Think: Digital Futures

Would you make love to a robot?

Techno-sexuality. Digi-sexuality. I-dollatry and Robophilia are new sexualities made possible by technology. So who is behind these identities? And what’s the attraction?   Featuring Dr Belinda Middleweek, Senior Lecturer in Journalism in the School of Communications at University of Technology Sydney   Music from Epidemic Sound   Produced and presented by Lawrence Bull

Musical Robots

Ya like robo-jazz? Featured:   Dr. Richard Savery: Macquarie University Research Fellow (MQRF), Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music: Shimon Aarhus perf. Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and Shimon (provided by Dr. Richard Savery) Faster Does It Kevin McLeod   As AI becomes more advanced and nuanced, it is inevitable that we see it entering the arts. After my conversation with Dr. Sara Oscar, I was curious to ...

The comeback of stem cells: why this time, they might work.

For decades, stem cells have been the technology that’s just around the corner. The medicine that would fix just about part of the body. But stem cell injections haven’t delivered on their advertised potential. Now, thanks to ingenuity and machine learning, they'll have a shot. Featuring Dr Jiao Jiao Li, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney Produced and presented by Lawrence Bull

Conscious AI and the Universe

What is 'consciousness'? Featured: Dr Mahendra Samarawickrama; Director of the Centre for Consciousness Studies, Director of the Centre for Sustainable AI Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org The nature of consciousness is an emerging philosophical question that has been pondered for centuries. Now, with the advent of advanced Artificial Intelligence, the ethics and implications of conscious AI is ...

Is AI Art, 'Art'?

Where do AI generated imagery fall in the world of art? In September 2022, Jason M. Allen controversially won first prize in the Colorado State Fair's "digital arts/digitally-manipulated photography" competition. This event sparked a growing debate in the art world and on social media over the legitimacy of AI generated artwork. Many artists are calling foul on AI art, and are vehemently opposed to its inclusion in the arts on both creative and legal grounds. However, controversy always follo...

Collecting Music in the Digital Age

All of us have our own relationship with music, for some it provides some background colour to the day, for others it’s an integral part of life. But technology has changed our relationship with music, both in how we consume it and how we collect it. While it’s easier than ever to access an enormous amount of music from every era, genre and country on Earth, has it become more difficult to forge meaningful relationships with artists and their songs? How do we keep track of a lifetime’s worth ...

Preserving Video Game History

Advances in technology and art require a solid foundation of history in order to improve, progress and innovate. What happens when that history is tied up with copyright restrictions or only exists as an expensive artifact? With video games the highest earning entertainment products, can publishers be forgiven for protecting their investments by deciding what relics from the past we now get to discover, or should these long lost treasures be more accessible? Featured: Dr Jaime Garcia Deputy...

Deepfakes and Social Identity

Artificial Intelligence and Beer

Do you trust a robot with your beer? Featured: Doctor Nick Bennett: Senior Lecturer, School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering Danielle MacDonald: Brewer, Sydney Brewery Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms; sourced from Freesound.org. Outro music Modern Compersion One Man Book. AI will soon have a say in how you beer tastes. Researchers at UTS are developing new brewing technologies that will be able to monitor the brewing of beer at every...

3D Printing Stem Cells

Can a printer save a life? Featured: Professor Majid Warkiani: Biomedical Engineer, University of Technology Sydney Sajad Razavi Bazaz: Biomedical Engineer, PHD Candidate, UTS Produced and Presented by: Andrew Herlinger Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org Stem cell research offers great promise in the treatment of Australians living with diseases, cancers or a physical disfigurement. But with that potential comes concerns over its tendenc...

Robot and Human Trust

Does your robot trust you? As research hastens to making Brain-Computer Interfaces between robots and human a reality, we ought to examine the cultural significance behind it. We must consider the definition of “trust” and how it can be applied to an interface between a robot and a human. We can easily understand how much a human trusts a robot, but have you ever considered if a robot can trust a human? Can we even consider it at all? Cameron M. Furlong investigates. Features: Distinguished ...

Hey Google, Is That a Fact?

What happens when you ask Google to tell you the truth? Featured: Associate Professor Heather Ford: Head Of Discipline Digital and Social Media, UTS Produced and Presented by: Lawrence Bull Music: Theme for Empty Stage by Luella Gren It’s never been so easy to access quick information – a third of Australian adults use virtual assistants. But are we getting the facts?

