive assistant may seem like a sweet deal, but security experts have a few concerns. Also on the program, Moltbook is a new social media platform specfically designed for AI agents to chat. So far, they’ve started a religion, made their own scripture and called for humanity’s downfall. What happens when we anthropomorphise binary code?  And, the dead internet theory used to be a fringe conspiracy theory. But AI is getting us closer and closer to it being a reality. So, how much of the internet is still occupied by humans? GUESTS: Kai Riemer, professor of information technology at University of Sydney, and and director of Sydney Executive Plus. Tegan Jones, deputy editor at SmartCompany and co-host of Weird Tech. Having an AI agent act as your personal executive assistant may seem like a sweet deal, but security experts have a few concerns. Also on the program, Moltbook is a new social media platform specfically designed for AI agents to chat. So far, they’ve started a religion, made their own scripture and called for humanity’s downfall. What happens when we anthropomorphise binary code?  And, the dead internet theory used to be a fringe conspiracy theory. But AI is getting us closer and closer to it being a reality. So, how much of the internet is still occupied by humans? GUESTS: Kai Riemer, professor of information technology at University of Sydney, and and director of Sydney Executive Plus. Tegan Jones, deputy editor at SmartCompany and co-host of Weird Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Having an AI agent act as your personal executive assistant may seem like a sweet deal, but security experts have a few concerns.

Also on the program, Moltbook is a new social media platform specfically designed for AI agents to chat. So far, they’ve started a religion, made their own scripture and called for humanity’s downfall. What happens when we anthropomorphise binary code? 

And, the dead internet theory used to be a fringe conspiracy theory. But AI is getting us closer and closer to it being a reality. So, how much of the internet is still occupied by humans?

GUESTS:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1793 What is Upscrolled, Australia’s newest viral social media platform? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/upscrolled-tiktok-deal-openai-advertising/106232534 TikTok has finally struck a deal to avoid being banned in the United States. Their privacy policy also got a controversial update. So, who owns US TikTok now? And what difference will it make to users? Also on the program, there’s a new social media site going viral – Upscrolled. What is this Australian-owned site, exactly?  And finally, OpenAI is trialling ads on ChatGPT. The company’s CEO Sam Altman once said including ads would be a last resort. So does this mean the company is financially unstable? And what kind of data would they share with advertisers? Gianfranco references this The Information article about OpenAI burning through $115 billion through 2029. GUESTS: Meg Coffey, digital strategist and founder of State of Social.   Gianfranco Di Giovanni, ABC Radio Perth content director and an arts, gaming and tech reporter. This episode was produced on Gadigal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia TikTok has finally struck a deal to avoid being banned in the United States. Their privacy policy also got a controversial update. So, who owns US TikTok now? And what difference will it make to users? Also on the program, there’s a new social media site going viral – Upscrolled. What is this Australian-owned site, exactly?  And finally, OpenAI is trialling ads on ChatGPT. The company’s CEO Sam Altman once said including ads would be a last resort. So does this mean the company is financially unstable? And what kind of data would they share with advertisers? Gianfranco references this The Information article about OpenAI burning through $115 billion through 2029. GUESTS: Meg Coffey, digital strategist and founder of State of Social.   Gianfranco Di Giovanni, ABC Radio Perth content director and an arts, gaming and tech reporter. This episode was produced on Gadigal land. TikTok has finally struck a deal to avoid being banned in the United States. Their privacy policy also got a controversial update. So, who owns US TikTok now? And what difference will it make to users? Also on the program, there’s a new social media site going viral – Upscrolled. What is this Australian-owned site, exactly?  And finally, OpenAI is trialling ads on ChatGPT. The company’s CEO Sam Altman once said including ads would be a last resort. So does this mean the company is financially unstable? And what kind of data would they share with advertisers? Gianfranco references this The Information article about OpenAI burning through $115 billion through 2029. GUESTS: Meg Coffey, digital strategist and founder of State of Social.   Gianfranco Di Giovanni, ABC Radio Perth content director and an arts, gaming and tech reporter. This episode was produced on Gadigal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices TikTok has finally struck a deal to avoid being banned in the United States. Their privacy policy also got a controversial update. So, who owns US TikTok now? And what difference will it make to users?

Also on the program, there’s a new social media site going viral – Upscrolled. What is this Australian-owned site, exactly? 

And finally, OpenAI is trialling ads on ChatGPT. The company’s CEO Sam Altman once said including ads would be a last resort. So does this mean the company is financially unstable? And what kind of data would they share with advertisers?

Gianfranco references this The Information article about OpenAI burning through $115 billion through 2029.

GUESTS:

This episode was produced on Gadigal land.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1750 Spotify was copied by a piracy archive. Why does that matter? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/spotify-copied-by-annas-archive/106220196 Plus! Social media site Digg is back. For those who remember, it may feel like returning to what was good about the internet. Is this the sign of a new era for social media? And how long can it hold out being monetised? Also, why gaming in a group, even publicly... outside, is becoming more popular. GUESTS: Phoebe Toups Dougas, associate professor of human-centred computing in the Exertion Games Lab at Monash University. Fergus Halliday, journalist at Whistleout and reviews.org Australia. This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:30:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Plus! Social media site Digg is back. For those who remember, it may feel like returning to what was good about the internet. Is this the sign of a new era for social media? And how long can it hold out being monetised? Also, why gaming in a group, even publicly... outside, is becoming more popular. GUESTS: Phoebe Toups Dougas, associate professor of human-centred computing in the Exertion Games Lab at Monash University. Fergus Halliday, journalist at Whistleout and reviews.org Australia. This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land. Plus! Social media site Digg is back. For those who remember, it may feel like returning to what was good about the internet. Is this the sign of a new era for social media? And how long can it hold out being monetised? Also, why gaming in a group, even publicly... outside, is becoming more popular. GUESTS: Phoebe Toups Dougas, associate professor of human-centred computing in the Exertion Games Lab at Monash University. Fergus Halliday, journalist at Whistleout and reviews.org Australia. This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Plus! Social media site Digg is back. For those who remember, it may feel like returning to what was good about the internet. Is this the sign of a new era for social media? And how long can it hold out being monetised?

Also, why gaming in a group, even publicly... outside, is becoming more popular.

GUESTS:

This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1800 Opt Out 05 | Can you ever really opt out of online life? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-five/105872250 After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can’t opt out of the internet, even if you really want to? In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don’t actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia’s Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:04:00 -0000 full ABC Australia After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can’t opt out of the internet, even if you really want to? In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don’t actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia’s Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.   Technical production by Riley Mellis. After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can’t opt out of the internet, even if you really want to? In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don’t actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia’s Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices After weeks of trying to audit, delete, and lock down her digital life, Rae hits the big, uncomfortable question: what if you can’t opt out of the internet, even if you really want to?

