Australia is grappling with the profound societal and economic impact of artificial intelligence, prompting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to outline a national strategy focused on protecting sovereignty, fostering job creation, and avoiding past mistakes amidst global investment and ethical debates.
Telstra's recent network failure, mirroring Optus's in 2025, underscores Australia's policy prioritizing competition over essential service reliability. The article argues for a national essential services network (ESN) for resilience.
Telstra's recent network failure, mirroring Optus's 2025 incident, has reignited debate over Australia's telecommunications policy. The article argues that prioritizing competition over essential service reliability, a legacy of 1990s reforms, has led to patchy networks and service failures, including for triple zero calls. A call for a national essential services network (ESN) is made.
A Nature critique questions Microsoft's quantum computing chip technology, arguing their data doesn't prove the existence of topological qubits. Microsoft disputes the critique, while announcing a new chip.
A report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew highlights how AI and digitisation are accelerating the identification and conservation of plant and fungi species, offering a crucial tool in the fight against extinction. Despite significant progress, vast numbers of species remain unanalysed, with climate change impacting flowering times and disrupting ecosystems.
Former armed forces minister Al Carns has described "unbelievable" waste and inefficiency at the Ministry of Defence, citing mismanaged legacy programmes like tank investment. He advocates for scrapping outdated projects in favour of new technology and overhauling procurement to ensure readiness by 2030.
An expert stated that China and the US are not among the largest marine powers. He also compared the threat of cutting internet cables to nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the threat itself, rather than actual use, causes unease and disrupts normal operations.
A backlash against AI-generated content, dubbed 'anti-slop', is emerging in the creative industry, emphasizing handmade, DIY aesthetics as a counter to slick but soulless AI creations.
Fifa is introducing advanced semi-automated offside technology and AI-enabled 3D player avatars for the 2026 World Cup to speed up decisions and improve accuracy. The new offside system will provide real-time audio alerts for infringements over 10cm, aiming to reduce frustration and potential injuries.
Leica Camera AG in Wetzlar is breaking tradition with a new lens production method. Using tungsten carbide molds, glass is pressed into aspherical shapes at 700 degrees Celsius under high pressure. This technology is first used in the Noctilux M-35 lens, making it lighter and more compact.
Huawei announced plans to manufacture industry-leading semiconductors using a new technology within five years, aiming to neutralize US sanctions. The company aims for 1.4nm transistor density by 2031, challenging global leaders like TSMC.
The software company said in February it would cut 2,000 jobs but, as it touts new technology, workers are still waiting to hear which roles will goFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastStaff at WiseTech have been waiting almost three months to be told if they are among the 2,000 people the logistics software company is to cut due to advances in AI, with workers criticising the wait as stressful and “ridiculous”.The comments come as its founder on Tuesday told investors an AI agent could learn a human’s job in just 15 minutes, according to the Australian Financial Review. Continue reading...
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has sought to reassure workers amid concerns about the AI revolution, vowing that the city state will carve out fresh opportunities even as the new technology renders some jobs obsolete. In the annual May Day rally on Friday, Wong acknowledged the anxieties but urged workers and firms to build artificial intelligence capabilities and harness its benefits. Demand would rise for AI-savvy workers, and new doors would open as global companies expanded their...
Ever since BMW first announced its "Neue Klasse" next-generation electric vehicle architecture and design language way back in 2021, the question on many fans' minds was when the new technology would reach the automaker's flagship 7 Series. Well, that moment has finally arrived. Today, at events in New York City and Beijing, BMW unveiled its […]
Modern military supremacy – from stealth jets to hypersonic missiles – hinges on micron-scale “super powders” engineered using precision mills. A new Chinese facility unveiled last week – described as the largest in the world – may give the country a critical edge in this field. The mill in the southern province of Guangdong uses new technology that the company behind it said was 10 times more efficient than older methods and allowed for the industrial scale production of these powders. At first...
China has unveiled what it describes as the world's largest facility for producing micron-scale 'super powders' used in advanced military technology. The mill in Guangdong province uses new technology claimed to be 10 times more efficient than conventional methods, enabling industrial-scale production of precision materials for radar-absorbing stealth aircraft coatings and flaw-free jet engine turbine blades.
