### Issue 2200 - Tuesday 22nd October, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- OAIC releases guidelines on privacy & AI
- Tasmanian government used AI to justify property developer's claims
- CEO of ASX's largest tech company, WiseTech Global, is a creep
- Factorio Space Age expansion pack is out
- Cheap ThinkPad T14 Gen4, TCN gift cards, refurb SFF PCs, Moto G85 smartphone, CatchConnect pre-paid

## The News

### OAIC releases guidelines on privacy & AI

The OAIC has released a document titled "Guidance on privacy and developing and training generative AI models", designed to assist businesses in adhering to the Privacy Act while dabbling in AI. I've only read the intro, but the main message the guidance appears to want to get across is that you can't just take whatever data you've got on your customers or individuals and slap it into an AI system unless you have explicit opt-in consent to use that data specifically for AI. The OAIC told iTnews that "it is already in the initial stages of assessing a number of practices and entities for compliance" for AI and that "if non-compliance comes to our attention, we will consider taking regulatory action". Hopefully that action is more than a slap on the wrist like previous OAIC actions, if they even bother in the first place.

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### Tasmanian government used AI to justify property developer's claims

Also in AI news, the ABC is reporting that the Tasmanian government "used artificial intelligence (AI) to validate a developer's claim about the economic benefits of a contentious luxury hotel planned for Hobart". The Department of Premier and Cabinet said that "utilising artificial intelligence (Copilot), the State Planning Office obtained data suggesting that the estimates of 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) construction jobs and 100-150 direct hotel jobs are reasonable, given the 4.5-star rating of the proposed facility". The Greens tested "submitted several enquiries of their own into the AI assistant" and found that "Copilot initially based its answers about job creation estimates on message board posts" and when asked again, "based its answers on the government's press release about the hotel project".

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### CEO of ASX's largest tech company, WiseTech Global, is a creep

WiseTech Global isn't a household name but they are the ASX's largest technology company. They make logistics software used by loads of transport/freight companies around the world, but remain based in Sydney and over the last year or so has grown rapidly. This AFR article from August has a bit of background on WiseTech's rise. CEO Richard White, who is also the majority shareholder and now worth over $10b, got exposed by Nine as having a history of being a creep towards women. He'd get on LinkedIn and contact "numerous female entrepreneurs via text message and social media with offers of professional support that could shift into crude or suggestive language", plus other suspicious incidents involving women. 24 hours since that article was published, WiseTech's share price dropped almost 20%.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Factorio Space Age expansion pack is out

Heads up nerds, Factorio's much awaited expansion pack - Space Age - is now available to buy. This new expansion "continues the player's journey after launching rockets into space". Here's a YouTube trailer for it that shows off all the new bits and pieces. It looks massive. I spent weeks playing the original game last summer holidays, but it got too difficult for my dumb arse and I gave up. Seems like the perfect time to try again!

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## Bargains

- Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen4 (i7-1355U, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 1920x1200 IPS touch screen, 3yr warranty) - $1200 from Lenovo, $1020 after cashback
- 20x Everyday Rewards points on TCN gift cards and 10x points on eftpos gift cards at Woolworths
- Loads of refurb SFF PCs on sale at Metrocom, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M710S for $119 is the best bang for buck Plex box imho
- Motorola Moto G85 smartphone - $296.10 from Big W
- Catch Connect 365-day SIM with 200GB/360GB data, unlimited calls & SMS - $140/$200 from Catch for new customers

## Image Of The Day

Dick Smith Catalogue (1980)(Dick Smith Electronics)(AU) (Internet Archive / Jason Scott)

## The End

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