This Week In Digital Trust

elevenM
  • 0.0 (0)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Regular conversations about tech policy, privacy, cyber security, AI safety and everything in between. This Week In Digital Trust is hosted by Arjun Ramachandran and Jordan Wilson-Otto, self-described technology enthusiasts with a passion for ensuring the use of technology leads to the best outcomes for humanity. Arjun and Jordan are Principals at elevenM, a specialist AI, privacy, cyber security and data governance consultancy in Australia. Arjun is a strategic communications expert and former journalist. Jordan is an expert in privacy regulation, policy development and program management.

  1. #147 2026 preview - Looking back to look ahead

    3D AGO

    #147 2026 preview - Looking back to look ahead

    In our first episode for the year we revisit the big themes of 2025, and explore how they're shaping in 2026. We discuss changing sentiments around AI, its impact on the online information ecosystem, the social media ban and ongoing focus on children's privacy, and how cyber threats are evolving in the AI age. Links:TWIDT #146 Australia's grand plan for AI https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/146-australias-grand-plan-for-ai/id1616386683?i=1000743906862Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…Article about sentiments about an AI bubble (AFR) https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/microsoft-s-shock-plunge-isn-t-end-of-ai-bubble-but-it-s-a-warning-…TWIDT #134 AI slop is taking over the internet https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/134-ai-slop-is-taking-over-the-internet/id1616386683?i=100071…Article about start of social media ban (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-15/social-media-ban-data-millions-of-accounts-closed/106232768Article about almost autonomous AI-enabled cyber attacks in 2025 (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/an-ai-lab-says-chinese-backed-bots-are-running-cyber-espionage-attacks-…   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    29 min
  2. #146 Australia's grand plan for AI

    12/22/2025

    #146 Australia's grand plan for AI

    In this episode we break down the National AI Plan released by the Government in December.The plan broadly sets out how Australia will capture the opportunities of AI, how the benefits will be spread across the economy and how it guide the safe and responsible adoption of AI.We debate whether the plan strikes the right tone, pursues the right opportunities and whether it does enough to manage the risks of AI.   Links:Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…Article about the plan (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-02/national-artificial-intelligence-plan-growth-existing-laws/1…Analysis of the plan (Crikey) https://theconversation.com/australias-national-ai-plan-has-just-been-released-who-exactly-will-ben…Article about environmental impact of data centres (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/ai-to-take-up-one-quarter-of-sydney-water-in-a-decade/105700…Article about energy use of data centres (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/03/datacentres-demand-huge-amounts-of-electrici…Article about MIT study on successful AI pilots (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonsnyder/2025/08/26/mit-finds-95-of-genai-pilots-fail-because-compa… Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    31 min
  3. #145 Intimacy on display - why your chatbot conversations aren't so private

    12/01/2025

    #145 Intimacy on display - why your chatbot conversations aren't so private

    AI chatbots are becoming increasingly intimate spaces, with people using them for companionship, therapy and as a helpful personal assistant.While our interactions with chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot get more personal, we're also seeing logs and transcripts of these interactions increasingly find their way to the public - via FOI requests, court orders and security and privacy breaches.We explore the convergence of these opposing trends.   Links:Article about national security chief using Copilot (Crikey - PAYWALL) https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/11/12/australia-national-security-chief-ai-speech-writing/Article about UK tech minister using ChatGPT for policy advice (New Scientist) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472068-revealed-how-the-uk-tech-secretary-uses-chatgpt-for-po…Article about California court order ChatGPT logs discoverable (AI Buzz) https://www.ai-buzz.com/court-rules-chatgpt-history-is-discoverable-evidence-in-lawsuitsArticle about Grok chats exposed in Google search results (BBC) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrkmk00jy0oArticle about Meta leaking chatbot prompts (Toms Guide) https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/online-security/meta-ai-was-leaking-chatbot-prompts-and-answers…OpenAI v New York Times https://openai.com/index/fighting-nyt-user-privacy-invasion/NSW Government advisory on AI and recordkeeping https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/recordkeeping/create-and-capture/ai-and-recordkeeping   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    26 min
  4. #144 The era of enforcement begins - breaking down privacy's first ever civil penalty

    11/17/2025

    #144 The era of enforcement begins - breaking down privacy's first ever civil penalty

    This week we analyse the implications of the first ever civil penalties ordered under the Privacy Act. In October, the Federal Court ordered that Australian Clinical Labs pay $5.8 million in civil penalties in relation to a data breach by its Medlab Pathology business in February 2022 that led tothe exposure of the personal information of over 223,000 people. We discuss the key insights for cyber, privacy and risk practitioners emerging from the judgement.   Links: OAIC statement https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/australian-clinical-labs-ordered-to-pay-penalties-in-relation-to-medlab-pathology-data-breach-in-first-for-privacy-act Federal Court judgement https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2025/2025fca1224 OAIC guidance on APP 11 "reasonable steps" (OAIC) https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/australian-privacy-principles-guidelines/chapter-11-app-11-security-of-personal-information Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠ Music by Bensound.com

