• Artificial Intelligence

    Australia’s AI skills push needs a workplace practice layer


    Gleb Tsipursky |  August 10, 2026


    Australia’s policy debate has quickly moved from whether AI will affect work to how institutions should manage it. Australia needs a workplace practice layer between national AI principles and individual tool use: task-specific training, explicit human handoffs, manager coaching, and outcome measures.


  • Society

    Freedom and responsibility


    John Coyne |  August 10, 2026


    Over time, we’ve allowed the public boundary between peaceful protest, civil disobedience, criminal coercion and terrorism to become increasingly blurred. Restoring that boundary is no longer simply a matter of criminal law; it’s becoming a question of democratic resilience.


  • Space

    Modernising Australian space laws


    Tristan Eng |  August 10, 2026


    Australia cannot build a resilient space sector while its legal framework remains incomplete and fails to keep pace with commercial change.


Latest Story

  • Glassholes

    Milica Stilinovic     |      August 9, 2026

    The falling price and increasing sophistication of ‘smart glasses’ which can record and analyse everything they see raises important questions of privacy for everyone who’s filmed in public without their consent.

  • Trump may drown in his own cesspool

    Bruce Wolpe     |      August 9, 2026

    Trump has tried to bend America’s legal system to his will with flagrant disregard for the proper separation of powers, but despite his ever increasing vindictiveness, he’s facing pushback.

  • The variable costs of overheads

    Anita Manfreda     |      August 9, 2026

    From February 2nd 2027, passengers on Jetstar will only be able to bring one small bag that fits under the seat for free. Anyone wanting to store a bag in the overhead locker will need to pay an additional fee, with prices varying by route. It’s time to use another airline.

  • Avoiding online census scams

    Ritesh Chugh     |      August 8, 2026

    More than 85% of Australians will complete this year’s census online, so here’s how to avoid potential phishing scams by cyber criminals looking to trick you into giving them your identity information instead.

  • The drone age

    John Coyne     |      August 8, 2026

    From Ukraine to the Red Sea, autonomous systems have become ubiquitous across the battlespace, sacrificing themselves to maximise mission effectiveness and so changing the nature of war.

  • Reading the runes

    Jane Adkins     |      August 8, 2026

    AI has proved its worth in seamlessly translating one modern language to another on request, but could it help decipher the lost ancient languages like Etruscan and Minoan Linear?

  • Fixing American politics

    Charles Gueli     |      August 7, 2026

    The United States has repeatedly updated its governing institutions since its inception, and, once the turmoil of the current administration is over, the future effectiveness of American governance will depend on the willingness of policymakers, scholars, and citizens to rethink how the federal system operates and how it might be improved.

  • Delete me

    Dana Lungu     |      August 7, 2026

    Deletion is a common part of modern life. We send files and folders to the recycle bin all the time, and often get rid of unwanted personal accounts. But do you know what really happens when you hit the “delete” button?

  • Won’t somebody think of the robots?

    Open Forum     |      August 7, 2026

    A new study explores the critical ethical considerations, economic potential, and policy implications of the “intelligent machines” that are increasingly walking among us.

  • Autonomous arms in Ukraine

    David Kirichenko     |      August 6, 2026

    Ukraine has embraced a range of cheap but advanced autonomous systems to resist Russia’s invasion and strike back at the enemy which may reshape the future of warfare.

  • Forbidden Planet

    Cameron Shackell     |      August 6, 2026

    When Forbidden Planet arrived in cinemas in 1956 it was pure science fiction, but its tale of a civilisation destroyed by the technology it created seems all too likely to become science fact.

  • The true cost of vapes

    Hollie Harwood     |      August 6, 2026

    A new study published reveals the daily reality of vaping addiction among younger Australians, detailing how the products are disrupting lives and being relied on for stress-relief.