Business

Do we need a regulatory framework on Generative AI?

Published

3 weeks ago

May 10, 2023

ticker NEWS

Platforms like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm but analysts are painting another picture about its impacts

Millions of people have used OpenAI’s ChatGPT since it launched in November 2022.

The web-based platform works by answering prompts in a concise manner. It has become the latest tool to cause technological disruption across nearly every industry.

Dr Jim Webber, who is the Chief Scientist at leading graph database and analytics company, Neo4j, said the tool should be banned in Australian schools and universities.

“To be clear, I don’t think regulation will ever win this battle. It’s always on the back foot.

“Instead of focussing on the technology, we should create a policy environment that helps inform the use of that technology rather than constraining it,” he said.

ChatGPT has been used in graph technology, from providing more intuitive context to elevating the overall user experience and coding processes.

It has also been used in the classroom, where students and teachers alike are using it for their research.

“ChatGPT is trained on a range of documents. These are documents from around the internet.

“Like all computer systems, there is an element of ‘garbage in, garbage out,'” Dr Webber said.

Businesses have also used the generative AI tool to boost their profits and maximise efficiencies. It has become a common tool used in workplaces, particularly where redundancies during Covid-19 have come to light.

“One of my colleagues actually asked ChatGPT about the computer science that I had done with another computer scientist that I had never worked with.

“ChatGPT then confidently answered about the amazing discovers that me and this computer scientist had done together. It was very convincing, the English was very fluent but it was all nonsense because I had never worked with that person,” Dr Webber said.

Graph technology can play an important role in the fight against cybercrimes, which are on the rise internationally.

It is the tool capturing data relationships to model real-world relationships between a range of unique entities.

It has been used across the public sector, logistics, supply chain, manufacturing and financial services.

Neo4j is a graph database management system. The company has worked with customers like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra, and Tabcorp

Business

When will airfares begin to fall?

Published

8 hours ago

June 1, 2023

ticker NEWS

As the global aviation market rebounds, airlines are changing their service offerings

Over 46 million workers in the global aviation sector lost their jobs as global aviation came to a grinding halt at the onset of the pandemic.

However, Geoffrey Thomas from AirlineRatings.com said passengers have returned to airport terminals and boarded flights in droves.

“When travelled returned, many of us wondered what sort of low airfares will we have to be charged to entice people back onto airplanes.”

In February 2023, total traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometres) rose 55.5 per cent when compared to February 2022.

Globally, traffic is at 84.9 per cent of February 2019 levels.

“It was a stampede, the likes of which we have never seen before,” Mr Thomas said.

Business

The worst of inflation could be behind us

Published

8 hours ago

June 1, 2023

ticker NEWS

The unprecedented nature of the pandemic continue to shape international fiscal policy

As reserve banks and federal reserves continue to battle the impacts of Covid-19, inflation has become a dominate issue.

In some parts of the world, rising household costs have slowed consumer spending by more than expected.

It means the end of aggressive rate hikes could come to an end in a matter of months.

In Australia, recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed inflation has passed its peak and is beginning to moderate.

The numbers show annual inflation peaked in December 2022 but will still remain higher for longer than anticipated.

Matt Grudnoff is a Senior Economist at The Australia Institute, who said these are uncharted waters.

“I don’t think they should be fully blamed.

“The pandemic was an entirely different kind of recession, one that we have never seen before.

“The world went into recession because the world shut down for very good health reasons.

“But the economy rebounded extremely quickly, simply because there was no underlying problem with the economy,” he said.

Business

“I think there is a great risk”: will AI steal our jobs?

Published

1 day ago

May 31, 2023

ticker NEWS

Artificial Intelligence has become an increasingly powerful and pervasive force in our modern world.

Artificial intelligence is not a new concept. However, the growing advancements have the potential to revolutionise industries, improve efficiency, and enhance the quality of life.

Along with its promising advancements, artificial intelligence also brings certain risks and challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed.

It has become the focus of lawmakers, who are working towards greater regulation of the sector.

U.S. and European Union officials recently met in Sweden to weigh up the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

“The AI process is creeping up on us,” said Dr Keith Suter, who is a global futurist.

“You’ve got competition between companies.”

It’s almost like some of us can see this raft that’s heading towards the rapids and a disappearance towards the waterfall, and we’re giving a warning but it’s not being heeded because everybody’s in this race to get down to the river,” Dr Suter said.