February
‘We have to cut red tape and we will’: Europe talks big on AI
At a summit in Paris, Donald Trump’s vice president lays bare growing global divisions over promoting and policing AI while Europe looks to back winners.
DeepSeek is a sign of China’s structural shift, not decline
Contrary to the narrative that China’s private sector has been squeezed into irrelevance, major developments in new industries are being led by young entrepreneurs.
Audio deepfakes ‘the most effective we’ve seen so far’, says Microsoft
The technology company and a group of crossbench MPs say Australia needs better protections against AI and interference in election campaigns.
January
Down cudgels: Baird and Weatherill push for more civility in politics
The 2025 election campaign has begun with insults on both sides of politics. These two former premiers want a better political discourse.
Can Chinese chips beat Taiwan in the global tech race?
SMIC’s stock rally shows – at least to mainland investors – that China can build a self-sufficient semiconductor ecosystem. But the reality could be different.
December 2024
Break up big tech to save competition, democracy and the climate
To save the European Green Deal and restore economic competitiveness, the EU’s new antitrust push must rein in these companies’ enormous power.
October 2024
Everything you need to know about Labor’s misinformation crackdown
More than 75 per cent of people believe addressing the deliberate spread of misinformation online is extremely important or quite important. On how you achieve that goal, the country is far more divided.
September 2024
China and Russia want to rule the Web. The West is trying to stop them
In backrooms at the UN in New York, a battle is quietly being fought between liberal democracies and authoritarian governments over who rules the internet.
Tech moguls face the revenge of the regulators
Democratic governments are losing patience with cyber-libertarian tech moguls who thumb their noses at authorities perhaps one too many times.
August 2024
Telegram boss charged, blocked from leaving France
Pavel Durov faces preliminary charges over the alleged failure to address criminality on the messaging app, including the distribution of sexual abuse content.
Why a Russian tech billionaire who stood up to Putin is now a target
Pavel Durov, who founded secret, successful messaging app Telegram in 2013, has been arrested in France, sparking outrage from free speech campaigners.
March 2024
Assange wins temporary reprieve from extradition to US
London’s High Court said the US must provide further assurances by April 16 that Julian Assange would not face the death penalty.
Slowing tech investment complicates Chalmers’ growth goal
The contribution of IT equipment to capital input has fallen sharply in recent decades, which economists warn could undermine long-term economic growth.
December 2023
Spy boss warns of intelligence failure without faster tech adoption
The director-general of the Office of National Intelligence says policymakers need to ensure technology is adopted faster or risk an intelligence failure.
November 2023
Antisemitism was rising online. Then Elon Musk’s X supercharged it
The billionaire plays a uniquely potent role in the spate of hate flourishing across the internet, experts say.
Why right-wing Silicon Valley billionaires dumped Trump
Faith in the former president’s ability to lessen government oversight of business has crumbled, leaving conservatives in the tech industry adrift.
Government claims ‘seismic’ week for AI development
With the White House, China and Big Tech all signed onto a more careful approach to AI risks, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic has some wind in his sails.
Elon Musk warns AI bots will swamp social media
At a summit in London, the X owner’s dystopian warnings on AI came leavened with a vision of a future where nobody has to work.
Global tech rivals vow to fight AI threats
The US, Europe and China have starkly different visions of how to manage and regulate the evolution of technology. But at Bletchley Park, they promised to work together.
Elon Musk, world leaders wrangle over AI rules
Debate rages over whether the AI Safety Summit at Britain’s Bletchley Park, home of the World War II Enigma code breakers, can achieve anything, or is even needed.