• Handle with care

    Open Forum     |      June 10, 2026

    Flinders University experts are warning that artificial intelligence must be carefully evaluated and governed before it is adopted widely in healthcare, saying rapid advances do not automatically translate into safe use for patients.

  • How tech acts human to gain our trust

    Open Forum     |      June 8, 2026

    Anthropomorphism describes our tendency to attribute human characteristics, emotions or behaviors to machines, animals or natural phenomena and tech companies exploit it to boost engagement with AI.

  • Generwriting

    Ryan Leack     |      June 6, 2026

    The “generative content” or “synthetic text” produced by large language models certainly isn’t writing in the human sense of the word, so what should we call it?

  • Of art and artifice

    Elisa Tersigni     |      June 4, 2026

    In a landscape increasingly saturated with instant content, the verified effort of a human creator is shifting from a baseline expectation to a highly coveted, bespoke quality. Ultimately, what we value about art is not whether it’s perfect, but its ability to connect us with another human being.

  • The risks and rewards of AI biology

    Stephen Turner     |      June 4, 2026

    Artificial intelligence is rapidly learning to autonomously design and run biological experiments, but the systems intended to govern those capabilities are struggling to keep pace.

  • Welcome to workslop!

    Mary Tate     |      June 3, 2026

    The New Zealand government’s promised overhaul of its public service has made much of the potential of artificial intelligence to streamline operations and compensate for savage cuts in the workforce, so will it work?

  • Don’t get fooled again

    T.J. Thomson     |      June 3, 2026

    AI generated images, videos and articles are everywhere, so how can you recognise them as the auto-generated slop they are and avoid them in future?

  • Godbots

    Adam Fenton     |      June 2, 2026

    The phenomenon of unofficial religious AI chatbots – also known as “godbots” – is a recent development offering both opportunity and danger for both users and society.

  • AI in health education

    Filippe Oliveira     |      June 1, 2026

    If GenAI is to play a meaningful role in preparing future health professionals, then it needs to be judged with the same care we apply to the rest of health practice.

  • How the Pope took on AI

    Anna Rowlands     |      May 31, 2026

    The Vatican has a chequered history with regard to its reaction to scientific and medical developments, but the Pope’s encyclical on artificial intelligence was the product of widespread expert consultation.

  • Magnificent humanity

    Niusha Shafiabady     |      May 28, 2026

    Pope Leo XIV has just declared artificial intelligence one of the defining moral challenges of our time in his first encyclical. Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) argues the technology must serve humanity, rather than concentrate power or weaken human dignity.

  • AI ‘nothingburgers’

    Daswin de Silva     |      May 28, 2026

    Every company is an AI company now, hyping up their latest product as the next big thing, so why do so many of these fail to deliver any benefits at all?