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NEWS

Read our latest news, event top takeouts and announcements.

  • 20 May 2019 14:24 | Deleted user


    Easter is almost upon us, and with that there is a small glimpse of freedom for us all to enjoy. Here we have collated a list of the best tech podcasts and books for those long drives and lazy days.

    BOOKS


    SURVEILLANCE VALLEY - YASHA LEVINE

    Surveillance Valley explores the roots of the internet when it was used as a tool for surveillance and control, and delves deeper into the muddled reality behind the modern privacy movement.

    This book will be a page turner for any individual with an interest in the history of the web, and for those who want to know more about its origins as a weapon.




    BROTOPIA: BREAKING UP THE BOYS CLUB OF

    SILICON VALLEY - EMILY CHANG

    A different sort of tech novel, exploring the homogeneous society of Silicon Valley’s tech bro communities. A world where discrimination and harassment are rife within the workplace, this book critiques the entrenched sexism found within what is supposed to be society’s most progressive minds.

    The novel features interviews with the most successful women in tech, and insider scoops on the uncomfortable reality of this inequality. This book shows you how to turn this ‘brotopia’ on its head.

     

    HIT REFRESH - SATYA NADELLA

    Although Nadella comes across as technocrat in his part autobiographical book ‘hit refresh’, it is a must read for anyone interested in the life and times of a Microsoft CEO. Born in Hyderabad in India,  Nadella speaks of his childhood, moving to America, his family life and career. Coupled with multiple philosophical and political musings, the book carries across his personality and a particular candid warmth.

     

    INNOVATION AND IT’S ENEMIES - CALESTOUS

    JUMA

    This book will be a page turner for any tech fanatic, documenting the history of emerging tech, and the worries that are often associated with them. The novel explores how we can shift the public’s perception of new tech, whilst touching on themes such as inequality within the industry along the way.

     

    SOONISH: TEN DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGIES

    THAT’LL IMPROVE AND/OR RUIN EVERYTHING -

    DR KELLY WEINERSMITH

    A more lighthearted take on a seemingly doom and gloom subject, Zach and Dr Kelly Weinersmith explore all of the new and emerging tech that will either make or break the world. It covers real and imagined technologies that could potentially change the world, and what steps would have to be taken to create and release them.

     

    PODCASTS

    ACCIDENTAL TECH PODCAST

    This podcast is a fan favourite, and one of the most successful and well respected tech podcasts out there. The three hosts are some of the best developers in the industry, and listening in on their discussions almost feels like a privilege at times.  The show ranges from in depth explanations of the latest products, to light-hearted banter between tech friends with a bit of everything packed into the 2 hour time-slot.

    ANALOG(UE)

    A podcast focused on the more human side of tech, this one is for all the people struggling to integrate tech such as their Apple Watch or Google Home into their daily routine. The show gives tips on how to make time for your weekend coding project, as well as how to tackle your greatest tech woes.

    CLOCKWISE

    This podcast stands out from the rest with its round-table discussions. The two hosts have two new industry guests each week, and with each episode under 30 minutes it is a perfect podcast for those short on time. Each episode covers a range of topics, from Windows 10 to online advertising. Although the episodes are short, they always cover the latest events as well as a couple of extra surprises for a show that packs a punch.

    ROCKET

    An all female podcast that explores everything tech and geek culture. Featuring Mashable’s Senior Tech Correspondent and Media Specialist Christina Warren, Game Development and Tech Feminist, Brianna Wu; and Family Gaming and Diversity Writer, Simone De Rochefort. Their knowledge and love of tech, video games and everything in-between is the perfect formula for a podcast like no other.


  • 20 May 2019 14:23 | Deleted user


    We’ve all received a Facebook message request about an unclaimed lottery, or felt quietly smug after confidently deleting a dodgy text from the “bank”. But the reality of cybercrime in 2019 is that it’s never been more insidious, prevalent, or successful than it is right now and it’s only set to get worse.  

    As it does, our April panel discussed how the cyber security market is evolving alongside cybercrime, and found we really are in a race to secure our data, and the way we operate as individuals, and businesses, in almost every facet of our hyper-connected lives.