    30 min
  5. #143 A debate about facial recognition

    11/03/2025

    #143 A debate about facial recognition

    This week Arj is joined by elevenM colleague Brett Watson to breakdown the issues surrounding the rollout of facial recognition technology (FRT) across retail settings, stadiums and other venues in Australia. The Privacy Commissioner recently ruled that the use of FRT by Australian retailers Bunnings and Kmart breached Australians' privacy. Bunnings is appealing the ruling, while Kmart is also considering an appeal - both arguing that their use of FRT is a proportionate response to issues like violence and theft in their stores. With that as the backdrop, Arj and Brett debate the merits of privacy advocates' arguments against FRT.   Links:OAIC ruling against Bunnings https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/bunnings-breached-australians-privacy-with-facial-recogni…OAIC ruling against Kmart https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/18-kmarts-use-of-facial-recognition-to-tackle-refund-frau…Article about OAIC ruling against Kmart (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-18/kmart-facial-recognition-technology-privacy-commissioner/105…Article about Bunnings arguments in favour of FRT (AFR - paywall) https://www.afr.com/technology/bunnings-boss-wants-new-laws-to-allow-facial-recognition-in-stores-2…Article about Wesfarmers citing rise in retail theft (Skynews) https://www.skynews.com.au/business/finance/wesfarmers-boss-rob-scott-laments-uptick-in-retail-thef…NZ Privacy Commissioner inquiry into Foodstuffs use of FRT https://www.privacy.org.nz/focus-areas/frt-inquiry-report/Article about woman misidentified by Foodstuffs FRT (RNZ) https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535871/woman-wrongly-kicked-out-over-foodstuffs-facial-recognit…   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    36 min
  6. #142 Sovereign AI explained

    10/13/2025

    #142 Sovereign AI explained

    This week we unpack the concept of sovereign AI, which is increasingly shaping both Australian and global conversations about national AI approaches. We explore what sovereign AI means, the problem it seeks to solve, and the variety of options being proposed. We also debate how feasible it is for Australia to can achieve a truly sovereign AI capability. Links: Article urging Australia to build sovereign AI (InnovationAus) https://www.innovationaus.com/build-sovereign-ai-now-or-face-lock-in-australia-warned/ Article about Australian startups building sovereign AI (AFR) https://www.afr.com/technology/we-can-do-it-for-under-100m-start-up-joins-race-to-build-local-chatgpt-20250908-p5mt5o Article about Productivity Commission's views on sovereign AI (AFR) https://www.innovationaus.com/productivity-tsar-hoses-down-sovereign-ai-support-hopes/ Oped #1 about Australia's limitations in achieving sovereign AI (AFR) https://www.afr.com/technology/australia-is-seeking-its-place-in-the-ai-world-order-20250910-p5mu38?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Oped #2 about Australia's limitations in achieving sovereign AI (AFR) https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/labor-must-resist-the-temptation-to-build-sovereign-ai-20250903-p5ms97 Oped by Vic senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah (AFR)https://www.afr.com/technology/our-ai-future-is-being-built-overseas-we-can-t-afford-that-20250813-p5mmlq Blog about South-East Asia's approach to sovereign AI (ASPI) https://aspicts.substack.com/p/the-monthly-roundup-angela-suriyasenee Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠ Music by Bensound.com

    29 min
  7. #141 The boss is watching - on the rise of workplace surveillance

    10/02/2025

    #141 The boss is watching - on the rise of workplace surveillance

    This week we discuss the growing use of workplace surveillance technologies, triggered by a legal case involving an Australian compliance training company. The case highlights the use of monitoring software that records an employee's screen activity and even their conversations detected by laptop microphones. With employees increasingly working from home, the case speaks to broader implications for worker privacy and employee-employer trust relationships.   Links: Article about Safetrac case (AFR) https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/company-turned-laptops-into-covert-recording-devices-to-monitor-wfh-20250822-p5mp0z Article about the trend of workplace surveillance (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/27/remote-work-software-home-surveillance-computer-monitoring-pandemic OAIC summary of workplace monitoring and surveillance laws https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/surveillance-and-monitoring/workplace-monitoring-and-surveillance Vic Gov inquiry into workplace surveillance https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/49a1f1/contentassets/5232a88edcc34487aa0223bcbb2c8974/laeic-60-02-inquiry-into-workplace-surveillance2.pdf Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠ Music by Bensound.com

    27 min
  8. #140 The dark side of AI companions

    09/16/2025

    #140 The dark side of AI companions

    **CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health themes. Please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.   This week we discuss the rise of AI companions.In the midst of a continued AI acceleration push in Australia, we discuss the emergence of several disturbing stories in which AI chatbots have apparently lead young people and adults alike to self-harm.In the face of known harms, many of these AI chatbots continue to be designed primarily to increase engagement and - as some have argued - addiction and dependency.   Links:Article about AI companions impact on young Australians (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-12/how-young-australians-being-impacted-by-ai/105630108Podcast including discussion of case of Adam Raine https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-openais-chatgpt-guided-a-teen-to-his-death/id1460030305?i…Discussion about case of Sewel Setzer III (Tech Policy Press) https://www.techpolicy.press/ai-companions-and-the-law/Research into impacts of AI companions (Tech Policy Press) https://www.techpolicy.press/new-research-sheds-light-on-ai-companions/Report on AI companion market size https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/ai-companion-market-117494?ref=theoverview.… Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    34 min
See All (149)

About

Regular conversations about tech policy, privacy, cyber security, AI safety and everything in between. This Week In Digital Trust is hosted by Arjun Ramachandran and Jordan Wilson-Otto, self-described technology enthusiasts with a passion for ensuring the use of technology leads to the best outcomes for humanity. Arjun and Jordan are Principals at elevenM, a specialist AI, privacy, cyber security and data governance consultancy in Australia. Arjun is a strategic communications expert and former journalist. Jordan is an expert in privacy regulation, policy development and program management.

Information

You Might Also Like