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The Australian government recently passed legislation that bans social media for anyone under 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the legislation for putting “the onus on social media platforms — not young people or their parents” — for protecting youth from online harms. Australia is... Read Full article on HadNews.com

Since 2019, the Australian Department for Industry, Science and Resources has been striving to make the nation a leader in “safe and responsible” artificial intelligence (AI). Key to this is a voluntary framework based on eight AI ethics principles, including “human-centred values”, “fairness” and “transparency and explainability”. Every subsequent piece of national guidance on AI has spun off these eight principles, imploring business, government and schools to put them into practice. But these voluntary principles have no real hold on organisations that develop and deploy AI systems. Last month, the Australian government started consult...... Read Full article on HadNews

A popular wildlife park in Brisbane has announced it will no longer offer “koala holds”, prompting questions about whether other captive animal facilities should follow. Koala handling has long been criticised by animal welfare advocates. They say koalas are naturally solitary, nocturnal animals that become stressed when placed in close proximity to humans – so hugging them is “completely unacceptable”. I study stress in animals, particularly marsupials – and I can confirm koala cuddles are detrimental to these animals. There’s a compelling evidenced-based argument for other zoos and wildlife parks to reassess their policies on koa...... Read Full article on HadNews

People living in southern Australia won’t have failed to notice how cold it is. Frosty nights and chilly days have been the weather for many of us since the start of July. As winter continues, we are left wondering how unusual the cold is and whether we can expect several more months of this. Warmer conditions are in the forecast but winter has a long way to go. Further cold snaps could occur. Cold conditions have been in place across southern Australia for the past few days. Temperatures have fallen below zero overnight in many places. Minimum temperatures have been below average across south...... Read Full article on HadNews

Photos of Australian children have been used without consent to train artificial intelligence (AI) models that generate images. A new report from the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch has found the personal information, including photos, of Australian children in a large data set called LAION-5B. This data set was created by accessing content from the publicly available internet. It contains links to some 5.85 billion images paired with captions. Companies use data sets like LAION-5B to “teach” their generative AI tools what visual content looks like. A generative AI tool like Midjourney or Stable Diffusion will then assembl...... Read Full article on HadNews

For the second year in a row, over 100 hammerheads have gathered at one of Australia’s busiest beaches, Burleigh Beach in the Gold Coast. Why aren’t we alarmed? Because these are small scalloped hammerheads, not the larger great hammerhead. Even this species is feared far more than it deserves. Plus, these scalloped hammerheads are juveniles between 40 cm and 1 metre. Scalloped hammerheads prefer tropical and temperate oceans. But as the oceans heat up, they’re moving further south – just as we’re seeing in Western Australia, where these timid sharks are now gathering off Perth. These remarkable sharks are one of the few social ...... Read Full article on HadNews

The Bugs of the Zoo (Full Episode) | Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under Feeding time at the zoo is like a military operation to keep all the residents fed, and at Teranga's kitchens, the bug house is always buzzing with activity. Insects are a crucial part of the diet for many insectivorous animals at the zoo, and the Bug House ensures that they are always stocked with live food. Christine, a food technician at the Bug House, meticulously prepares weekly orders of insects for the zoo's insect-eating animals. From mealworms to maggots to crickets, every bug is bred on site and carefully packed for delivery to various precincts around the zoo. M...... Read Full article on HadNews

A new nationally representative survey has revealed Australians are deeply concerned about the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). They want the government to take stronger action to ensure its safe development and use. We conducted the survey in early 2024 and found 80% of Australians believe preventing catastrophic risks from advanced AI systems should be a global priority on par with pandemics and nuclear war. As AI systems become more capable, decisions about how we develop, deploy and use AI are now critical. The promise of powerful technology may tempt companies – and countries – to race ahead without heeding the risks. Our f...... Read Full article on HadNews