    WE EXPLORED:

    • The state of the current cyber security market

    • The most common threats

    • Attitudes of businesses to cyber security and the current safeguards and solutions

    • Role of government and regulators

    • Where the market is heading

    WITH PANELISTS:

    TAKEOUTS

    1. Phishing attacks have risen by 76%, surpassing malware.

    2. You should have two-factor authentication on everything.

    3. You should also have a password manager for everything but your email and banking.

    4. Use the biometrics available on your devices. There are new measures on the way like voice recognition alongside of blood flow, which can be detected by cameras.

    5. Patch your software, otherwise you increase the risk of attack each day you don’t.

    6. Security should be incorporated during development, rather than reverse engineered into the final product.

    7. SME’s need to make cybersecurity a priority. Don’t stick your head in the sand, take action before it’s too late.

    8. Seek out resources to help you secure your networks. We recommend beginning with the eSafety Commissioner.

    9. The perception is that Australia either doesn’t understand cyber security, or it doesn’t take it seriously thanks to the poorly written Telecommunications Assistance and Access Act introduced in December of 2018.

    10. Quantum computing may soon become a reality, and when it does everything we know about cybersecurity will be turned on its head.


  • 20 May 2019 14:21 | Deleted user


    Between 2002 and 2015, clothing sales almost doubled to $1.8 trillion. Fast fashion alone is expected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2025. On average, we’re buying 60% more and keeping it for half as long as we did 15 years ago. Australians in particular, are the second-largest consumers of new textiles, yet our local retailers are struggling and there is a seemingly endless procession of stalwart brands announcing they’re going into administration every other week. 

    Our March panel showed us that the future might not be so grim though, with an emerging convergence between the survival Australian retail and the survival of the planet, driven by digital.  

    We explored:

    • What is digital transformation in fashion

    • How values are driving a new retail landscape

    • The re-emergence of bricks-and-mortar

    • Digital as an enabler for ethics (supply chain transparency and sustainability)

    • Advances in manufacturing

    • The role of data

    WITH PANELISTS

    THE TAKEOUTS

    1. Successful digital transformations are accountable to a need and the customer, rather than driven by trend or hype.

    2. Consumers are seeking to bond with brands that mirror their values, and are open and transparent about their purpose and supply chain.

    3. Whilst transparency and artistry generally mean a higher price point, consumers are willing to pay provided you engage them in the experience.

    4. Find ways to engage through shared values at every touchpoint by telling your brand story and combining the tangible with the intellectual and emotional.

    5. In the new age of values-driven, personalised, experiential retail, data remains Queen.  No transformation can occur without it.

    6. Identify your touch points and paths to conversion. All of them.

    7. Pick your platforms, set them up well, and stick with them.

    8. Playing it safe is playing to fail.

    9. Make innovation business-as-usual. Find a way to make R&D a regular event.

    10. The most powerful thing you can do is understand and articulate your value proposition, build a business model that reflects it, and tools that help you execute it.

    Photo by bruce mars from Pexels


  • 20 May 2019 14:18 | Deleted user


    The Churchill Club is excited to announce that the second Top Tech Trends Debate will be held on Wednesday September 4, 2019.

    Like last year, the Debate will feature as part of the State Government’s Digital Innovation Festival.

    Unlike anything else that currently exists in Australia, the event is run in debate format; showcasing the visions of five leading industry professionals pitching their ideas on the next big thing, and allowing the audience to vote on a winner. The criteria for each trend is that it must not be obvious today but may well be in the future, and will make an explosive impact in 3-5 years’ time.

    Last year’s inaugural debate was a huge success and sold out with over 180 guests in attendance at PwC. Melbourne entrepreneur, Kee Wong, who also sits on the boards of CarSales, Committee for Melbourne and Victoria University (amongst other roles) won the debate. Knowledgeable in all things engineering, IT and business, Kee argued the biggest trend coming our way is “the future of education”.

    He believes that Australia's Higher Education Industry – which is the third largest export revenue for Australia and the highest export revenue for the state of Victoria – is under threat to being disrupted. What’s interesting is his prediction is that the disruption won’t be by other groups of universities, but by online platform players like Amazon et al.

    The Debate is an adaptation of the Top Tech Trends event that has been successfully run by the Churchill Club in Silicon Valley for 20 consecutive years.

