For the past two years, we’ve talked a lot about productivity. Productivity of programmers , lawyers , doctors , consultants , financiers , teachers , and even students . The promise was simple: give me an artificial intelligence tool and I’ll do more in less time. It’s true that an employee with access to a good generative model can type faster, summarize better, program with assistance, or prepare reports […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
From selling innovation to selling results: the new business model of AI giants
Academic (mis)uses of GenAI
“I think because it’s not openly discussed and yet it’s so easy to use, I feel guilty. I question if I’m cheating somehow? Or going to get caught?” (#116) We ran a short anonymous survey between December 2025 and March 2026 focusing on ‘grey uses’ of GenAI – aspects of AI use that academics feel […] … learn more→
Why do some people who trust in science also believe in scientific conspiracy theories?
In a world where trust in institutions is mostly in decline, levels of trust in science remain relatively high. Yet at the same time, belief in scientific conspiracy theories, such as hushed-up effects of vaccines or aeroplane “chemtrails”, is also widespread. What explains this apparent contradiction? Our work suggests we need to ask a different question – not how much people […] … learn more→
When will we start taking into account what AI feels?
More and more people are talking to artificial intelligence (AI) systems as if they were friends, advisors, or confidants . Some users turn to chatbots for psychological help, and many rely on conversational assistants for tasks that were previously reserved for human experts. We stopped considering these behaviors as oddities a long time ago. However, perhaps we […] … learn more→
Student health: more than one in two enter university with a physical or mental vulnerability
Starting university is often presented as a period of emancipation. For many young people, it marks the beginning of greater autonomy, new encounters, and more freedom. But this transition also comes with numerous challenges : moving away from the family environment, new responsibilities, increased expenses, first jobs, a heavier workload, and uncertainties about the future. These changes […] … learn more→
‘It just got too hard’: how Year 12 subject cuts are affecting students’ access to uni
Look This month the ABC reported student enrolments at a central Queensland public high school had fallen by 12.5% over a 15-month period. The school, which is also facing teacher shortages, has had to cut senior subjects as a result, meaning even more students are leaving to attend private schools in search of more opportunities. Our ongoing study has […] … learn more→
What do human relationships with chatbots say about friendship? A philosopher considers
Anthropologists tell us that only a handful of human experiences can be found in all human cultures. Among them is the experience of friendship. It might have different expressions in different times and places, but something akin to it seems to appear everywhere. Surely one of the greatest pains a human can endure is to have […] … learn more→
How can universities better protect students and staff from antisemitism?
This week, the royal commission into antisemitism has heard repeated accounts from Jewish university staff and students about antisemitic incidents on Australian campuses. Many have described feeling let down by their institution’s response. Australian National University student Liat said she was regularly called a “baby killer and genocide supporter” by protesters in the wake of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In 2024, University of […] … learn more→
Mona’s new library is spectacular. But does it work as a library?
Lo Lo What do our bookshelves say about us? Which of our books do we choose to display and why? And what happens to a private collection when it becomes a public exhibit? Mona founder David Walsh’s new private library at the Hobart gallery raises all of these questions and more. A lifelong avid reader who spent much […] … learn more→
More than 50% of Australian university assignments used AI. How should unis respond?
Last week, the US software company Turnitin revealed 53.6% of Australian tertiary education submissions run through its system used some form of AI in the period from October 2025-April 2026. The company, whose plagiarism-detection technology is widely used in universities, also reported 10% of these submissions contained more than 80% AI-written content. Meanwhile, separate data from AI safety […] … learn more→
