Tech Mirror

Cyber Power: Alliances and Accountability

Brendan Dowling Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology is Johanna's guest for this episode of Tech Mirror. Join them as they unravel the complexities of cyber diplomacy and Australia’s role in shaping tech policy on the global stage.

 

The pair explore the intricacies of international tech alliances, the challenges, and motivations of attributing cyber threats—including Australia's recently attribution of APT40 to China—and the impact of recent cyber sanctions against Russian citizens. They also discuss the implications of the CrowdStrike global tech outage, including what it might mean for the future of regulation of enterprise software.

They discuss the importance of public-private partnerships, and Australia's regional efforts in cyber capacity building.

 

Attribution of APT40: https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/alerts-and-advisories/apt40-advisory-prc-mss-tradecraft-in-action

Cyber Sanctions Against Russia: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/cyber-sanction-imposed-russian-citizen-ransomware-activity

Australia Cyber and Critical Tech  Cooperation Program: https://www.dfat.gov.au/international-relations/themes/cyber-affairs-and-critical-technologyinternational-cyber-and-critical-technology-capacity-building

Privacy: We Can Have Our Cake And Eat It Too

Carly Kind assumed her role as Privacy Commissioner in February this year. In this episode of Tech Mirror, Commissioner Kind and Johanna traverse:  

• what motivated Carly to accept the role (hint: it’s an exciting time in privacy in Australia)
• how the reinstated role of Privacy Commissioner works within the broader Office of Australia Information Commissioner (OAIC)
• Carly’s hopes for the privacy reform package to be introduced in parliament in August
• the role of OAIC as privacy regulator of Digital Identify
• the importance of protecting biometric data, including facial recognition
• the process and outcome of OAIC’s TicToc inquiry, and Carly’s ongoing concerns about pixel tracking
• privacy and Artificial Intelligence (of course); and
• the importance of privacy rights as a check and balance on power.

 

Links:

• Tech Policy Atlas: https://techpolicydesign.au/tech-policy-atlas
• Research: Cultivating Coordination: https://techpolicydesign.au/report-tending-the-tech-ecosystem

Getting Under the Hood of Social Media with Frances Haugen

Frances Haugen came to the world’s attention in 2021 as a whistle-blower, after filing a series of complaints about Facebook (now Meta) with the U.S. Federal Government about the harms caused by their business practices. She now works to champion accountability, transparency, and driving social media for the common good.

In this new episode of Tech Mirror, TPDC Director Professor Johanna Weaver and Frances Haugen cover a lot of ground discussing topics including:

- the importance of whistle-blower protections

- recognising linguistic diversity in online safety

- the power of collective action, amongst both communities and middle powers like Canada and Australia

- mechanisms of transparency

- building independent ecosystems of accountability

- elections, democracy and disinformation

- artificial intelligence and the limits of nuclear analogies

- AND what it takes to change the world

Relevant Links:

Frances Haugen https://www.franceshaugen.com/

Beyond the Screen https://www.beyondthescreen.org/

TPDC's Brand New Education Program!

We’re excited to announce that the Tech Mirror Podcast will be returning to its regular scheduling very soon - we’re cooking up a great season with an all-star line-up of guests, so stay tuned!

In the interim, here’s a quick update on what TPDC has been doing for the past few months. In particular, we’re especially excited to tell you about our brand new education program aimed at upskilling existing tech policy professionals and establishing a career pathway into the field.

As part of the program’s co-design process, we’re asking you, our listeners, for your input. Whether you’re an expert in tech policy or aspiring to become one, your insights will be invaluable in shaping our curriculum.

Please take a listen, get involved and follow the link below to complete the questionnaire!

Relevant Link:

Tech Policy Education Program Design Survey: https://anu.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5B90gNHjniuhCia

War Has Rules (yes, even in cyberspace)

This is a special episode of Tech Mirror on the imperative to protect civilians from digital threats during war. Johanna is in conversation with Dr. Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr. Tilman Rodenhäuser, Thematic Legal Adviser at the ICRC.

 

The trio discuss the work of a high-level ICRC Advisory Board, which was convened by the ICRC to develop concrete recommendations on the legal and policy challenges to protect civilians from digital threats during armed conflict. The trio also discuss the influential blog post, co-authored by Rodenhäuser, on the rules for ‘civilian hackers’ during war - and the fascinating responses the post generated from hacktivist groups and states.  

 

Relevant Links:

• Final report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). 'Global Advisory Board on digital threats during conflict 2023' https://www.icrc.org/en/document/global-advisory-board-digital-threats

 

•  The Geneva Conventions and their commentaries via the ICRC https://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/treaties-customary-law/geneva-conventions 

 

• 8 rules for “civilian hackers” during war, and 4 obligations for states to restrain them, by Tilman Rodenhäuser and Mauro Vignati, via the Humanitarian Law & Policy, hosted by the ICRC https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2023/10/04/8-rules-civilian-hackers-war-4-obligations-states-restrain-them/

 

• ‘Governments and hackers agree: the laws of war must apply in cyberspace’, by Johanna Weaver, via The Conversation https://theconversation.com/governments-and-hackers-agree-the-laws-of-war-must-apply-in-cyberspace-216202 

 

• ‘Frankissstein’, by Jeanette Winterson (2019) https://www.penguin.com.au/books/frankissstein-9781784709952

 

• ‘Machines Like Me’, by Ian McEwan (2019) https://www.penguin.com.au/books/machines-like-me-9781473568020 

 

• ‘Offensive Cyber Operations: Understanding Intangible Warfare’, by Daniel Moore (2022) https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/offensive-cyber-operations/

 

• Cyber Law Toolkit https://cyberlaw.ccdcoe.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

 

Privacy: Move Fast and Regulate It

Curious about the future of privacy in Australia? Join us as we delve into the world of privacy regulation in Australia. Our expert panel shares their thoughts on the Government’s response to the Privacy Act Review Report. 

