Bec Cushway

Featured in: Favicon

abc.net.au Favicon

eastsidefm.org

Articles

How did pink Lamborghinis, Minecraft, and bitcoin become the centre of a quarter-billion dollar heist?

6 days ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

Move over Danny Ocean, there's a new heist in town, to the tune of a quarter billion US dollars in cryptocurrency. The tale features a kidnapping, pink Lamborghinis, Minecraft money laundering, and a very swift arrest. Also, who funds the (extremely) expensive chatbots we all use? OpenAI has changed its mind after announcing an end to the non-profit arm to the business, they're now saying that the non-profit arm will retain control of firm. Why? How?
The Devil you know: Satan’s journey from scripture to satire

6 days ago | abc.net.au | Sami Shah |Bec Cushway |Nadyat El Gawley |Katie O'Neill

From fallen angel to Netflix anti-hero, the Devil has had quite the makeover. In this episode of God Forbid, Sami Shah leads a devilishly good panel exploring the many faces of Satan — from ancient Hebrew texts to modern Satanism. Is the Devil a cosmic villain, a cultural scapegoat, or a misunderstood metaphor? We unpack how different religions and movements have shaped — and reshaped — the Prince of Darkness over time. Why did monotheism need a Devil when polytheism didn’t?
If people can't tell the difference between ChatGPT and a human, are we doomed?

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

The complex and highly distressing work of content moderation is causing PTSD for Ghanian workers, and now they're suing one of the biggest tech companies in the world for psychological harm. Could AI step in to relieve some of this load? Or is this work too human to ever pass on to a computer? Also, we're checking in on what's going on with the teen social media ban.
How powerful is the Muslim vote this upcoming election?

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Sami Shah |Bec Cushway

In Australia, we like to think of ourselves as a multicultural success story, where freedom of religion, expression, and democracy coexist without conflict. But what happens when religion moves from the private sphere into political activism? Muslim Votes Matter is a new political advocacy group calling on Muslim Australians to vote not just as individuals, but as a community united by shared values, priorities, and frustrations.
Have we created a way for vision impaired people to watch sports?

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

AI predicted Cyclone Alfred's path better than traditional equipment, could it be the future of forecasting? And there are new tech breakthroughs to assist people with disability; Haptic touch viewing devices, a breakthrough for vision impaired people who love sports and news that Apple Airpods can now be used for hearing impairment diagnosis and treatment. Plus, could using a 'dumbphone' be the cure for brain rot? GUESTS:Technical production by Craig Tilmouth and Ross Richardson.
Why do we fear fat?

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | James Carleton |Bec Cushway |Katie O'Neill

For most of history, body size has been about more than just health — it’s been a tool of control. From colonial ideals of “discipline” to modern-day diet culture, our ideas about fatness and thinness are deeply tied to morality, power, and profit. But are we getting it all wrong? Why do we see fatness as a personal failure rather than a natural variation in human bodies? How have our ideas of race and femininity affected our ideas of acceptable fat?
Download this brain: we're live from World Science Festival Brisbane!

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

Coming to you live from World Science Festival Brisbane, at the Queensland Museum, Download This Show is here to answer all your questions about the brain and technology, and the sometimes scary world where they interact. Who owns the data from our brains? Can machines really interpret human thoughts? And what happens as AI and neuroscience collide?
Could AI image generators be erasing Indigenous Australian culture?

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

What happens when the world's oldest continuous living culture gets recreated by AI image generators? Also, an American content creator uploaded a video of a woman recorded using stealth smart glasses. Was the recording illegal? And how can we stop this from happening again? Plus, just how much dirt does your smart speaker have on you? And, which online video game has been analysed as being "literally just child gambling"?
Could a brain in a dish be the next big thing in computing?

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

A Melbourne start-up has unveiled a ‘biological computer’ powered by human brain cells, is this the beginning of our very own Matrix? Meanwhile, another former Meta employee and whistleblower has published a damning book about the company — what new controversies has she uncovered? Plus, AI is being used to introduce greenhouses into Australian schools, but still can't tell us what is and isn't a deepfake.
Would you try a dating app for games?

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Rae Johnston |Bec Cushway

Generative AI has officially infiltrated the world of gaming, could games created entirely by AI be the future we've all been dreading? Also, speaking of, so many games, so little time... could a dating app for choosing games be the answer? Plus, what are personality rights and could they help us defend against deepfakes.