A Kenyan Superhero VS Wikipedia

Just how representative is the world’s largest encyclopedia? Featured: Associate Professor Heather Ford: Head Of Discipline Digital and Social Media, UTS Produced and Presented by: Lawrence Bull Music: Ha-He by Just a Band The world’s biggest encyclopedia has a big problem. Female editors at Wikipedia are outnumbered by a factor of eight. Africans are underrepresented by a factor of 17.  The bias is built into the code, and that code is programming our future. If Wikipedia – one of the larges...

Fairness in Artificial Intelligence

Are the decisions made by AI really as unbiased as we think they are? Featured: Distinguished Professor Fang Chen: Executive Director of The Data Science Institute, UTS Doctor Ben Swift: Senior Lecturer, School of Computing, ANU Produced and Presented by: Andrew Herlinger Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org As AI and machine learning systems become more advanced, the more we see them enter into different aspects of our day to day lives. We ...

Whiskey Sniffing Electronic Nose

For the last 5 years, Dr. Su and his team have been developing an electronic nose that can sense gas compound patterns in the air. The E-nose that they have developed has the capability to distinguish between different brands of whiskey, including smelling out counterfeits. However, the dream does not end there for Dr. Su. He sees potential uses for this e-nose as far as drug detection and food safety, and even as a part of a robot with the full suite of human sensors. But how does an e-nose ...

The Gender Legislative Index

How can AI help in ensuring gender equality in legislation? Featured: Dr. Ramona Vijeyarasa: Senior Lecturer Faculty of Law, UTS; Architect of the Gender Legislative Index The Hon. Ruth Forrest: Member of the Legislative Council of Tasmania; Independent member for Murchison Produced and Presented by: Cameron M. Furlong Music by Trev Lewis from Hagfilms, Drakensson, and TheoTer. Sourced from Freesound.org As more scrutiny is put on the type of exclusionary and gender-biased language used in l...

Being queer on dating apps

Most of our search for love and sex has been uploaded onto apps - for better or worse. What effect is this having on queer communities, and what are the experiences of queer people using these apps? Language warning Featuring: Paul Byron, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Communication, UTS Eric, Former dating app user Damien, Current dating app user Producer/presenter: Josh Green Music: Epidemic sound

Empathy in the digital world

As technology and social media algorithms evolve faster than we can monitor them, how has our ability to empathise with others been affected? Featuring: Joshua Krook, PhD candidate, University of Adelaide. Dr Heather Ford, Head of Digital and Social Media, UTS. Brennan Hatton, CTO and co-founder of Equal Reality. Producer/presenter: Bageshri Savyasachi Music: Epidemic sound

Navigating the fertility industry online

What are the experiences of women using technology to make a baby? And how are they navigating the fertility industry online? Featuring: Natalie Hart, donor egg recipient Professor Anita Stuhmcke, faculty of law, UTS Dr Lizle Oosthuizen, reproduction medicine specialist, Cape Fertility Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

Digital vaccine passports and mass data collection

In order to open up safely after two years of restricted movement, many countries are introducing COVID-19 vaccination passports. But how will this work? In this episode we look at the safety and privacy concerns of these technologies and consider how they should cater to the digitally disadvantaged. Featuring: Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Lecturer in School of Mathematical and Physical Science at the University of Technology Sydney Dr Helen Paik, Senior Lecturer the School of Computer Science and...

Streamers go dark over hate raids

In this episode we observe how online hate speech can result in real-life consequences. How gaming and social media platforms are failing to censor dangerous content. And pushback from the community. Featured: DK, content creator and gamer on Youtube and Twitch Dr Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, senior lecturer, Behavioural Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel With research assistance from Eamonn Culhane Music: Epidemic Sound

Neurotechnology and the law

Technologies used to read and alter the brain are being introduced in courts around the world. But how will neuro-based evidence revolutionise the way we view criminals? Who decides who is a good citizen? And how do we create a future worth wanting and not merely inherit whatever future results from new technology? Featured: Dr Nicole Vincent, senior lecturer, Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

3D-printed housing in the face of climate change

As communities become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, how are architects using 3D-printing to ensure buildings are energy efficient? Featured: Dr Kim Loo, western Sydney GP, NSW chair, Doctors for the Environment Associate Professor Hank Haeusler, Director of the Bachelor of Computational Design, University of NSW Dr Tim Schork, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, University of Technology Sydney Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound,...

A billionaire space race

Amazon CEO and billionaire Jeff Bezos recently flew into space, days after billionaire Richard Branson made it into orbit. Space has always been a frontier for innovation, but what has been achieved so far, by the growing privatisation of the space industry? What risks are there? Featured: Kurby Ikin, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants, National Space Society Australia Iver Cairns, Professor in Space Physics, University of Sydney Professor Anna Moore, Director, Institut...