    Bec Kempster, CEO of the Churchill Club, also says: “We’re excited to be hosting the Top Tech Trends Debate again in 2019. The format was a huge success and the event gives both the business community and general public the opportunity to peer inside the minds of the pioneers that are investing in our future, to understand how they see our world and to leverage these insights in their own industry or organisation.”

    We encourage the technology community of Victoria to save the date so that you may join us for an evening of insightful, thought-provoking discussion over canapés and drinks.

    Please contact us if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor of the Debate.


  • 2 Feb 2019 14:11 | Deleted user


    The Churchill Club is pleased to announce changes to the Committee following last week’s Committee Meeting.

    The Committee moved to co-opt in Peter Bauld as a new member to ensure the Committee size was maintained with Brendan Lewis stepping down.

    Peter is a Director at Deloitte Australia. He’s responsible for delivering the new Deloitte Digital offering across APAC, UK and US managing senior teams, formulating strategy and growth plans to provide clients end-to-end integrated and scalable solutions.

    His previous experience includes founding Our Boys & Girls, Slide Productions and Dominion Cooperative all of which he grew from humble beginnings and personal investment to multimillion dollar operations employing over 1,500 staff and contractors here in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

    Of his appointment, Peter said, “It’s a true honour to be asked to join the Churchill Club committee where I can have the opportunity to help industry understand and implement emerging technology. An already extremely talented team, I hope I can bring my expertise to further strengthen the group through my background and current role as a Director at Deloitte Digital focusing on Emerging Technology across the APAC region.” 

    “We are excited to welcome Peter into the Committee,” said CEO, Bec Kempster. “Peter has extensive experience in running multiple, multimillion dollar businesses, both here and overseas, including in events. His work at Deloitte places him at the cutting edge of emerging technologies, and the opportunities and challenges these technologies present to industry. This is very much aligned with our purpose at the Churchill Club. I look forward to the value Peter will bring as we work this year on increasing our offer to help Victorian businesses reduce friction when implementing emerging technologies.”

    Co-founder and Treasurer, Brendan Lewis, also tended his resignation at the meeting. 

    Brendan, a Melbourne based technologist and entrepreneur, co-founded the Churchill Club in Australia in 2005 and chaired the club for its first ten years. He departs his role with the committee to focus his energies on growing AI company, Real Thing Entertainment into North America & Europe (requiring a relocation to the USA). 

    "It has been great to see Bec and the team take the Churchill Club in new directions whilst remaining true to our founding principles of emerging technology, practical entrepreneurship and innovative thinking”, said Brendan Lewis. “I can leave Australia knowing the Club is in safe hands and Peter Bauld will be a real asset."

    During the meeting, Peter Nolle was appointed as the new Treasurer. As Director of a specialised consulting firm, Treadstone, Peter has extensive business and financial management experience. This has been gained from a career spanning over 17 years in engineering, finance and information technology industries, working both in the UK and, more recently, Australia.

    Chair, Susan Keyes-Pearce said the following of the changes to the Committee, “I’m delighted that Peter Bauld is coming onto the Committee and I know he’ll bring so much to our key reasons for being The Churchill Club. In saying that, we will miss Brendan’s insightful, experienced and always lively input as a Founder, a Committee Member and Treasurer and wish him much success and enjoyment ahead in his new work and life overseas.  I also appreciate very much that current Committee Member, Peter Nolle is stepping into the Treasurer role.” 


  • 18 Dec 2018 14:17 | Deleted user


    ‘Tis the season for catching up on all the interesting books, videos, podcasts and articles you didn’t have time to get through during the year.

    To help you make the most of your precious holiday time, we’ve put together our shortlist for the best books, podcasts and videos on emerging tech that you may have missed in 2018.

    BOOKS

    2062.jpg

    2062: THE WORLD THAT AI MADE BY TOBY WALSH

    In 2062, Toby Walsh considers the impact AI will have on work, war, politics, economics, everyday human life and, indeed, human death. Will robots become conscious? Will automation take away jobs? Will we become immortal machines ourselves, uploading our brains to the cloud?

    What lies in store for homo digitalis – the people of the not-so-distant future who will be living amongst fully functioning artificial intelligence? In the tradition of Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus, 2062 describes the choices we need to make today to ensure that future remains bright.

