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Many drivers will be familiar with the sting of receiving a fine in the mail. And especially so in recent months, as the rollout of AI-powered road safety cameras has led to a surge in infringements, many for not wearing seatbelts correctly.
Authorities have defended the use of these cameras, saying they’re making roads safer for everyone. But there are serious questions about the fairness of the system at scale.
For instance, the still images captured by the cameras don’t consider whether a driver has a medical condition that might prevent them from wearing a seatbelt correctly. And while some drivers have successfully appealed unfair fines, this can be time-consuming and expensive.
As AI ethics expert Adam Andreotta writes, the technology also raises another question. Are automated camera systems really the best way to promote safe driving?
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Drew Rooke
Deputy Science + Technology Editor
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Adam Andreotta, Curtin University
The technology also raises the question of whether AI camera systems are the best way to promote safe driving.
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Ryosuke Hanada, Macquarie University; Adam Lockyer, Macquarie University
Is the Japan–Australia partnership about middle-power cooperation – or reinforcing US power? As the Indo-Pacific destabilises, the answer is increasingly contested.
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Pandanus Petter, Australian National University
The government has been working to fulfil its modest promises and address people’s pressing concerns. But not everything is going according to plan.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
With all the talk about the May 9 budget, there’s one tax Albanese won’t touch.
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Evie Kendal, Swinburne University of Technology
Surrogates aren’t currently able to be paid, except for reasonable expenses associated with pregnancy and birth. But other options are currently under review.
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Ben Zunica, University of Sydney; Bronwyn Reid O'Connor, University of Sydney
It’s that time when schools and parents typically meet for parent–teacher interviews. What should parents ask to get the most of these sessions?
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Judith Ridge, University of Tasmania; Robyn Cox, University of Tasmania
A common question goes something like: how do I get my child to read something other than comics or graphic novels? The answer might be: you don’t have to.
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Grace Waye-Harris, Australian Catholic University; Adelaide University
Fashion reflects who we are and the world we live in. If that isn’t art, what is?
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Politics + Society
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John Mangan, The University of Queensland
Cricket Australia’s plan to sell off some or all of its Big Bash franchises has been put on ice – for now.
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Ashlynne McGhee, The Conversation; Isabella Podwinski, The Conversation
The party’s already notched up 33 million views on YouTube. It doesn’t need us.
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Health + Medicine
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Lauren Ball, The University of Queensland; Kirsten Adlard, The University of Queensland
Lp(a) isn’t included in routine cholesterol tests but it can affect your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.
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Libby Callaway, Monash University; Jack Francis Kelly, University of Technology Sydney; Phillippa Carnemolla, University of Technology Sydney; Sally Robinson, Flinders University
The government acknowledges the current market-based model isn’t working. So what changes are ahead for disability accommodation?
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Business + Economy
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Rod Sims, The University of Melbourne
The News Media Bargaining Code was world-leading. The government’s new plan, the News Bargaining Incentive, will build on past progress to protect journalism.
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Environment + Energy
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Sacchi Shin-Clayton, University of Cambridge; Jacqueline R Beggs, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The same busy foraging that makes bees vital pollinators could also turn them into Trojan horses for a serious fungal disease threatening native forests.
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Science + Technology
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Howard Wiseman, Griffith University
A light particle can appear to leave a cloud of atoms before it enters – a new experiment, asking the atoms, confirms the light spends ‘negative time’ with them.
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Books + Ideas
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Jen Webb, University of Canberra
Beautiful and witty, Edwina Preston’s novel Sororicidal reveals an unnervingly precise understanding of the dark side of childhood.
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Can AI evolve?
"This article seems to overlook that evolution of anything needs a physical mechanism for reproduction that can be influenced in some way (deliberately or otherwise) by the entities that are evolving. Decades ago I read a sci-fi short story about a planet populated by extremely intelligent horse-like creatures whose four limbs ended in razor-sharp hooves. Great for fighting (and the story) but without the ability to manipulate objects and their environment they were stuck forever in the lifestyle of ordinary horses. Sounds to me like AI."
Peter Tuft, Kettering TAS 
The problem with going to Antarctica
“I applaud the thoughtful article on Antarctica. I considered a trip there this year, knowing that at 81 I don’t have many chances left. And then I considered the number of people now going there, with commercial benefits to the many cruise lines, and the consequent environmental impact, and decided such a trip would not be ethically acceptable. So I am going to the Eastern Mediterranean instead – where ancient civilisations have already trashed the place!”
Julie Lake
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