A game to support dementia diagnosis

Dementia is a confronting disease, with many barriers to early diagnosis and lengthy diagnostic processes. Researchers are developing new technologies in the hopes of easing that process. Featured: Sheila and Dale Fernanda Tavares Vasconcelos Oliveira, PhD student, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Dr Jaime Garcia, Senior Lecturer in Games Development, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: E...

A digital archive to support Indigenous repatriation

A huge repatriation effort has been ongoing for decades, in an attempt to return the ancestors and sacred objects of Indigenous people back to their homeland. We speak to two men who’ve helped develop a digital archive - to support that movement. Featured: Steve Hemming, associate professor, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, UTS Daryle Rigney, a citizen of the Ngarrindjeri nation, Director of the Indigenous Nations and Collaborative Futures Research hub, Jumbunna Inst...

How do we extract renewables minerals sustainably?

As we expand our mining of minerals for the green energy transition, we may harm the biodiversity of surrounding areas and cause other environmental consequences. How are researchers developing alternative technologies to extract metals like Lithium sustainably? Featured: Professor Rick Valenta, Director of the WH Bryan Mining and Geology Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland Dr Gayathri Naidu, researcher, Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, UTS...

Are new surveillance laws encroaching on privacy?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has jumped on the opportunity to expand surveillance laws following the success of Operation Ironside. But members of the cybersecurity community say new laws have been rushed and may encroach on individual privacy. Featured: Patrick Fair, commercial lawyer with expertise in intellectual property, competition law, telecommunications and privacy law Eric Pinkerton, cybersecurity consultant, Trustwave Dr Priyardarsi Nanda, senior lecturer, Faculty of Engineering...

The ethics of genetic testing in IVF

As a parent, you would do whatever you could to ensure that your child has a good life. But what if you knew that your unborn child would have a condition that would severely impact their quality of life? What if you could, at the earliest possible stage, choose against this? Featured: Dr Peter Illingworth, Medical Director, IVF Australia Professor Isabel Karpin, School of Law, University of Technology Sydney Steph Agnew, disability and IVF advocate Producer/Presenter: Toby Hemmings

Are digital mental health services working?

Which groups of Australians are benefiting most from digital mental health services? And how are psychologists adapting their practice to incorporate these new tools? Featured: Richard Mason, Batyr Lived Experience Speaker Bethany Wootton, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

Are Digital Mental Health Services Working?

Which groups of Australians are benefiting most from digital mental health services? And how are psychologists adapting their practice to incorporate these new tools? Featured: Richard Mason, Batyr Lived Experience Speaker Bethany Wootton, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, UTS Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic Sound

3D printing hearts, ears and skin

The technological capabilities of 3D printers continue to advance. In this episode, we explore the capability of 3D bio-printing, the printing of biological structures, such as heart tissue, bones, and skin. Could 3D printed heart tissue replace heart transplants in the future? What hurdles are there to implementing this technology in hospitals in Australia? Featured: Dr Carmine Gentile, lecturer at UTS School of Biomedical Engineering, group leader of the cardiovascular regeneration group a...

3D Printing Hearts, Ears, and Skin

The technological capabilities of 3D printers continue to advance. In this episode, we explore the capability of 3D bio-printing, the printing of biological structures, such as heart tissue, bones, and skin. Could 3D printed heart tissue replace heart transplants in the future? What hurdles are there to implementing this technology in hospitals in Australia? Featured: Dr Carmine Gentile, lecturer at UTS School of Biomedical Engineering, group leader of the cardiovascular regeneration group...

Automation and redefining work

Machines are beginning to replace human judgement and other cognitive tasks, not just physical labour, seeing millions of unemployed in coming decades. What will become of the unemployed masses? Idleness and depression? Or bountiful travel and leisure? And how will we distribute welfare equally? Featured: Dikai Liu, Director, Robotics Institute, UTS Benjamin Hunnicutt, historian, professor of work and leisure, Iowa University Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

Automation and Redefining Work

Machines are beginning to replace human judgement and other cognitive tasks, not just physical labour, seeing millions of unemployed in coming decades. What will become of the unemployed masses? Idleness and depression? Or bountiful travel and leisure? And how will we distribute welfare equally? Featured: Dikai Liu, Director, Robotics Institute, UTS Benjamin Hunnicutt, historian, professor of work and leisure, Iowa University Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

NFTs and the future of digital art

How are NFTs redefining the art world? Are blockchain powered marketplaces empowering artists or harming the environment? Featured: Craig Blackmoore, digital artist, founder House of Blackmoore Jaysson Guerrero, senior research consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound Some of us, Craig Blackmoore