In the final episode of Opt Out, Rae speaks with Jathan Sadowski, senior lecturer at Monash University and proud Luddite, about how surveillance creeps into everyday life — from smart cars to smart locks — and why 'just logging off' is a privilege most people don’t actually have. Then she sits down with Carly Kind, Australia’s Privacy Commissioner, to ask what protections exist here, where the gaps are, and what power individuals really have to push back.

Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 Opt Out 04 | What did I just agree to? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-four/105872276 Every time you click 'accept' online, you’re legally agreeing to something. The problem is… you probably have no idea what that something is. In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you’d probably never agree to if it was written in plain English. Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it’s not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they’re worth knowing about. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:03:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Every time you click 'accept' online, you’re legally agreeing to something. The problem is… you probably have no idea what that something is. In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you’d probably never agree to if it was written in plain English. Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it’s not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they’re worth knowing about. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.   Technical production by Riley Mellis. Every time you click 'accept' online, you’re legally agreeing to something. The problem is… you probably have no idea what that something is. In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you’d probably never agree to if it was written in plain English. Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it’s not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they’re worth knowing about. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Every time you click 'accept' online, you’re legally agreeing to something. The problem is… you probably have no idea what that something is.

In episode four of Opt Out, Rae tackles the fine print: the privacy policies and terms and conditions we all scroll past because life is short and the language is cooked. She speaks with Dr Katharine Kemp, privacy law expert and associate professor at UNSW, about how digital 'consent' works in Australia, and why companies can legally do things with your data you’d probably never agree to if it was written in plain English.

Then Rae talks to Dr Sky Croeser from Curtin University about what happens when people do try to opt out, and why the internet is designed to make that as hard as possible. Surprisingly, it’s not all bleak: there are corners of the web doing things differently, and they’re worth knowing about.

Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 Opt Out 03 | How not to get hacked https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-three/105872378 If someone tried to hack you right now… how long would it take? In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what’s actually worth doing, and what’s just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:02:00 -0000 full ABC Australia If someone tried to hack you right now… how long would it take? In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what’s actually worth doing, and what’s just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.   Technical production by Riley Mellis. If someone tried to hack you right now… how long would it take? In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys. Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what’s actually worth doing, and what’s just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If someone tried to hack you right now… how long would it take?

In episode three of Opt Out, Rae confronts her own extremely average cyber hygiene and tries to stop being the digital equivalent of someone who leaves their keys in the front door. She speaks with Vanessa Teague, cryptographer and privacy advocate, to unpack why passwords matter (and why humans are terrible at them), before spiralling into the world of password managers, two-factor authentication, and security keys.

Then, drowning under the weight of security suggestions, Rae turns to Carter Smith from CyberCX to work out what’s actually worth doing, and what’s just security theatre. It turns out, staying safe online assumes way more time, knowledge, and energy than most people have.

Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1803 Opt Out 02 | Can you delete yourself from the internet? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-two/105872246 The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together? In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it’s harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn’t) let you do when it comes to your own personal data. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:01:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together? In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it’s harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn’t) let you do when it comes to your own personal data. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.   Technical production by Riley Mellis. The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together? In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it’s harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn’t) let you do when it comes to your own personal data. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The internet knows a lot about you, but what if you wanted to take it all back and delete yourself all together?

In episode two of Opt Out, Rae tries to do the unthinkable: delete herself from the internet. She talks to Lawrence Gentilello, founder of data-removal service Optery, about what it really takes to scrub your details from people-search sites — and why it’s harder than it sounds. Then she checks in with John Payne from Electronic Frontiers Australia to find out what Australian law does (and very much doesn’t) let you do when it comes to your own personal data.

Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1803 Opt Out 01 | The guide to taking back control of your online life https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/opt-out-episode-one/105872262 We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But… how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look? In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website. This is the place to start if you’ve ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But… how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look? In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website. This is the place to start if you’ve ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.   Technical production by Riley Mellis. We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But… how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look? In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website. This is the place to start if you’ve ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush. Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too. Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices We all know the internet knows a bit about us. But… how much, exactly? And what happens if you actually try to look?

In the first episode of Opt Out, Rae volunteers as tribute and starts poking around her own digital footprint — checking data breaches, Googling herself, and asking some pretty uncomfortable questions about where our personal info ends up. Along the way, she chats with investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer about how our data spreads, and Troy Hunt, the creator of Have I Been Pwned, before typing her own email into his incredibly revealing website.

This is the place to start if you’ve ever thought about pulling back from the internet without disappearing into the bush.

Opt Out is Download This Show's five-part series following Rae as she attempts to take back control of her online life — auditing, deleting, and locking down her own digital life, one step at a time, so you can too.

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1800 What were the biggest stories in tech for 2025? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/2025-wrapped/105872204 It was a huge year for tech in 2025, and there were a few stories that hooked our attention more than others.  The introduction of the social media ban, and the slow tease of details across the year about its implementation took up a significant chunk of our focus, while AI being embedded (to varying degrees of success) into absolutely everything meant that it was also impossible to escape.  Join us to look back on the year that was, and attempt to predict the workings of the weird and wonderful world of tech in 2026. GUESTS: Cam Wilson, associate editor of Crikey and editor of the Sizzle newsletter 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 Craig Tilmouth and Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia It was a huge year for tech in 2025, and there were a few stories that hooked our attention more than others.  The introduction of the social media ban, and the slow tease of details across the year about its implementation took up a significant chunk of our focus, while AI being embedded (to varying degrees of success) into absolutely everything meant that it was also impossible to escape.  Join us to look back on the year that was, and attempt to predict the workings of the weird and wonderful world of tech in 2026. GUESTS: Cam Wilson, associate editor of Crikey and editor of the Sizzle newsletter 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 Craig Tilmouth and Riley Mellis. It was a huge year for tech in 2025, and there were a few stories that hooked our attention more than others.  The introduction of the social media ban, and the slow tease of details across the year about its implementation took up a significant chunk of our focus, while AI being embedded (to varying degrees of success) into absolutely everything meant that it was also impossible to escape.  Join us to look back on the year that was, and attempt to predict the workings of the weird and wonderful world of tech in 2026. GUESTS: Cam Wilson, associate editor of Crikey and editor of the Sizzle newsletter 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 Craig Tilmouth and Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It was a huge year for tech in 2025, and there were a few stories that hooked our attention more than others. 

The introduction of the social media ban, and the slow tease of details across the year about its implementation took up a significant chunk of our focus, while AI being embedded (to varying degrees of success) into absolutely everything meant that it was also impossible to escape. 

Join us to look back on the year that was, and attempt to predict the workings of the weird and wonderful world of tech in 2026.