    Order here.

    made-by-humans.jpg

    MADE BY HUMANS: THE AI CONDITION BY ELLEN BROAD

    Artificial intelligence can be all too human: quick to judge, capable of error, vulnerable to bias. It’s made by humans, after all. Humans make decisions about the laws and standards, the tools, the ethics in this new world. Who benefits. Who gets hurt.

    Made by Humans explores our role and responsibilities in automation. Roaming from Australia to the UK and the US, elite data expert Ellen Broad talks to world leaders in AI about what we need to do next. It is a personal, thought-provoking examination of humans as data and humans as the designers of systems that are meant to help us. 

    Order now.

    elon-musk.jpg

    ELON MUSK: TESLA, SPACEX AND THE QUEST FOR A FANTASTIC FUTURE BY ASHLEE VANCE

    Elon Musk spotlights the technology and vision of Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, who sold one of his Internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius's life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits.

    Vance uses Musk's story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition?

    Order now.

    bad-blood.jpg

    BAD BLOOD: SECRETS AND LIES IN A SILICON VALLEY STARTUP BY JOHN CARREYROU

    One of Bill Gates' "5 Books I Loved in 2018".

    In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup 'unicorn' promised to revolutionise the medical industry with a machine that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier. 

    Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at $9 billion, putting Holmes's worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: the technology didn't work. 

    For years, Holmes had been misleading investors, FDA officials, and her own employees. John Carreyrou tells the story of Theranos, and encourages us to consider the possible repercussions of our blind faith in a small group of brilliant individuals. 

    Order now.

    machine-platform-crowd-harnessing-our-digital-future.jpg

    MACHINE, PLATFORM, CROWD: HARNESSING OUR DIGITAL FUTURE BY ANDREW MCAFEE & ERIK BRYNJOLFSSON

    From the authors of the best-selling The Second Machine Age, a leader’s guide to success in a rapidly changing economy. 

    Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson know what it takes to master this digital-powered shift: we must rethink the integration of minds and machines, of products and platforms, and of the core and the crowd. The balance now favours the second element of the pair, with massive implications for how we run our companies and live our lives. McAfee and Brynjolfsson deliver a penetrating analysis of a new world and a toolkit for thriving in it.

    Order now.

    PODCASTS

    tedtalkstech.jpg

    TED TALKS TECHNOLOGY

    Some of the world's leading inventors and researchers share demos, breakthroughs and visions onstage at the TED conference, TEDx events and partner events around the world.

    Listen here.

    withoutfail.jpeg

    WITHOUT FAIL

    Candid conversations with people who have done hard things: what worked, what didn't and why. Hosted by Alex Blumberg.

    Listen here.

    AI-Australia.jpg

    AI AUSTRALIA

    Hosted by Churchill Club panelists, James Wilson and Nigel Dalton. In-depth conversations with technology leaders, academics, and AI professionals about all things artificial intelligence. They explore a broad range of topics including AI strategy, technology and ethics providing valuable insights for Australian businesses at all stages of AI adoption.

    Listen here.

    VIDEOS

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    AI is massively transforming our world, but there's one thing it cannot do: love. In a visionary talk, computer scientist Kai-Fu Lee details how the US and China are driving a deep learning revolution -- and shares a blueprint for how humans can thrive in the age of AI by harnessing compassion and creativity.

    " data-provider-name="TED" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1554088591655_194" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 700px; height: 395px;">
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    Once your smart devices can talk to you, who else are they talking to? Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattu wanted to find out -- so they outfitted Hill's apartment with 18 different internet-connected devices and built a special router to track how often they contacted their servers and see what they were reporting back.


  • 10 Dec 2018 14:19 | Deleted user


    ‘The Good Place’ is a half hour sitcom about four people that have died and think they’ve made it to ‘the good place’ only to discover that (*spoiler alert*) they have not.  In one scene, one of the four - Chidi, a professor of moral philosophy and ethics - is explaining the trolleyproblem.  This century-plus-old thought experiment requires individuals to choose between two terrible outcomes - kill one, or kill five.

    Beneath the light-touch sitcom antics is a very relevant, modern but arguably timeless question - when choosing between the lesser of two evils, how do we choose? And, what should be the consequences of those choices?