NFTs and the Future of Digital Art

How are NFTs redefining the art world? Are blockchain powered marketplaces empowering artists or harming the the environment? Featured: Craig Blackmoore, digital artist, founder House of Blackmoore Jaysson Guerrero, senior research consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound Some of us, Craig Blackmoore

Google and ethical AI

Why has Google fired members of its ethical AI team? How pervasive are problematic algorithms in society? And who is holding developers of new technologies to account? We speak to leading AI researchers about current challenges facing the industry. Featured: Tiberio Caetano, Chief Scientist, Gradient Institute Professor Fang Chen, Executive Director of Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

Google and Ethical AI

Why has Google fired members of its ethical AI team? How pervasive are problematic algorithms in society? And who is holding developers of new technologies to account? We speak to leading AI researchers about current challenges facing the industry. Featured: Tiberio Caetano, Chief Scientist, Gradient Institute Professor Fang Chen, Executive Director of Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Producer/presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel Music: Epidemic sound

Online devices and privacy

Online devices are becoming ubiquitous in our lives. Some of them are convenient, or even essential- others are just fun novelties. But many people haven’t considered the security risk of, for example, having a camera connected to the internet in their home- or a doll that records their children’s voices. In this episode we’re looking at the risks and benefits of Internet of Things technology- and how you can make sure your devices aren’t giving away your personal information

1800-Dial-A-Government

They say that nothing gets things moving like a crisis. In this episode of Think: Digital Futures, we’ll take a closer look at how your smartphone is fundamentally changing the way we interact with government services. In today’s world of delivery food and Zoom meetings, should accessing government services be as easy as ordering a pad thai? Or will ridding the public service of the pens and paper that have fueled their longevity simply end in one big glitch?

1800-dial-a-government

They say that nothing gets things moving like a crisis. In this episode of Think: Digital Futures, we’ll take a closer look at how your smartphone is fundamentally changing the way we interact with government services. In today’s world of delivery food and Zoom meetings, should accessing government services be as easy as ordering a pad thai? Or will ridding the public service of the pens and paper that have fueled their longevity simply end in one big glitch?

Sensing the future

Sensors, ever smaller and cheaper, can collect ever more nuanced sets of data. With that data, we can understand our world in ever more detail. That can mean cleaner air in our cities, more efficient water usage, or even saving a rainforest species.

Farming futures

As climate breakdown makes farming an evermore unstable and unpredictable industry, technology is developing ways to maximise the efficiency of agriculture. This episode we look at how internet enabled devices, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are being used to improve farming practices in Australia.

Farming Futures

As climate breakdown makes farming an evermore unstable and unpredictable industry, technology is developing ways to maximise the efficiency of agriculture. This episode we look at how internet enabled devices, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are being used to improve farming practices in Australia.

A constant drone

Drones are all around us these days... everyone seems to own one, for better or worse. But should we be more wary of these flying sentinels? While they've proven to be effective in some of our biggest challenges, like wildlife conservation, they also pose massive risks to our civil liberties, and widen the surveillance state.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

We're living in an era of unprecedented change... just like previous industrial revolutions, our current one (well underway) is more than the sum of its technological advances; it's the incredible social change that goes along with it. Join former World Economic Forum advisor and author Nicholas Davis, as he discusses why we shouldn't be hands off when it comes to tech, the power of AI... and just what still makes us human in this tech age.

The fourth industrial revolution

We're living in an era of unprecedented change... just like previous industrial revolutions, our current one (well underway) is more than the sum of its technological advances; it's the incredible social change that goes along with it. Join former World Economic Forum advisor and author Nicholas Davis, as he discusses why we shouldn't be hands off when it comes to tech, the power of AI... and just what still makes us human in this tech age.

Predicting Super Bugs

Scientists have been warning the world about the rise of anti-microbial resistance for decades now- some strains of diseases like gonorrhea, tuberculosis and staph infections are almost completely resistant to even our most powerful drugs. A new project, headed up by the University of Technology Sydney, is working on tracking where this resistance develops, and predicting where resistant microbes might pop up next. We speak to some of the scientists on the project, about how it works, and wh...

Predicting super bugs

Scientists have been warning the world about the rise of anti-microbial resistance for decades now- some strains of diseases like gonorrhea, tuberculosis and staph infections are almost completely resistant to even our most powerful drugs. A new project, headed up by the University of Technology Sydney, is working on tracking where this resistance develops, and predicting where resistant microbes might pop up next. We speak to some of the scientists on the project, about how it works, and who...