GUESTS:

  • Cam Wilson, associate editor of Crikey and editor of the Sizzle newsletter
  • 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 Craig Tilmouth and Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1803 Is the AI boom going to spell the end of democracy in Australia? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-democracy/105872340 With AI in our newsrooms, our universities, and our courtrooms, the way we understand the truth has been forever changed. But could it be for the better? Or have we embarked on an unstoppable march towards a new understanding of democracy.  How do we democratise AI development when a handful of tech companies run the digital world? And could we implement government reforms in Australia to make this happen? GUESTS: Cory Alpert, former Biden–Harris administration staffer and current PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne, and host of the University of Melbourne's System Error Prof. Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication and Director of QUT's Digital Media Research Centre. This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal and Muwinina land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia With AI in our newsrooms, our universities, and our courtrooms, the way we understand the truth has been forever changed. But could it be for the better? Or have we embarked on an unstoppable march towards a new understanding of democracy.  How do we democratise AI development when a handful of tech companies run the digital world? And could we implement government reforms in Australia to make this happen? GUESTS: Cory Alpert, former Biden–Harris administration staffer and current PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne, and host of the University of Melbourne's System Error Prof. Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication and Director of QUT's Digital Media Research Centre. This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal and Muwinina land. With AI in our newsrooms, our universities, and our courtrooms, the way we understand the truth has been forever changed. But could it be for the better? Or have we embarked on an unstoppable march towards a new understanding of democracy.  How do we democratise AI development when a handful of tech companies run the digital world? And could we implement government reforms in Australia to make this happen? GUESTS: Cory Alpert, former Biden–Harris administration staffer and current PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne, and host of the University of Melbourne's System Error Prof. Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication and Director of QUT's Digital Media Research Centre. This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal and Muwinina land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices With AI in our newsrooms, our universities, and our courtrooms, the way we understand the truth has been forever changed. But could it be for the better? Or have we embarked on an unstoppable march towards a new understanding of democracy. 

How do we democratise AI development when a handful of tech companies run the digital world? And could we implement government reforms in Australia to make this happen?

GUESTS:

  • Cory Alpert, former Biden–Harris administration staffer and current PhD researcher at the University of Melbourne, and host of the University of Melbourne's System Error
  • Prof. Daniel Angus, Professor of Digital Communication and Director of QUT's Digital Media Research Centre.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1805 Do androids dream of electric housework? The liabilities of a $20k humanoid robot butler https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/humanoid-robot-butler-friend-ai-power-banks-meta-briefing/105872196 If you were to picture the ideal robot form to vacuum your floor all by itself, what do you see? Is it a small UFO-shaped disc that whizzes under couches, or is it a humanoid robot with eyes and ears tracking your every move? The new 1X Neo robot has been launched and has been marketed as a 'robot butler', but what issues arise when we start making the tech that serves us look more and more human?   Also, a new AI chatbot designed for human companionship has been met with outright vitriol in New York. Friend is a wearable chatbot designed to literally replace human relationships, and people are not entirely on board.  Plus, strict safety rules are set to be enforced for power banks on domestic flights, and Meta has just launched an AI briefing tool for Facebook users.  GUESTS: Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT  Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, future economies reporter at the Australian Associated Press  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia If you were to picture the ideal robot form to vacuum your floor all by itself, what do you see? Is it a small UFO-shaped disc that whizzes under couches, or is it a humanoid robot with eyes and ears tracking your every move? The new 1X Neo robot has been launched and has been marketed as a 'robot butler', but what issues arise when we start making the tech that serves us look more and more human?   Also, a new AI chatbot designed for human companionship has been met with outright vitriol in New York. Friend is a wearable chatbot designed to literally replace human relationships, and people are not entirely on board.  Plus, strict safety rules are set to be enforced for power banks on domestic flights, and Meta has just launched an AI briefing tool for Facebook users.  GUESTS:  Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT  Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, future economies reporter at the Australian Associated Press  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm. If you were to picture the ideal robot form to vacuum your floor all by itself, what do you see? Is it a small UFO-shaped disc that whizzes under couches, or is it a humanoid robot with eyes and ears tracking your every move? The new 1X Neo robot has been launched and has been marketed as a 'robot butler', but what issues arise when we start making the tech that serves us look more and more human?   Also, a new AI chatbot designed for human companionship has been met with outright vitriol in New York. Friend is a wearable chatbot designed to literally replace human relationships, and people are not entirely on board.  Plus, strict safety rules are set to be enforced for power banks on domestic flights, and Meta has just launched an AI briefing tool for Facebook users.  GUESTS: Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT  Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, future economies reporter at the Australian Associated Press  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you were to picture the ideal robot form to vacuum your floor all by itself, what do you see? Is it a small UFO-shaped disc that whizzes under couches, or is it a humanoid robot with eyes and ears tracking your every move? The new 1X Neo robot has been launched and has been marketed as a 'robot butler', but what issues arise when we start making the tech that serves us look more and more human?  

Also, a new AI chatbot designed for human companionship has been met with outright vitriol in New York. Friend is a wearable chatbot designed to literally replace human relationships, and people are not entirely on board. 

Plus, strict safety rules are set to be enforced for power banks on domestic flights, and Meta has just launched an AI briefing tool for Facebook users. 

GUESTS:

  • Chris Berg, professor of economics at RMIT 
  • Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, future economies reporter at the Australian Associated Press 

