Author: The Conversation

News that several New Zealand universities have given up using detection software to expose student use of artificial intelligence (AI) underlines the challenge higher education is facing. With AI tools such as ChatGPT now able to produce essays, reports and case studies in seconds, the old assessment model is breaking down. For decades, that model was valued for testing not just knowledge, but also analysis, argumentation and communication. Now, however, its reliability is under pressure. If a machine can generate a plausible essay on demand, how can we be sure we are assessing a student’s own understanding and reasoning? We have been…

In the rush to cash in on the generative artificial intelligence gold rush, one possible outcome of AI’s future rarely gets discussed: what if the technology never works well enough to replace your co-workers, companies fail to use AI well or most AI startups simply fail? Current estimates suggest big AI firms face a US$800 billion dollar revenue shortfall. So far, genAI’s productivity gains are minimal and mostly for programmers and copywriters. GenAI does some neat, helpful things, but it’s not yet the engine of a new economy. It’s not a bad future, but it’s different from the one currently driving news headlines. And it’s a future that doesn’t fit…

The press has always used metaphors and examples to simplify complex issues and make them easier to understand. With the rise of chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the tendency to humanise technology has intensified, whether through comparisons to medicine, well-known similes, or dystopian scenarios. Although what lies behind AI is nothing more than code and circuits, the media often portrays algorithms as having human qualities. So what do we lose, and what do we gain, when AI ceases to be a mere device and becomes, linguistically speaking, a human alter ego, an entity that “thinks”, “feels” and even “cares”? The…

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s a relationship challenge. Every time you give a task to AI, whether it’s approving a loan or driving a car, you’re shaping the relationship between humans and AI. These relationships aren’t always static. AI that begins as a simple tool can morph into something far more complicated: a challenger, a companion, a leader, a teammate or some combination thereof. Movies have long been a testing ground for imagining how these relationships might evolve. From 1980s sci-fi films to today’s blockbusters, filmmakers have wrestled with questions about what happens when humans rely on intelligent machines. These movies…

If it’s steered correctly, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to accelerate development. It can drive breakthroughs in agriculture. It can expand access to healthcare and education. It can boost financial inclusion and strengthen democratic participation. But without deliberate action, the AI “revolution” risks deepening inequality more than it will expand opportunity. As a scholar of the history and future of AI, I’ve written about the dangers of AI widening global inequality. There’s an urgent need to develop governance mechanisms that will try to redistribute the benefits of this technology. The scale of the AI gap is stark. Africa holds less than 1%…

Talking monkeys vlogging from sacred sites, three-legged sharks wearing Nike sneakers, babies trapped in space… if you spend any time on social media these days you’re likely to come across such examples of what’s been dubbed “AI slop”. These short videos are simultaneously flashy, generic and bizarre, characterised by uncanny visuals, robotic voiceovers and nonsensical narratives. The rapid emergence of the generative AI video tools capable of conjuring such cinematic images from simple text prompts has been met with a mixture of awe, derision and concern. Their outputs, often dazzling at first glance but riddled with odd features, occupy a…

Robots come in a vast array of shapes and sizes. By definition, they’re machines that perform automatic tasks and can be operated by humans, but sometimes work autonomously – without human help. Most of these machines are built for a specific purpose: think of the puck-shaped robot vacuum or a robotic assembly arm in a factory. But recently, human-shaped or humanoid robots have increasingly entered the spotlight. Humanoid robots are exactly what they sound like – machines with arms, legs, a torso and a head, typically walking upright on two legs. Investment in humanoid robot development has been skyrocketing recently. If…

Deepfakes are forgeries of people’s faces, voices and likeness generated through artificial intelligence (AI). They create a serious digital deception. Deepfakes undermine constitutional rights, reduce trust in media and distort fairness in elections. While many countries have laws that address the risks caused by deepfakes, enforcement remains a challenge. Deepfakes began to be widely created in 2017 after they’d first appeared on Reddit, a discussion website of forums where people exchange information. A Reddit user called Deepfakes shared an AI software tool that could superimpose celebrities’ faces on pornographic videos. AI-generated media became widely accessible through software apps that enable people…

Just for a moment this month, Larry Ellison, co-founder of US cloud computing company Oracle, became the world’s richest person. The octogenarian tech titan briefly overtook Elon Musk after Oracle’s share price rocketed 43% in a day, adding about US$100 billion to his wealth. The reason? Oracle inked a deal to provide artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI with US$300 billion in computing power over five years. While Ellison’s moment in the spotlight was fleeting, it also illuminated something far more significant: AI has created extraordinary levels of concentration in global financial markets. This raises an uncomfortable question not only for seasoned investors…

Scams are nothing new – fraud has existed as long as human greed. What changes are the tools. Scammers thrive on exploiting vulnerable, uninformed users, and they adapt to whatever technologies or trends dominate the moment. In 2025, that means AI, cryptocurrencies and stolen personal data are their weapons of choice. And, as always, the duty, fear and hope of their targets provide openings. Today, duty often means following instructions from bosses or co-workers, who scammers can impersonate. Fear is that a loved one, who scammers can also impersonate, is in danger. And hope is often for an investment scheme…