There’s a massive legal grey area around the weaponisation of AI (“AI hack on Medicare prompts new laws”, September 25)
asserted
hack → ’ → laws
A malicious actor operating from overseas could get access to sensitive information and hack into private servers, then get away with it by blaming the chatbot and exploiting Australia’s ambiguous laws and outdated defences.
uncertain
actor → operate → laws
Our laws need an urgent update to ensure accountability and strengthen our defences – before our national security and privacy are irrevocably compromised.
asserted
security → need → defences
editorial correctly addresses the threat of unrestricted AI, but fails to question why a government asset was not secured in the first place (“Medicare breach exposes our vulnerability”, September 25).
asserted
breach → address → vulnerability
Those responsible for this lapse must be held accountable as much as the AI overlords should.
asserted
overlords → hold → lapse
As a retired system administrator, I run my own server from home (both mail and web), and my firewall is constantly fending off attacks.
asserted
firewall → run → attacks
If I can do that with the meagre resources available to an aged pensioner, then there is no reason why a fully funded government department cannot.
asserted
department → do → pensioner
Dave Horsfall, North Gosford
What a joke is the notion of opting out when it comes to protecting intellectual property.
asserted
it → opt → property
Would we accept that our houses can be legally burgled unless we put up a sign saying we opt out of being robbed?
asserted
we → accept → sign
What’s the difference?
asserted
difference → ’ → ?
Ben Quilty’s impassioned article (“Nice work on the Medicare hack, Albo, but you’re still letting AI steal my art”, September 25)
asserted
AI → let → art
deftly skewers the Albanese government’s latest craven capitulation to big tech, which wants the unfettered right to hoover up our nation’s artistic and intellectual property.
asserted
which → skewer → property
Why do the tech companies prefer opt-out to opt-in?
asserted
companies → prefer → ?
Because opt-in works and opt-out doesn’t.
asserted
opt → opt → ?
Alan Phillips, Mosman
Artificial intelligence has the potential to become the Uriah Heep of the modern age, writ large: insinuating itself into every corner of society until dependence becomes domination.
asserted
dependence → have → society
Just as Heep forged signatures, appropriated authority and sought control of the Wickfield family and its affairs, AI may gradually acquire influence over domains once governed by human judgment, leaving us to discover too late how much authority we have surrendered.
uncertain
we → forge → authority
Heep’s danger comes not from brute force but from gradual, opportunistic encroachment.
asserted
danger → come → encroachment
John Duncan-Watt, Matcham
Fraud stirs
asserted
Fraud → stir → ?
There is a time and place for holding a prime minister to account, but as Calum Jaspan demonstrates, there is a difference between a tough question and a loaded insult delivered while an Australian prime minister is representing his country on the world stage (“Advocacy for me, but not thee?”, September 25).
asserted
minister → be → me
Latika Bourke asking Anthony Albanese whether he felt “like a bit of a fraud” accepting an international award was disrespectful and inappropriate.
asserted
he → ask → award
It was not a question designed to elicit information; it contained its own accusation.
asserted
it → design → accusation
Bourke could have questioned Albanese about his government’s domestic record without resorting to that language.
uncertain
Bourke → question → language
Instead, at an international event recognising Australia’s engagement with the world, an Australian journalist chose to publicly diminish the Australian prime minister with a deliberately provocative accusation.
asserted
journalist → recognise → accusation
Albanese was not there representing the Labor Party; he was representing Australia.
asserted
he → represent → Australia
That distinction matters.
asserted
distinction → matter → ?
Holding power to account is fundamental to journalism, but so are professionalism, judgment and context.
asserted
professionalism → hold → journalism
There was nothing wrong with asking Albanese a difficult question, but there was plenty wrong with the language Bourke used and the occasion she chose to use it.
asserted
she → be → it
And The Nightly subsequently turning its journalist and her “fraud” accusation into the story only reinforced the impression that this was less about seeking an answer than creating publicity and a headline.
asserted
this → turn → publicity
Denise McHugh, Tamworth
Media and mirroring
Pauline Hanson claims that she “answers to the people, not the media”.
uncertain
she → mirror → people
Yet by refusing to allow the ABC, The Guardian and The Age to cover her press conferences she is denying many people the answers and information that they seek (“Trump and Hanson’s media bans ... two different stories”, September 25).
asserted
they → refuse → bans
Media organisations are right to seek clarification of One Nation’s policies and details, and to ask questions when discrepancies and obfuscation are evident.
asserted
discrepancies → seek → questions
In this age of misinformation and disinformation, as deep fake videos and recordings flood social media, mainstream media that employs real journalists is more important than ever.
asserted
that → flood → journalists
All politicians and their parties should expect be put under the microscope.
asserted
politicians → expect → microscope
It’s how “the people” get answers that they can rely on.
asserted
they → ’ → that
If only our own media companies would follow the lead of the US media and show solidarity by all boycotting Hanson for her petulant attempt to avoid scrutiny.
asserted
companies → follow → scrutiny
This would show we will not accept the sort of media bullying and politicisation that Trump has employed in the US.
asserted
Trump → show → US
Alan Marel, North Curl Curl
Your correspondent wonders how so many Americans have been taken in by Trump (Letters, September 25).
asserted
Americans → wonder → Trump
I ask the same question of Australians and Pauline Hanson.
asserted
I → ask → Australians
Trump and Hanson raise more questions than they give answers.
asserted
they → raise → answers
This is demonstrated by actively denying access to parts of that press.
asserted
This → demonstrate → press
…and 85 more, not listed.
The Aporia