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Why is the government using AI to help create NDIS plans? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/roblox-age-verification-ndis-ai-bubble/105872260 Roblox has been one of the worst culprits for child safety in the games world, and they’ve come up with something to supposedly keep our kids safe. ‘Age-gating’ is designed to keep people of different ages in different parts of the online game, but how accurate is this age verification? And is it going to cause more problems than solutions?  Also, the government has been found using generative AI to develop plans for NDIS participants. Will rising costs and dwindling resources in disability support push workers into using standardised AI to support participants long-term, or are there better tools out there for this?  Plus, the Hugging Face CEO has said that the famously near-bursting AI bubble is actually, in fact, an LLM bubble. But what’s the difference, in a world where cities are being razed to build water-guzzling AI datacentres?  GUESTS:  Alice Clarke, freelance tech journalist and editor of Press Any Button substack  Gianfranco di Giovanni, journalist for ABC Arts and Content Director for ABC Perth  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal, and Whadjuk Noongar land, and in Naarm. Technical production by Harvey Sutherland and Carey Dell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 21 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Roblox has been one of the worst culprits for child safety in the games world, and they’ve come up with something to supposedly keep our kids safe. ‘Age-gating’ is designed to keep people of different ages in different parts of the online game, but how accurate is this age verification? And is it going to cause more problems than solutions?  Also, the government has been found using generative AI to develop plans for NDIS participants. Will rising costs and dwindling resources in disability support push workers into using standardised AI to support participants long-term, or are there better tools out there for this?  Plus, the Hugging Face CEO has said that the famously near-bursting AI bubble is actually, in fact, an LLM bubble. But what’s the difference, in a world where cities are being razed to build water-guzzling AI datacentres?  GUESTS:  Alice Clarke, freelance tech journalist and editor of Press Any Button substack  Gianfranco di Giovanni, journalist for ABC Arts and Content Director for ABC Perth  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal, and Whadjuk Noongar land, and in Naarm. Technical production by Harvey Sutherland and Carey Dell. Roblox has been one of the worst culprits for child safety in the games world, and they’ve come up with something to supposedly keep our kids safe. ‘Age-gating’ is designed to keep people of different ages in different parts of the online game, but how accurate is this age verification? And is it going to cause more problems than solutions?  Also, the government has been found using generative AI to develop plans for NDIS participants. Will rising costs and dwindling resources in disability support push workers into using standardised AI to support participants long-term, or are there better tools out there for this?  Plus, the Hugging Face CEO has said that the famously near-bursting AI bubble is actually, in fact, an LLM bubble. But what’s the difference, in a world where cities are being razed to build water-guzzling AI datacentres?  GUESTS:  Alice Clarke, freelance tech journalist and editor of Press Any Button substack  Gianfranco di Giovanni, journalist for ABC Arts and Content Director for ABC Perth  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal, and Whadjuk Noongar land, and in Naarm. Technical production by Harvey Sutherland and Carey Dell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Roblox has been one of the worst culprits for child safety in the games world, and they’ve come up with something to supposedly keep our kids safe. ‘Age-gating’ is designed to keep people of different ages in different parts of the online game, but how accurate is this age verification? And is it going to cause more problems than solutions? 

Also, the government has been found using generative AI to develop plans for NDIS participants. Will rising costs and dwindling resources in disability support push workers into using standardised AI to support participants long-term, or are there better tools out there for this? 

Plus, the Hugging Face CEO has said that the famously near-bursting AI bubble is actually, in fact, an LLM bubble. But what’s the difference, in a world where cities are being razed to build water-guzzling AI datacentres? 

GUESTS: 

  • Alice Clarke, freelance tech journalist and editor of Press Any Button substack 
  • Gianfranco di Giovanni, journalist for ABC Arts and Content Director for ABC Perth 

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

Technical production by Harvey Sutherland and Carey Dell.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Is it possible for an AI to 'hasten the coming of Christ's return'? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/gloo-ai-father-justin-way-the-future-theology-technology/105872222 What happens when theology and technology collide? There's a new tech startup dedicated to building a Christian AI. It's called Gloo, launched by ex-Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, and they say it's going to 'hasten the coming of Christ's return'.  Also, AI chat services are helping us speak to God. From innocent Bible chatbots to an AI priest that told people to baptise their babies in Gatorade, how seriously are people taking these technological embodiments of God?  Plus, we go way back into the lore behind the Way of the Future church, a church devoted to worshipping AI.  GUESTS: Rohan Salmond, producer of Soul Search and editor of the Modern Relics newsletter Dr Declan Humphries, lecturer in cyber security and ethics at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and ABC Top 5 Humanities resident for 2025 This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and on the land of the Kubi Kubi people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia What happens when theology and technology collide? There's a new tech startup dedicated to building a Christian AI. It's called Gloo, launched by ex-Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, and they say it's going to 'hasten the coming of Christ's return'.  Also, AI chat services are helping us speak to God. From innocent Bible chatbots to an AI priest that told people to baptise their babies in Gatorade, how seriously are people taking these technological embodiments of God?  Plus, we go way back into the lore behind the Way of the Future church, a church devoted to worshipping AI.  GUESTS: Rohan Salmond, producer of Soul Search and editor of the Modern Relics newsletter Dr Declan Humphries, lecturer in cyber security and ethics at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and ABC Top 5 Humanities resident for 2025 This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and on the land of the Kubi Kubi people. What happens when theology and technology collide? There's a new tech startup dedicated to building a Christian AI. It's called Gloo, launched by ex-Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, and they say it's going to 'hasten the coming of Christ's return'.  Also, AI chat services are helping us speak to God. From innocent Bible chatbots to an AI priest that told people to baptise their babies in Gatorade, how seriously are people taking these technological embodiments of God?  Plus, we go way back into the lore behind the Way of the Future church, a church devoted to worshipping AI.  GUESTS: Rohan Salmond, producer of Soul Search and editor of the Modern Relics newsletter Dr Declan Humphries, lecturer in cyber security and ethics at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and ABC Top 5 Humanities resident for 2025 This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and on the land of the Kubi Kubi people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What happens when theology and technology collide? There's a new tech startup dedicated to building a Christian AI. It's called Gloo, launched by ex-Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, and they say it's going to 'hasten the coming of Christ's return'. 

Also, AI chat services are helping us speak to God. From innocent Bible chatbots to an AI priest that told people to baptise their babies in Gatorade, how seriously are people taking these technological embodiments of God? 

Plus, we go way back into the lore behind the Way of the Future church, a church devoted to worshipping AI. 

GUESTS:

  • Rohan Salmond, producer of Soul Search and editor of the Modern Relics newsletter
  • Dr Declan Humphries, lecturer in cyber security and ethics at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and ABC Top 5 Humanities resident for 2025

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and on the land of the Kubi Kubi people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1805 Self-driving taxis could be coming to Australia, but are we ready? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/waymo-autonomous-taxi-grokipedia-facebook-dating/105872208 How well do you think the streets of Sydney would handle self-driving taxis? What about those same self-driving taxis navigating the Melbourne tram lines? Could you imagine it? Waymo is set to launch self-driving taxis and Ubers in Australia soon after talks with Transport NSW, and not everyone is happy with it.  Also, Elon Musk has launched his very own version of the people's encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and Facebook Dating has been quietly dominating the online dating scene, and on both counts, we’re trying to figure out why.  GUESTS: Dr Erica Mealy, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast  Professor Michael Cowling, lecturer and Director of the Apple Platform Hub for Innovation at RMIT  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 07 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia How well do you think the streets of Sydney would handle self-driving taxis? What about those same self-driving taxis navigating the Melbourne tram lines? Could you imagine it? Waymo is set to launch self-driving taxis and Ubers in Australia soon after talks with Transport NSW, and not everyone is happy with it.  Also, Elon Musk has launched his very own version of the people's encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and Facebook Dating has been quietly dominating the online dating scene, and on both counts, we’re trying to figure out why.  GUESTS:  Dr Erica Mealy, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast  Professor Michael Cowling, lecturer and Director of the Apple Platform Hub for Innovation at RMIT  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm.  How well do you think the streets of Sydney would handle self-driving taxis? What about those same self-driving taxis navigating the Melbourne tram lines? Could you imagine it? Waymo is set to launch self-driving taxis and Ubers in Australia soon after talks with Transport NSW, and not everyone is happy with it.  Also, Elon Musk has launched his very own version of the people's encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and Facebook Dating has been quietly dominating the online dating scene, and on both counts, we’re trying to figure out why.  GUESTS: Dr Erica Mealy, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast  Professor Michael Cowling, lecturer and Director of the Apple Platform Hub for Innovation at RMIT  This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, in Meanjin and in Naarm.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices How well do you think the streets of Sydney would handle self-driving taxis? What about those same self-driving taxis navigating the Melbourne tram lines? Could you imagine it? Waymo is set to launch self-driving taxis and Ubers in Australia soon after talks with Transport NSW, and not everyone is happy with it. 