    Answering such a question requires a framework of principals, morals and ethics. In our last event for 2018, we looked at what frameworks were being applied to emerging technologies and what the implications are for failing to integrate critical and ethical thinking.  

    WE EXPLORED:

    • What ethics are

    • The ethical implications of emerging technologies

    • The influence of data

    • The role of government

    • The role of industry

    WITH PANELISTS:

    THE TAKEOUTS

    1. Think of ethics as the ‘should’ questions rather than the credential reasoning of ‘can’.  They allow you to critically assess options, or actions, before you determine the way forward according to your (individual or collective) morals and values.

    2. Emerging technologies are moving out of low-stakes daily scenarios, like predicting what we should watch or buy, and into high-stakes situations like welfare and criminal justice, where they shape society and communities.

    3. Some level of bias is required otherwise algorithms can’t select or decide. Take the machine learning models that power Netflix predictions.

    4. To assess whether bias is ethical we ask if it is FAT – Fair. Accountable. Transparent.

    5. To empower accountability, there needs to be explainability - end users need to understand how algorithms have been build.

    6. Think about the problem you’re solving. Starting with the problem, rather than the technical application, can ensure the solution is accountable.

    7. Emerging technology consultants and developers have a responsibility to inform and guide their clients, ensuring the client understands how the program is developed, what data is used, etc - empowering them in the process.  

    8. Our education system needs to change from its current silo model. Creating more inroads between the two dominant areas of study - Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) and STEM - may be the key to equipping future generations with the critical skills required to navigate, create and invent ethical technology.   

    9. Start thinking of technology as core business to get the buy-in you need. Reframing tech according to the problem that you’re trying to solve can help you position it as core business e.g. it’s not a ‘tech problem’, it’s a ‘service issue’.

    10. It’s a common myth that machine learning programs continue to learn, but many don’t. Models need to be retrained, and data updated. Regular maintenance should be considered part of the implementation of any technological solution.


  • 24 Oct 2018 14:20 | Deleted user


    Have you heard of the ‘Great Horse Manure Crisis’?  

    In London in the late 1800’s, there were over 50,00 horses transporting people around the city by cab, bus and personal cart.  Each horse produced between 15 and 35 pounds of manure and around two pints of urine per day, and had a life expectancy of only three years. They created a massive public health and safety issue - streets were obscured, and huge numbers of flies swarmed, spreading diseases like typhoid fever.

    In 1894, The Times predicted every street in London would be buried under nine feet of manure within 50 years. In 1898 the manure crisis was debated at the world’s first international urban planning conference in New York (a city facing the same issue), and the problem seemed as insurmountable as piles of manure swallowed the streets.

    No one could have predicted that by 1912, this great crisis would be entirely resolved, or that someone in 2018 would be using it as an introduction for how emerging technology can change a conversation, city, country, and the world entirely.  The technology that solved the problem? Motorised vehicles.

    As congestion and travel time increase, the adverse impact on health is investigated, and climate change becomes visible, we explored if the next evolutions of motorised vehicles - connected, automated, and zero emissions - could provide the solutions to our new(ish), insurmountable (?), urban problems.  

    WE DISCUSSED:

    • The findings of Infrastructure Victoria’s newly release report, Advice on automated and zero emissions infrastructure

    • Pilot programs currently being trialled in Victoria, including AIMES

    • The infrastructure and solutions needed to support development

    • Predictions for how and when new technologies will reach the road

    • The implications for automated and connected vehicles outside of personal transport

    WITH PANELISTS:

    • Dr Allison Stewart - Project Director, Automates and Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Advice, Infrastructure Victoria

    • Majid Sarvi - Professor in Transport for Smart Cities, AIMES Founding Director, University of Melbourne

    • Paul Kubat - Independent Consultant, former Smart City Lead at Singtel-Optus

    • Mark Harland - former Executive Director Marketing at GM International

    THE TAKEOUTS

    1. Connected and autonomous vehicles could have a huge impact on congestion, travel time, greenhouse gas emissions and road safety. 

    2. They could also increase our energy usage and increase congestion in areas like the CBD. 

    3. While new infrastructure may not need to be developed right away, current infrastructure - like roads and the cellular network - will need to be upgraded to support connected and autonomous vehicles. 

