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America’s big tech bosses are trying to get artificial intelligence deployed everywhere, taking over our homes, our hobbies and our work. By now, most of us are using AI for daily tasks, even if by accident. But it doesn’t mean we all agree with the path we’re on and increasingly people are voicing their concerns about the AI revolution. Today, the ABC’s national AI reporter Cam Wilson on the growing backlash. Featured: Cam Wilson, ABC’s national AI reporter

One of the selling points for building a data centre in your local area is the promise of local job creation. Jobs to build the data centres in the beginning, then jobs to run operations once it's up and running. But prominent investor AirTree Ventures co-founder Daniel Petre set a cat among the pigeons on a panel this morning when he suggested that the ongoing demand for jobs to run data centres is close to negligible. "The idea that it's going to be a massive employer is completely bullshit. There are two people and a canary who manage a data centre up once it's up and running," he said at the Australian Financial Review's AI Summit. Immediately after Petre's appearance, Google's VP of global infrastructure Bikash Koley gave keynote address in which he argued that numbers of data centres employment understates the indirect benefits. "For every job that we create in a data centre in its operational phase, there are additional jobs that are created because of the ecosystem that is created through this data centre, where it's power generation, cooling, or supply chain," he said. Tech Council of Australia chair and Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar later tried to square the circle by acknowledging the limited ongoing jobs, but pointing out the sheer size of data centre construction demand. "[The numbers of jobs created in Australia]'s lower in the operation phase, but the construction phase can run for the next 10 to 20 years," he said.

The federal government’s new body tasked with keeping Australians safe from the harms of artificial intelligence (AI) is up and running from today, Andrew Charlton says. The Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and Digital Economy announced the opening of the Australian AI Safety Institute in a speech at the Australian Financial Review’s AI Summit on Tuesday morning. The Institute, announced in November last year, is tasked with testing new AI, working with government to respond to its harms and helping the public understand how to use the new technology safely. Last week, the ABC reported that AI ethicist and governance expert Kate Conroy had been chosen to lead the Institute. Charlton says keeping Australians safe from AI, alongside attracting AI investment and ensuring widespread uptake of AI, is how the federal government plans to avoid feeding anti-tech resentment. “The United States is now living through a fierce backlash, with data centres as a flashpoint,” he said in prepared remarks. “This is the American story… and we have a window to get ahead of this and make sure it ends differently.”

Telstra's chief says the telco expects to have a smaller workforce by the end of the decade because of artificial intelligence. CEO Vicki Brady made the comments about the impact of the new technology on Telstra while speaking on a panel of business leaders at the Australian Financial Review's AI Summit on Tuesday. "No one knows what 2030 looks like, but our best estimate [is that] we would expect our organisation to be smaller in 2030 than it is today," she said. Brady said the idea of a reduced workforce might cause "fear and uncertainty" and that Telstra was focusing on training its staff to adapt to the change. "Rather than, you know, dwell on that, we have focused on investment in skills and capability because, no matter what 2030 looks like, I'm more convinced that [AI literacy] becomes just a foundational skill," she said. Earlier this year, Telstra axed 650 roles, including 200 from its joint AI venture with consulting and technology firm Accenture. "These proposals are intended to help us reduce complexity, be more competitive and operate more efficiently and sustainably," Brady wrote in an email announcing the cuts to staff.

Australia's social media ban has been in place for six months — with mixed reports on its success. For teens managing to bypass the ban, they're still swimming in the same addictive stream of harmful content. But could we change the way these algorithms work, and make social media a better place for everyone?

A new report commissioned by Greenpeace is warning the growth of AI could outpace the rollout of renewable energy, potentially delaying the transition away from coal and gas.

Eighteen of Australia's top creative and media organisations are urging the federal government to "hold the line" on copyright protections that artificial intelligence (AI) companies would like to see changed. Organisations including the ABC, News Corp, Nine, SBS, Foxtel and major music industry bodies issued a statement today saying they were deeply concerned about the government's negotiations with AI companies. "When Australia rejected the text and data mining exception last October, it sent a clear signal: Australia will not prioritise AI companies at the expense of its creative and culture sector," it said. The statement was issued in response to reporting this week about the Department of Industry's briefing for Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton ahead of his February meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The briefing prepared him to discuss any issues Anthropic might have with Australia's copyright regime as the government attempts to woo the AI company to make "major investments" in Australia. In October, the federal government rejected a proposal from groups like the Tech Council of Australia and the Productivity Commission to make a carve-out that would let tech companies train their AI models on copyrighted material without payment. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland says the government has not changed its position on copyright and AI. "The Albanese government is committed to supporting Australia's creative sector and has been clear for some time that there are no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to AI," she said in a statement to the ABC.

Is ChatGPT's creator, OpenAI, dedicated to bettering humanity or making money? That's the question at the heart of a court battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman. And Francesca Albanese is both celebrated and condemned for her work as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. After facing sanctions in the US, allegations of antisemitism, and death threats, she opens up about what scares her and why she thinks young people can save the world. Listen now: 01:18 - Elon Musk vs Sam Altman 10:19 - Gaza flotilla update 15:47 - Francesca Albanese's hope for the world Guests: Cam Wilson, national AI reporter, ABC Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Get the whole story from hack: Follow us on Instagram and TikTok Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Palantir has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contracts with Australian federal and state governments. The ABC's national AI reporter Cam Wilson joins Matt to share the details. Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app. Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

Depending who you ask, AI could be pushing humanity towards its downfall or helping to create some sort of tech utopia. Whatever you think of AI, it's a disruptor that's changing the way individuals, businesses and governments do things. And in a sign of just how big the AI moment is, the ABC has created a role of national AI technology reporter, which was filled this week by former Crikey journalist and associate editor Cam Wilson.