Meta has announced that the Facebook News tab will be removed for U.S. and Australian users. The section was already shut down last year in the UK, France, and Germany as the company shifted its focus towards providing content that people “want to see more of on the platform.” The section had provided news content since 2019, as a way to “bring people closer to the stories that affect their lives.” However, following the rise of TikTok, the company has shifted its resources toward short-form video content through its Reels feature. “As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has announced it will stop paying for news content in Australia when the current deals it has expire. Meta will also cease news aggregation on the site. Three years ago, the company signed deals with Australian news outlets after the government introduced laws requiring tech companies to pay for the news on their platforms. The law only comes into effect if no commercial deal is struck. Meta has now decided that the cost of providing news in Australia is too high. Its reason for the change is to “better align our investments to our products and services people value the most”. That is, it saves money....... Read Full article on HadNews

Crocodile Dundee, released in 1986, quickly became a beloved classic that captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. The film not only left a lasting imprint on cinema but also on the lives of its talented cast. In this video, we take a look at where the stars of the iconic Crocodile Dundee series have wandered off to, 37 years later. Paul Hogan, who portrayed the rugged and charming Crocodile Dundee, catapulted to international superstardom after the film’s release. Despite facing various challenges in his personal and professional life, Hogan has remained active in the industry, showcasing his unique brand of Australian humor. Linda...... Read Full article on HadNews

24 Strange Things That Only Exist in AUSTRALIA Making the Whole World Amazed ! Do you know that Australia is a country that attracts a lot of tourists because of its beautiful natural landscapes and the strange, mysterious things that are unique to this country? For example, it is the homeland of kangaroos and venomous snakes, or you can become super rich by finding gold while touring in Australia. If any of you are planning to study or travel to the land of kangaroos, join me in this video to explore the strange things in Australia. And if you want to see what peculiar things this land has to offer, stay tuned, as we travel to the vast and s...... Read Full article on HadNews

Regional touring festival Groovin’ The Moo has announced its cancellation only eight days after placing tickets on sale, citing low demand. A mainstay of the summer festival calendar, this follows a series of similar cancellations, including the 2023 edition of Falls Festival, ValleyWays, Coastal Jam and Vintage Vibes, and the “pausing” of Hobart’s iconic Dark Mofo for 2024. So why are we seeing so many Australian music festivals cancelled? And what will the future of festivals look like? Growing challenges for festivals The well-documented cost-of-living crisis is an obvious culprit when it comes to low demand for festivals, as c...... Read Full article on HadNews

A paradox lies at the heart of Australian public opinion about climate change. While there is clear general support for substantial government action to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, there is also strong concern about the local impacts of new renewable energy infrastructure. The rise of protest groups in regional Australia objecting to the installation of wind farms and transmission lines, in particular, presents a serious challenge to the Albanese government in communicating the importance of the net zero transition to the public. In principle it seems that Australians strongly support this transition. In a poll for the Aust...... Read Full article on HadNews

The Australian government will pursue stronger regulation for artificial intelligence (AI) systems in response to public concern over emerging technologies like ChatGPT. The country’s Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic released the government’s interim response to a consultation on AI safety and responsibility on Wednesday (Jan.17). Adopting AI could boost Australia’s GDP by up to $600 billion annually analysts have predicted, but surveys show only one-third of Aussies believe adequate safeguards currently exist. The prosperous nation is one of the most nervous in the world about the rollout of artificial intelligence. Results of t...... Read Full article on HadNews

Animal Anthem of Taronga Zoo | Secrets of the Zoo Down Under The Animal Anthem of Taronga Zoo is a captivating symphony of sounds that resonates from dawn till dusk. From the powerful roar of the majestic lions to the chilling bellow of the koalas, the zoo is alive with the sound of creatures from all over the world. In particular, Thunder, a special five-year-old koala, is known for his impressive bellow that can be heard from miles away. The koala bellow is a unique way of communication, used by males to establish territory and search for a female during the breeding season. Even the most mundane sounds, like raking, can set Thunder off a...... Read Full article on HadNews

This week, federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic announced the Australian government’s response to the Safe and Responsible AI in Australia consultation. The response addresses feedback from last year’s consultation on artificial intelligence (AI). It received more than 500 submissions, noting “excitement for the opportunities” of AI tools, but also raising concerns about potential risks and Australians’ expectations for “regulatory safeguards to prevent harms”. Instead of enacting a single AI regulatory law like the European Union has done, the Australian government plans to focus on high-risk areas of AI implementation ...... Read Full article on HadNews