    4. Public transport is still an important feature of any transport future scenario. 

    5. Integration and connectivity between individual autonomous vehicles, fleets, public transport, pedestrians and cyclists are crucial in improving the flow of transportation and movement of people in order to achieve the key benefits. 

    6. Cultural approaches to car ownership could change in an automated future. 

    7. Insurance companies and car companies will need to rethink their brands, roles, and business models. 

    8. Melbourne is home to a world-first laboratory, modelled on it's streets and established to test highly integrated transport technology (AIMES) 

    9. Autonomous vehicles are already being tested around the world, in places like Singapore and Arizona. 

    10. Autonomous buses could be seen in Melbourne as soon as 2020 and taxis before 2025.


  • 26 Sep 2018 14:21 | Deleted user


    Sold out with more than 180 registrations and a priceless buzz in the air… Not bad for our Australian premiere of Silicon Valley’s Top Tech Trends Debate, right?

    With major thanks to PwC and the Victorian Digital Innovation Festival – as well as Avion Communications, Burninghouse, Norgate McLean Dolphin and Studio Worldwide – the Churchill Club is pleased to report the Top Tech Trends Debate was a huge success. (A special mention also needs to be given to our exceptional moderator, Nina Muhleisen, who steered insightful conversation throughout the evening!)

    In case you missed it or you’d like to share what you learned with friends, here’s the lowdown on what was covered that night.

    TECH TREND 1: TECH WILL SAVE US FROM TECH

    By Ryan Ebert 

    Named twice in Australia’s top 30 Entrepreneurs under 30, Ryan is the Director and co-founder of PHW Group – a national occupational physiotherapy, workplace training and office design company dedicated to creating healthier and more productive workplaces. So, it makes sense that Ryan has a keen eye for how tech impacts real-world human interaction and behaviour. Arguing “tech will save us from tech”, Ryan believes machine learning and wearables will help us build healthier and more sustainable relationships with our devices. This trend presents itself as a very comforting idea, in particular in this age where we feel our devices are, in fact, controlling us.

    TECH TREND 2: DRIVERLESS CARS AS A SERVICE

    By Paul Higgins

    Paul is a Futurist with Emergent Futures and on the Board of the Future Business Council. He writes and presents regularly on future disruptions to business models and consults to a range of organisations on planning for the future. Paul believes that in the next three to five years, “driverless cars as a service” will take centre stage. This trend will bring about the end of personal motor vehicle ownership, and the death of car dealerships. Time will tell if his prediction is right. If you’d like to find out more, Paul is currently co-authoring a book on the future of driverless vehicles entitled Is Driverless Always More? – How driverless vehicles will transform our economies and our societies.

    TECH TREND 3: POST-IOT – PERVASIVE COMPUTER ENVIRONMENTS

    By Bec Martin

    Bec is an emerging technology enthusiast, a tinkerer and lifelong learner working at the intersection of government, startups and technology. Most recently, she was an adviser for the Victorian Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy. She says much has been made of the promise of the Internet of Things (IOT) over the last decade. A strategic thinker, Bec believes the next big thing will be pervasive computer environments that interact with (and respond appropriately to) human environments. This trend is a push away from humans controlling interaction with (and responding to) IOT devices. “Ambient intelligence” – intuitive, integrated products and services that predict and respond to our needs – will soon be ubiquitous.

    TECH TREND 4: THE RISE OF DIASPORIC ECOSYSTEMS

    By Bienna Chow

    Bienna is an international strategist specialising in innovation and investments, combining experience from multinational corporations, high-tech startups and venture capital across a broad range of industries. With a strong understanding of global markets, she believes the trend that will have the most impact in the next three to five years is “the rise of diasporic ecosystems”. She says global mobility, migration and technology are rapidly changing our social landscapes. For example, think of the Chinese equivalents to Uber Eats that operate a tight ship catering to Chinese residents here in Australia, right under our nose. International technology and information transfer along same ethnic connections have always existed, but companies such as these are now rapidly building local ecosystems outside their home countries and creating business expansion opportunities. 

