Very important response setting out the Ombudsman's views on the use of AI in govt decision-making. Notably, there is a need to record reasons, and failing to do so creates a serious risk of the decision being deemed unreasonable.
No fan of guns, but there is a gun range in Port Botany, would that throw out this data? Not sure if that's classed as 'private ownership' or if it operates under something like a business ownership.
RECapture team submitted to the Inquiry into the 2025 federal election. We provided our high-level and operational recommendations for improving trust and security in digital campaigns for Australian elections. @coolrobbie.bsky.social et al.
Link to our submission doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
Our paper on the Voice referendum on WeChat shows policymakers & factchecker might be fighting the wrong battle against disinfo. Our case & numbers show how disinfo works on the ground. Check out the paper (w. Luke Heemsbergen & @coolrobbie.bsky.social)
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/fLyrCxnMJ5...
Going to be at ACMI later this month talking about what it's like to track my baby using an app - feel free to join in!
events.humanitix.com/dc-x-acmi-se...
Zotero auto-identified the ACCC's Digital Platforms Inquiry as "The Cancer that Cured Me". Look forward to what subtle takes it has on the productivity commission's releases
Some reflections from #WorldCon on how to talk to friends about "AI"
buttondown.com/maiht3k/arch...
One study concluded 70% of increased electric cost across US due to AI data centers.
apnews.com/article/elec...
I've written a brief overview of my thoughts about this report on, unh, LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/robbie...
www.jobsandskills.gov.au/download/198...
Datacenter diplomacy: Australia commits to help Vanuatu build bit barns
Barthes said something to the effect of 'we don't really know what a scandal is except everyone clamouring to work out if it matters.'
"Every single time it goes like this: Conservatives panic about socialism or progressives or whatever. They ally with fascists as the “lesser evil.” Fascists take power. Fascists immediately purge anyone who stands in their way. Then it’s 30–50 years of dictatorship."
"Finland 1932 is the only clean win I can find. [...] That’s it. That’s the success story. One time out of roughly fifty attempts, fascists were stopped because they were stupid enough to try violence before winning elections."
medium.com/@carmitage/i...
The Playing the Player report front page, an arm holding a PlayStation controller. The sub heading reads "Unfair digital gaming practices and their impact on Australias" with logos of Monash University and CPRC
Last week, Monash Uni and think tank The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) dropped the "Playing the Player" report. It's a really interesting survey-based study of 800 people who play games.
(Don't ask why, in the year of the lord 2025, a PS1 controller is the lead image)
Just remember that we really have no interest in understanding our world. Only controlling it. And that's very, very sad.
"Our research reveals while Australian news media often focus on foreign interference, in this election cycle, disinformation is being driven by commercial and domestic political interests," write @fanyang.bsky.social, Luke Heemsbergen, and @coolrobbie.bsky.social.
Read more:
Really interesting and important report out today on deceptive design practices in games and how they impact players from @cprc-research.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social and @bradyjay.bsky.social - some really great recommendations on making games safer for everyone!
cprc.org.au/report/playi...
Got our first Q1 rejection letter written by AI! Does not invoke faith in the review process, honestly.
I arrived in Australia after his apparent about face in the culture wars, but I understand it was taken as quite a shift?
Chinese social media new election battleground. Hear more from ADM+S researchers Fan Yang and Robbie Fordyce on ABC's The World Today @fanyang.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social #misinformation bit.ly/4iFwawv
In this investigative report, ADM+S researchers Fan Yang, Robbie Fordyce, with Luke Heemsbergen worked with ABC, to uncover political disinformation on Chinese social media platform RedNote @fanyang.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social sky.social bit.ly/41KYczP
Who is up for a short thread on the intriguing parallels between OpenAI and Enron, as told by one of Enron's investment bankers -- that is to say, me? Here goes...
My local MP is pushing more misinformation on Facebook, telling people nuclear power "will deliver cheaper, cleaner and consistent energy".
Below is my response.
Feel free to plagiarise it in responding to your own coalition MPs when they try the same. (1/6)
#auspol #EnergyAus
Remind me again why we are letting an American bloke with no relevant research experience but who wrote an airport book to scare parents make digital policy in Australia? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Congratulations!
Yay new publication day! Last year, Larissa Hjorth, Peta Murray and I looked into older adults' animal pet image sharing practices. We found while there are myriad reasons, many of them revolve around kinship. Paper is open access so please share and cite widely: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
One to watch
The latest footage out of Gaza today is utterly horrific. Not that it hasn't all been. I've seen 10,000 things this year that fall into the category. More misery, more evil, just as shocking as the first time. Fuck Israel and everyone excusing and supporting its landgrab and genocide.