Also, Elon Musk has launched his very own version of the people's encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and Facebook Dating has been quietly dominating the online dating scene, and on both counts, we’re trying to figure out why. 

GUESTS:

  • Dr Erica Mealy, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of the Sunshine Coast 
  • Professor Michael Cowling, lecturer and Director of the Apple Platform Hub for Innovation at RMIT 

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 Would you use ChatGPT now that it's in its horny era? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/prompt-injections-google-quantum-chatgpt-erotica-labor-copyright/105872278 How much do you trust the AI chatbots you use on a day-to-day basis? Once you send your prompt off into cyberspace, how do you now no one is interfering with it somewhere in between? Prompt injections are an increasingly common vulnerability in generative AI services and they could be tricking you into giving away majorly sensitive information. Also, Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing, the first ever algorithm to gain an actual quantum advantage on every day hardware. But again, what actually is quantum computing? Plus, ChatGPT is entering its horny era, and Labor has banned the tech giants from using copyrighted content to train AI. GUESTS: Sarah Moran, co-founder of AI Patient Notes Jocelyn Brewer, psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition This episode of Download This Show was made on the land of the Gadigal and the Dharawal people, and in Meanjin. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Brendan O'Niell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia How much do you trust the AI chatbots you use on a day-to-day basis? Once you send your prompt off into cyberspace, how do you now no one is interfering with it somewhere in between? Prompt injections are an increasingly common vulnerability in generative AI services and they could be tricking you into giving away majorly sensitive information. Also, Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing, the first ever algorithm to gain an actual quantum advantage on every day hardware. But again, what actually is quantum computing? Plus, ChatGPT is entering its horny era, and Labor has banned the tech giants from using copyrighted content to train AI. GUESTS: Sarah Moran, co-founder of AI Patient Notes Jocelyn Brewer, psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition This episode of Download This Show was made on the land of the Gadigal and the Dharawal people, and in Meanjin. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Brendan O'Niell. How much do you trust the AI chatbots you use on a day-to-day basis? Once you send your prompt off into cyberspace, how do you now no one is interfering with it somewhere in between? Prompt injections are an increasingly common vulnerability in generative AI services and they could be tricking you into giving away majorly sensitive information. Also, Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing, the first ever algorithm to gain an actual quantum advantage on every day hardware. But again, what actually is quantum computing? Plus, ChatGPT is entering its horny era, and Labor has banned the tech giants from using copyrighted content to train AI. GUESTS: Sarah Moran, co-founder of AI Patient Notes Jocelyn Brewer, psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition This episode of Download This Show was made on the land of the Gadigal and the Dharawal people, and in Meanjin. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Brendan O'Niell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices How much do you trust the AI chatbots you use on a day-to-day basis? Once you send your prompt off into cyberspace, how do you now no one is interfering with it somewhere in between? Prompt injections are an increasingly common vulnerability in generative AI services and they could be tricking you into giving away majorly sensitive information.

Also, Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing, the first ever algorithm to gain an actual quantum advantage on every day hardware. But again, what actually is quantum computing?

Plus, ChatGPT is entering its horny era, and Labor has banned the tech giants from using copyrighted content to train AI.

GUESTS:

  • Sarah Moran, co-founder of AI Patient Notes
  • Jocelyn Brewer, psychologist and founder of Digital Nutrition

This episode of Download This Show was made on the land of the Gadigal and the Dharawal people, and in Meanjin.

Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Brendan O'Niell.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 How did a global Amazon outage bring down almost 50 other major tech companies? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/amazon-outage-planned-obsolescence-windows-ewaste-instagram-teen/105872702 When a major outage hit Amazon Web Services this week, websites and apps started falling like dominoes -- from Square to Duolingo, Netflix, and Adobe, why do so many major players rely on a single company to host their data? And should we be calling time on these pseudo tech-monopolies?  Also, we investigate whether its actually true that your iPhone slows down every time a new one is released, and what’s going to happen to the 400 million computers that are going to become obsolete thanks to the Windows 11 update.   Plus, Instagram has announced new teen controls for parents, but will they have any impact in Australia after the teen social media ban comes into effect?  GUESTS: David Braue, technology journalist at Cybercrime Magazine  Alex Kidman, technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech   This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Matthew Sigley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia When a major outage hit Amazon Web Services this week, websites and apps started falling like dominoes -- from Square to Duolingo, Netflix, and Adobe, why do so many major players rely on a single company to host their data? And should we be calling time on these pseudo tech-monopolies?  Also, we investigate whether its actually true that your iPhone slows down every time a new one is released, and what’s going to happen to the 400 million computers that are going to become obsolete thanks to the Windows 11 update.   Plus, Instagram has announced new teen controls for parents, but will they have any impact in Australia after the teen social media ban comes into effect?  GUESTS:  David Braue, technology journalist at Cybercrime Magazine  Alex Kidman, technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech   This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Matthew Sigley. When a major outage hit Amazon Web Services this week, websites and apps started falling like dominoes -- from Square to Duolingo, Netflix, and Adobe, why do so many major players rely on a single company to host their data? And should we be calling time on these pseudo tech-monopolies?  Also, we investigate whether its actually true that your iPhone slows down every time a new one is released, and what’s going to happen to the 400 million computers that are going to become obsolete thanks to the Windows 11 update.   Plus, Instagram has announced new teen controls for parents, but will they have any impact in Australia after the teen social media ban comes into effect?  GUESTS: David Braue, technology journalist at Cybercrime Magazine  Alex Kidman, technology journalist at Alex Reviews Tech   This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Matthew Sigley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices When a major outage hit Amazon Web Services this week, websites and apps started falling like dominoes -- from Square to Duolingo, Netflix, and Adobe, why do so many major players rely on a single company to host their data? And should we be calling time on these pseudo tech-monopolies? 

Also, we investigate whether its actually true that your iPhone slows down every time a new one is released, and what’s going to happen to the 400 million computers that are going to become obsolete thanks to the Windows 11 update.  

