Bill Browne
A lot of attention has been paid to the mischief done by “agentic” large language models (LLMs) on their own initiative. But the more immediate and commonplace danger is that AI will multiply and indulge existing human weaknesses. AI does not have to be super intelligent to provide an excuse for secretive and poor-quality government decision-making.
ANZ has ruled out financing gas pipelines dedicated solely to new oil and gas projects, in a major win for climate activists who’ve spent the past five months campaigning against the bank’s potential involvement.
Victoria’s Surf Coast Shire Council is the latest local government to call for big polluters to pay for the costs of global warming. The council passed a motion at its 27 October meeting, urging the Australian Government to establish a Climate Compensation Fund, paid for by a levy on major coal, oil and gas export corporations.
A genuine improvement for households facing very limited options becomes a sales pitch for continued fossil gas use everywhere. ‘Cleaner than burning animal dung’ is a very low bar for a climate solution.
Quality research, analysis, explainers and factchecks from experts you can trust.
Last week, when the Reserve Bank announced it had raised the cash rate to 4.85%, it also released its latest forecasts for the economy in its Statement on Monetary Policy. For those hoping for a recovery in lost living standards, the news was very grim.
Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest countries, Australia still lacks an official national poverty measure, making it hard to track whether efforts to reduce disadvantage are working.
Australians harmed by social media should be able to sue for compensation under the Albanese government’s proposed digital duty of care laws, according to more than 80 community organisations and prominent academics.
Australia risks falling short of its global pledge to protect 30 per cent of the country’s land by 2030, with a new national review warning the biggest challenge isn’t just how much land is safeguarded, but whether it includes the ecosystems and species most at risk.
Motor racing could be permitted in parts of the long-awaited Great Koala National Park precinct, sparking outrage among conservationists who say the NSW Government is putting recreational activities ahead of protecting endangered koalas.
The extraordinary results in the US midterm elections have exposed just how risky Australia’s approach to US relations has been and left the country on the outer, according to international relations expert Dr Emma Shortis.
In “Shorter America”, Dr Emma Shortis keeps you up-to-date on the United States with news and analysis that you can trust.
Veteran political cartoonist Cathy Wilcox has been named Cartoonist of the Year at the Stanley Awards, just months after drawing the curtain on her 37-year career with the Sydney Morning Herald.