    TECH TREND 5: THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

    By Kee Wong

    Kee Wong is an entrepreneur with an impressive string of titles including Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Deputy Chairman of Asialink and member of the Board of Directors for the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Knowledgeable in all things engineering, IT and business, Kee argued the biggest trend coming our way is “the future of education”. He believes that Australia's Higher Education Industry – which is the third largest export revenue for Australia and the highest export revenue for the State of Victoria – is under threat to being disrupted. What’s interesting is that it won’t be by other groups of universities, but by online platform players like Amazon et al. Watch this space…

    And the winner is… Kee Wong!

    Screen Shot 2018-09-26 at 13.16.11.png

    The interactive element of the evening – where audience members vote on the spot via www.pollEV.com – is part of what makes this event so unique.


    " data-provider-name="YouTube" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1554088610096_195" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 700px; height: 393.438px;"> The interactive element of the evening – where audience members vote on the spot via www.pollEV.com – is part of what makes this event so unique.

    Congratulations goes to Kee Wong for his prediction about the future of education. He takes home the award this year… Who (and what trend) will be next? Sign up to our mailing list to stay informed about the Top Tech Trends Debate in 2019. We can’t wait to host it again next year.


  • 12 Sep 2018 14:23 | Deleted user


    Over the past few years, I’ve developed a very strong interest in AI. Unfortunately, despite talking to many industry experts, I’ve always felt a missing link between the IT lab and the real world. However, after attending the 2018 Digital AI Summit – a headlining event at the Victorian Digital Innovation Festival – it was clearer to me how much closer we are to closing that gap.  

    Here are 3 key takeaways from the event, along with best-practice that’ll help your organisation become AI-ready.

    1.     “DATA IS KING”

    This quote was repeated many times throughout the day. It was a little startling as I’m used to hearing ‘content is king’, but if I look at things with an AI lens, I can see why data takes the cake. You need tons of clean (and accurately labelled) data to train your AI system, otherwise, you’re cooking from a recipe with all the wrong ingredients.

    “It’s not who has the best algorithm who wins, it’s who has the most data.”

    – Andrew Ng, Founder of Google Brain

    What you can do today:

    • Clean existing data

    • Collect more data (from internal and external sources)

    • Segment and tag your as much as possible (i.e. into different categories or types)

     

    2.     THERE’S NO POINT HAVING AI IF YOU’RE NOT COMPELLED TO ACT

    If you want to make magic happen, big data alone is not enough. You need to connect insight with business process. For example, if you use TripAdvisor, it knows:

    • what city you’re in

    • when you’re probably hungry

    • what cafes and restaurants are top-rated by other travellers

    • when to send you a push notification with recommendations nearby.

    Using this as a benchmark, focus your efforts on understanding as much as you can about your customers. Then infuse this data with strategy and systems.

    “Marketing comes down to 3 things: right message, right time, right channel. AI can help you bring those 3 things together much faster.”

     – Rob Wickham, Regional VP, Platform & Emerging Technologies, Salesforce Asia Pacific

    What you can do today:

    • Review customer personas and journey maps to identify opportunities

    • Audit how various teams (i.e. IT and marketing) are sharking knowledge

    • Implement new ideas to turn big data into magic

    3.     HUMANS WILL NEVER BE ABLE COMPETE WITH AI CAPABILITY

    As much as it sparks controversial debate, robots will take over some jobs. But this shouldn’t be doom and gloom. Robots never get tired, and robots are more accurate (when given the right information). For example, robots can literally scan thousands of patient X-rays and identify anomalies in seconds. We should embrace what AI can bring to the workplace because just as the assembly line was a game-changer for factories, AI is a game-changer for roles that involve repetitive tasks.

    “AI is the only way to address cybersecurity threats at scale.”

    – Geoff Swain, Alliances Director for AJP, Crowdstrike

    “The area that will be most interesting in health is digital imaging... AI provides a layer of transparency that helps clinicians review and assess cases quickly.”

    – Dr Priscilla Rogers, Director, Upstart Innovations 

    What you can do today:

    • List mundane tasks or where human error is most likely in your industry

    • Consider how AI can help address these challenges within your organisation

    • Reframe your thinking: how can AI empower me to deliver more value at work?

    If you’d like to see what else I learned at the 2018 Digital AI Summit, check out: 5 things copywriters need to know about AI & conversation design.



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