Plus, Instagram has announced new teen controls for parents, but will they have any impact in Australia after the teen social media ban comes into effect? 

GUESTS:

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

Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Matthew Sigley.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 What happens when you try to ban a generation from the internet? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/teen-social-media-ban-under-16s/105846902 The Online Safety Amendment Bill is the name on everyone’s lips this week and as the implementation date looms closer, we take a deep dive into some of the people most affected by the upcoming ban, and lay out all the info you need to know if you’re a parent or teen trying to duck and dodge this murky legislation.   GUESTS: Leo Puglisi, teenager and Founder of 6 News Australia  Nikita White, Amnesty International Campaigner  Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Safety Comissioner This episode of Download This Show was made on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. Technical production by Richard Girvan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The Online Safety Amendment Bill is the name on everyone’s lips this week and as the implementation date looms closer, we take a deep dive into some of the people most affected by the upcoming ban, and lay out all the info you need to know if you’re a parent or teen trying to duck and dodge this murky legislation.   GUESTS:  Leo Puglisi, teenager and Founder of 6 News Australia  Nikita White, Amnesty International Campaigner  Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Safety Comissioner This episode of Download This Show was made on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. Technical production by Richard Girvan. The Online Safety Amendment Bill is the name on everyone’s lips this week and as the implementation date looms closer, we take a deep dive into some of the people most affected by the upcoming ban, and lay out all the info you need to know if you’re a parent or teen trying to duck and dodge this murky legislation.   GUESTS: Leo Puglisi, teenager and Founder of 6 News Australia  Nikita White, Amnesty International Campaigner  Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Safety Comissioner This episode of Download This Show was made on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. Technical production by Richard Girvan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Online Safety Amendment Bill is the name on everyone’s lips this week and as the implementation date looms closer, we take a deep dive into some of the people most affected by the upcoming ban, and lay out all the info you need to know if you’re a parent or teen trying to duck and dodge this murky legislation.  

GUESTS:

  • Leo Puglisi, teenager and Founder of 6 News Australia 
  • Nikita White, Amnesty International Campaigner 
  • Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Safety Comissioner

This episode of Download This Show was made on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.

Technical production by Richard Girvan.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 We've got tonnes of space waste orbiting our Earth, is there a way to clean up our act? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/space-junk-light-pollution-spacex-project-human/105817736 There are over 170 million pieces of space junk orbiting Earth right now, and that number is only growing as space orbit becomes more accessible. How are we going to deal with this astronomical littering problem, while keeping up with our satellite-hungry tech needs? Also, an increase in light and radio pollution is making it harder for astronomers to study the stars. How can space tech companies, governments, and even you do something about it? Plus, we check in with the latest from SpaceX, and figure out what messages we're sending out into the great unknown on life, love, and the universe. GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute Nick Carter, Lead of the Space Research Group at CSIRO This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, Kaurna land, and the Country of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. Technical production by Allyse Symons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia There are over 170 million pieces of space junk orbiting Earth right now, and that number is only growing as space orbit becomes more accessible. How are we going to deal with this astronomical littering problem, while keeping up with our satellite-hungry tech needs? Also, an increase in light and radio pollution is making it harder for astronomers to study the stars. How can space tech companies, governments, and even you do something about it? Plus, we check in with the latest from SpaceX, and figure out what messages we're sending out into the great unknown on life, love, and the universe. GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute Nick Carter, Lead of the Space Research Group at CSIRO This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, Kaurna land, and the Country of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. Technical production by Allyse Symons. There are over 170 million pieces of space junk orbiting Earth right now, and that number is only growing as space orbit becomes more accessible. How are we going to deal with this astronomical littering problem, while keeping up with our satellite-hungry tech needs? Also, an increase in light and radio pollution is making it harder for astronomers to study the stars. How can space tech companies, governments, and even you do something about it? Plus, we check in with the latest from SpaceX, and figure out what messages we're sending out into the great unknown on life, love, and the universe. GUESTS: Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute Nick Carter, Lead of the Space Research Group at CSIRO This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, Kaurna land, and the Country of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people. Technical production by Allyse Symons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices There are over 170 million pieces of space junk orbiting Earth right now, and that number is only growing as space orbit becomes more accessible. How are we going to deal with this astronomical littering problem, while keeping up with our satellite-hungry tech needs?

Also, an increase in light and radio pollution is making it harder for astronomers to study the stars. How can space tech companies, governments, and even you do something about it?

Plus, we check in with the latest from SpaceX, and figure out what messages we're sending out into the great unknown on life, love, and the universe.

GUESTS:

  • Professor Andy Koronios, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Australasian Space Innovation Institute
  • Nick Carter, Lead of the Space Research Group at CSIRO

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land, Kaurna land, and the Country of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people.

Technical production by Allyse Symons.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1818 If 'simulated gambling' is banned in kids games, why are we still seeing Loot Boxes everywhere? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/loot-boxes-ea-games-acquisition-playdate-migw/105792120 You step up to a box full of prizes, and knowing that there is a chance you may not win anything, you give it your real-life money anyway. No, this isn't a game at the casino, it's a video game that children as young as four are playing in their spare time. Last year, Australia introduced classification to prevent things like this from happening, so why are we still seeing Loot Boxes show up in kids games? Also, one of the largest video game companies in the world, Electronic Arts (responsible for games like The Sims and the FIFA franchise), has just agreed to a record-breaking sale. If a Saudi Arabian private equity fund, a Trump advisor, and Silicon Valley investors are joining billion-dollar forces to buy out EA games, what does the future of our games industry look like?  Plus, we take a look at one of the weirdest, most wonderful consoles in gaming and check in on what’s happening for Melbourne International Games Week October 4-12. GUESTS: David Smith, producer at ABC Gamer  Seb Chan, Director & CEO of ACMI  This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land, and in Naarm.  Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia You step up to a box full of prizes, and knowing that there is a chance you may not win anything, you give it your real-life money anyway. No, this isn't a game at the casino, it's a video game that children as young as four are playing in their spare time. Last year, Australia introduced classification to prevent things like this from happening, so why are we still seeing Loot Boxes show up in kids games? Also, one of the largest video game companies in the world, Electronic Arts (responsible for games like The Sims and the FIFA franchise), has just agreed to a record-breaking sale. If a Saudi Arabian private equity fund, a Trump advisor, and Silicon Valley investors are joining billion-dollar forces to buy out EA games, what does the future of our games industry look like?  Plus, we take a look at one of the weirdest, most wonderful consoles in gaming and check in on what’s happening for Melbourne International Games Week October 4-12. GUESTS:  David Smith, producer at ABC Gamer  Seb Chan, Director & CEO of ACMI  This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land, and in Naarm.  Technical production by Riley Mellis. You step up to a box full of prizes, and knowing that there is a chance you may not win anything, you give it your real-life money anyway. No, this isn't a game at the casino, it's a video game that children as young as four are playing in their spare time. Last year, Australia introduced classification to prevent things like this from happening, so why are we still seeing Loot Boxes show up in kids games? Also, one of the largest video game companies in the world, Electronic Arts (responsible for games like The Sims and the FIFA franchise), has just agreed to a record-breaking sale. If a Saudi Arabian private equity fund, a Trump advisor, and Silicon Valley investors are joining billion-dollar forces to buy out EA games, what does the future of our games industry look like?  Plus, we take a look at one of the weirdest, most wonderful consoles in gaming and check in on what’s happening for Melbourne International Games Week October 4-12. GUESTS: David Smith, producer at ABC Gamer  Seb Chan, Director & CEO of ACMI  This episode of Download This Show was produced on Gadigal land, and in Naarm.  Technical production by Riley Mellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices You step up to a box full of prizes, and knowing that there is a chance you may not win anything, you give it your real-life money anyway. No, this isn't a game at the casino, it's a video game that children as young as four are playing in their spare time. Last year, Australia introduced classification to prevent things like this from happening, so why are we still seeing Loot Boxes show up in kids games?

Also, one of the largest video game companies in the world, Electronic Arts (responsible for games like The Sims and the FIFA franchise), has just agreed to a record-breaking sale. If a Saudi Arabian private equity fund, a Trump advisor, and Silicon Valley investors are joining billion-dollar forces to buy out EA games, what does the future of our games industry look like? 

Plus, we take a look at one of the weirdest, most wonderful consoles in gaming and check in on what’s happening for Melbourne International Games Week October 4-12.

GUESTS:

  • David Smith, producer at ABC Gamer 
  • Seb Chan, Director & CEO of ACMI 

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

Technical production by Riley Mellis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1799 Is it true that AI is going to add $60 billion to Australia's economy? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-boosts-economy-nvidia-openai-investment-nepalese-election/105764962 The Australian Finance Industry Association has modelled AI's contribution to economic growth in the years ahead. It found that "scaling", or expanding, the use of AI could add up to $60 billion to GDP over the next decade. But who is actually going to benefit from this, and where are we getting these numbers from? Also, we explain the blossoming $100 billion bromance between Nvidia and OpenAI, and how Gen Z elected their new PM via the gaming app Discord amidst a wave of protests. Plus, the latest on the teen social media ban. GUESTS:  Mark Serrels, Editorial Director at CHOICE Peter Marks, software developer at Access Informatics This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and John Jacobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The Australian Finance Industry Association has modelled AI's contribution to economic growth in the years ahead. It found that "scaling", or expanding, the use of AI could add up to $60 billion to GDP over the next decade. But who is actually going to benefit from this, and where are we getting these numbers from? Also, we explain the blossoming $100 billion bromance between Nvidia and OpenAI, and how Gen Z elected their new PM via the gaming app Discord amidst a wave of protests. Plus, the latest on the teen social media ban. GUESTS:  Mark Serrels, Editorial Director at CHOICE Peter Marks, software developer at Access Informatics This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and John Jacobs. The Australian Finance Industry Association has modelled AI's contribution to economic growth in the years ahead. It found that "scaling", or expanding, the use of AI could add up to $60 billion to GDP over the next decade. But who is actually going to benefit from this, and where are we getting these numbers from? Also, we explain the blossoming $100 billion bromance between Nvidia and OpenAI, and how Gen Z elected their new PM via the gaming app Discord amidst a wave of protests. Plus, the latest on the teen social media ban. GUESTS:  Mark Serrels, Editorial Director at CHOICE Peter Marks, software developer at Access Informatics This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land. Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and John Jacobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Australian Finance Industry Association has modelled AI's contribution to economic growth in the years ahead. It found that "scaling", or expanding, the use of AI could add up to $60 billion to GDP over the next decade. But who is actually going to benefit from this, and where are we getting these numbers from?

Also, we explain the blossoming $100 billion bromance between Nvidia and OpenAI, and how Gen Z elected their new PM via the gaming app Discord amidst a wave of protests.

Plus, the latest on the teen social media ban.

GUESTS: 

  • Mark Serrels, Editorial Director at CHOICE
  • Peter Marks, software developer at Access Informatics

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

Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and John Jacobs.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1798 How fanfiction took over the world (and stayed free) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/history-of-fanfiction/105736134 Fanfiction has gone from photocopied zines traded at conventions to millions of stories shared online. From smut-filled Harry Potter ships to the fic that birthed Fifty Shades of Grey, we explore fanfiction's growth, its influence on writing and culture, and how Archive of Our Own has stayed free and fan-run in an internet that charges for almost everything. GUESTS: Danielle Binks, fanfiction (and regular fiction) writer, literary agent, and lecturer in Creative Writing at RMIT University Rachel Linton, board member at the Office of Transformative Works, the group that runs one of the biggest fanfiction sites out there, Archive of Our Own (AO3) This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Adrian Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Fanfiction has gone from photocopied zines traded at conventions to millions of stories shared online. From smut-filled Harry Potter ships to the fic that birthed Fifty Shades of Grey, we explore fanfiction's growth, its influence on writing and culture, and how Archive of Our Own has stayed free and fan-run in an internet that charges for almost everything. GUESTS: Danielle Binks, fanfiction (and regular fiction) writer, literary agent, and lecturer in Creative Writing at RMIT University Rachel Linton, board member at the Office of Transformative Works, the group that runs one of the biggest fanfiction sites out there, Archive of Our Own (AO3) This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Adrian Jones. Fanfiction has gone from photocopied zines traded at conventions to millions of stories shared online. From smut-filled Harry Potter ships to the fic that birthed Fifty Shades of Grey, we explore fanfiction's growth, its influence on writing and culture, and how Archive of Our Own has stayed free and fan-run in an internet that charges for almost everything. GUESTS: Danielle Binks, fanfiction (and regular fiction) writer, literary agent, and lecturer in Creative Writing at RMIT University Rachel Linton, board member at the Office of Transformative Works, the group that runs one of the biggest fanfiction sites out there, Archive of Our Own (AO3) This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Adrian Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fanfiction has gone from photocopied zines traded at conventions to millions of stories shared online. From smut-filled Harry Potter ships to the fic that birthed Fifty Shades of Grey, we explore fanfiction's growth, its influence on writing and culture, and how Archive of Our Own has stayed free and fan-run in an internet that charges for almost everything.

GUESTS:

  • Danielle Binks, fanfiction (and regular fiction) writer, literary agent, and lecturer in Creative Writing at RMIT University
  • Rachel Linton, board member at the Office of Transformative Works, the group that runs one of the biggest fanfiction sites out there, Archive of Our Own (AO3)

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

Technical production by Adrian Jones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 How did an Australian team make the biggest video game in the world today? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/hollow-knight-silksong-gaming-guilt-mental-health/105708956 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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:

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 Why is Australia spending a billion dollars on a quantum computer that doesn't exist yet? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/quantum-computing-psiquantum-biological-qubit-climate/105682740 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1797 Wimbledon broke 148 years of tradition to replace 300 line judges with AI -- will it be worth it? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/wimbledon-sports-and-ai-new-research-football-robots/105656768 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1802 How do you protect yourself against AI voice scams? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/cybercrime-victims-anti-competition-deals-ai-toys/105626838 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1806 How will ICE's deportation teams use iris scanning technology? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ice-indicates-interest-in-iris-scanning-tech-for-deportations/105599364 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 15 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1802 Would Cyberbrothel be more ethical than a traditional brothel? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/cyberbrothels-synthetic-relationships-future-of-sex-tech/105571044 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1804 Is Snapchat’s My AI a safe space or a slippery slope for teens? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/snapchat-ai-electric-vehicle-brain-computer-interface-nazi-grok/105541262 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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:

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

Technical production by Ann-Marie Debettencour and Allyse Symons.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1807 ID, please? China’s new internet rules and what they could mean for us https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/china-digital-id-ai-clasroom-strava-security-pet-translate/105519828 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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.  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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1805 How do we tell what's real and what's not, when the internet is flooded with AI slop? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-slop-ai-ethics-ai-refugees/105491656 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1775 With 9,000 new layoffs at Microsoft, is AI set to change the gaming industry forever? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/microsoft-layoffs-nintendo-vr-esports-olympics-ai/105465470 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia 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. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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: 

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

Technical production by Roi Huberman and Matthew Sigley.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1776 An expert has quit over the government's planned social media ban, what now? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/teen-social-media-ban-youtube/105437636 This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online.  This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1775 How are online tools being used to resist fascism across the globe? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/realtime-fascism-tesla-drama-ai-overviews-camera-security/105376810 The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show. The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2203 Could a new copyright lawsuit from Disney change the way we use AI? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/disney-universal-copyright-apple-store-privacy-vibe-coding/105376554 A lawsuit from the house of mouse, Apple being forced to let you download apps outside the app store, a huge hole in Gmail's data security, plus a world where generative AI is doing critical computer coding. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia A lawsuit from the house of mouse, Apple being forced to let you download apps outside the app store, a huge hole in Gmail's data security, plus a world where generative AI is doing critical computer coding. This week on Download This Show. A lawsuit from the house of mouse, Apple being forced to let you download apps outside the app store, a huge hole in Gmail's data security, plus a world where generative AI is doing critical computer coding. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices A lawsuit from the house of mouse, Apple being forced to let you download apps outside the app store, a huge hole in Gmail's data security, plus a world where generative AI is doing critical computer coding. This week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1776 'Imperial Kitten' vs 'Fancy Bear': how are kooky hacker nicknames causing serious concerns for cybersecurity? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/brain-implant-phone-theft-vpn-safety-cybersecurity-hacker-names/105362556 Why do hackers have weird and wacky non-serious names? And why are British politicians blaming Apple and Google for the rise in phone thefts? Plus, there have been breakthroughs in the world of brain implants, and we break down how and when to use a VPN. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Why do hackers have weird and wacky non-serious names? And why are British politicians blaming Apple and Google for the rise in phone thefts? Plus, there have been breakthroughs in the world of brain implants, and we break down how and when to use a VPN. This week on Download This Show. Why do hackers have weird and wacky non-serious names? And why are British politicians blaming Apple and Google for the rise in phone thefts? Plus, there have been breakthroughs in the world of brain implants, and we break down how and when to use a VPN. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Why do hackers have weird and wacky non-serious names? And why are British politicians blaming Apple and Google for the rise in phone thefts? Plus, there have been breakthroughs in the world of brain implants, and we break down how and when to use a VPN. This week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1775 The human-AI conversation crisis: why we're choosing chatbots over people https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-special-episode/105333410 In a special AI deep-dive episode of Download This Show, researchers Sandra Peter and Kai Remer break down how AI chatbots are changing the way humans behave, and why we now want to talk to chatbots more than we want to talk to people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia In a special AI deep-dive episode of Download This Show, researchers Sandra Peter and Kai Remer break down how AI chatbots are changing the way humans behave, and why we now want to talk to chatbots more than we want to talk to people. In a special AI deep-dive episode of Download This Show, researchers Sandra Peter and Kai Remer break down how AI chatbots are changing the way humans behave, and why we now want to talk to chatbots more than we want to talk to people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices In a special AI deep-dive episode of Download This Show, researchers Sandra Peter and Kai Remer break down how AI chatbots are changing the way humans behave, and why we now want to talk to chatbots more than we want to talk to people.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1775 Could AI be the 'person' deciding whether or not you get your dream job? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/ai-job-interviews-fake-drivers-licence-grindr-robberies-cia/105305846 AI interviewing you for a job, hackable digital drivers licences, dating app safety, and CIA-run Star Wars websites. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia AI interviewing you for a job, hackable digital drivers licences, dating app safety, and CIA-run Star Wars websites. This week on Download This Show. AI interviewing you for a job, hackable digital drivers licences, dating app safety, and CIA-run Star Wars websites. This week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices AI interviewing you for a job, hackable digital drivers licences, dating app safety, and CIA-run Star Wars websites. This week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1767 How did a haunted game cartridge take the internet by storm? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/fortnite-apple-ben-drowned-coercive-control-discord-audience/105249462 Haunted video games, a tech feud between Apple and Epic Games, how tracking apps can be used in coercive control, and Discord transitioning into cool kid territory, this week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Haunted video games, a tech feud between Apple and Epic Games, how tracking apps can be used in coercive control, and Discord transitioning into cool kid territory, this week on Download This Show. Haunted video games, a tech feud between Apple and Epic Games, how tracking apps can be used in coercive control, and Discord transitioning into cool kid territory, this week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Haunted video games, a tech feud between Apple and Epic Games, how tracking apps can be used in coercive control, and Discord transitioning into cool kid territory, this week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1775 Which app is the latest to say it wants to be your everything? https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/downloadthisshow/airbnb-midlife-crisis-google-discord-facial-recognition/105220440 Airbnb's midlife crisis, digital ID age verification, and facial recognition software on social media, this week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000 full ABC Australia Airbnb's midlife crisis, digital ID age verification, and facial recognition software on social media, this week on Download This Show. Airbnb's midlife crisis, digital ID age verification, and facial recognition software on social media, this week on Download This Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Airbnb's midlife crisis, digital ID age verification, and facial recognition software on social media, this week on Download This Show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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