It’s a follow-up to episode #22 ‘Privacy is Not Dead’. Returning guest Anna Johnston, founder and Principal of Salinger Privacy, is joined by Ryan Black, Head of Policy for the Tech Council of Australia, and Kate Bower, a fellow at the UTS Human Technology Institute, currently on sabbatical from CHOICE as Consumer Data Advocate.  

 

The panel discuss:  

- highlights and gaps in the Government’s response 

- the definition of ‘personal information’ 

- the future of the small business and political exemptions  

- legitimate business interests, fair and reasonable use tests, and best interest duties 

- interoperability with international privacy frameworks 

- privacy and artificial intelligence  

- the urgency of reform  

- what happens next 

 

Relevant Links: 
 

Salinger Privacy blog, including Anna Johnston’s 2015 article about the need to reform the definition of personal information https://www.salingerprivacy.com.au/2015/04/19/bradley-coopers-taxi-ride-a-lesson-in-privacy-risk/ 

 

Arvind Narayanan’s “No Silver Bullet “ paper about de-identification http://randomwalker.info/publications/no-silver-bullet-de-identification.pdf 

 

Arvind Narayanan’s AI Snake Oil Substack https://www.aisnakeoil.com 

 

This Week in Digital Trust podcast, latest episode featuring an interview with Johanna https://elevenm.com.au/podcast/episode/86-johanna-weaver-the-future-of-tech-policy/ 

 

The Future of Privacy Forum https://fpf.org/ 

 

UTS Human Technology Institute’s State of AI Governance report  https://www.uts.edu.au/human-technology-institute/news/report-launch-state-ai-governance-australia 

 

DP-REG joint submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) consultation on the ‘Safe and responsible AI in Australia’ Discussion Paper https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/media/media-updates/digital-platform-regulators-make-joint-submission-on-ai

 

US Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence | The White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/ 

 

UK’s consultation on a Pro-Innovation Approach to AI - A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation - amended (web-ready PDF) (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

 

The Bletchley Declaration by Countries Attending the AI Safety Summit (November 2023) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-2023-the-bletchley-declaration/the-bletchley-declaration-by-countries-attending-the-ai-safety-summit-1-2-november-2023 

 

China Global AI Governance Initiative: http://gd.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zxhd_1/202310/t20231024_11167412.htm 

Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 2

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and transparency into AI systems.

 

In Part One of this wide-ranging conversation, the trio:

-          define key terms like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Frontier vs Foundation AI, Narrow vs General AI

-          chat about Bill’s biggest bugbear

-          talk about why Bill and Tiberio both signed the Pause Letter and

-          discuss if it is even possible to regulate Artificial intelligence (spoiler alert: it is)

-          and consider how liability could be used to incentivise improved AI safety.

 

In Part Two, they discuss:

-          the benefits and perils of open-source AI models

-          the possibility of securing an international agreement on AI safety, US and China dynamics and the opportunity for Australian leadership 

-          the practical work that Gradient is doing to facilitate the technical implementation of ethical AI frameworks to address AI harms today.

 

Links

-          Gradient Institute: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/

-          Australian Government Paper and call for submission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence: https://consult.industry.gov.au/supporting-responsible-ai

-          Gradient’s Submission on Responsible AI: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/posts/disr-safe-responsible-ai-submission/

-          The Pause Letter: https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/

-          UK AI Safety Summit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-introduction

-          The Future of Life Institute’s recommendations for the UK AI Safety Summit: https://futureoflife.org/project/uk-ai-safety-summit/

-          Gradient and National AI Centre: Implementing Australia’s AI Ethics Principles: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/posts/csiro-gradient-new-report/

-          The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and the Twenty-first Century’s greatest dilemma: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/90590134

Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 1

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and transparency into AI systems.

 

In Part One of this wide-ranging conversation, the trio:

-          define key terms like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Frontier vs Foundation AI, Narrow vs General AI

-          chat about Bill’s biggest bugbear

-          talk about why Bill and Tiberio both signed the Pause Letter and

-          discuss if it is even possible to regulate Artificial intelligence (spoiler alert: it is)

-          and consider how liability could be used to incentivise improved AI safety.

 

In Part Two, they discuss:

-          the benefits and perils of open-source AI models

-          the possibility of securing an international agreement on AI safety, US and China dynamics and the opportunity for Australian leadership 

-          the practical work that Gradient is doing to facilitate the technical implementation of ethical AI frameworks to address AI harms today.

 

Links

-          Gradient Institute: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/

-          Australian Government Paper and call for submission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence: https://consult.industry.gov.au/supporting-responsible-ai

-          Gradient’s Submission on Responsible AI: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/posts/disr-safe-responsible-ai-submission/

-          The Pause Letter: https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/

-          UK AI Safety Summit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-introduction

-          The Future of Life Institute’s recommendations for the UK AI Safety Summit: https://futureoflife.org/project/uk-ai-safety-summit/

-          Gradient and National AI Centre: Implementing Australia’s AI Ethics Principles: https://www.gradientinstitute.org/posts/csiro-gradient-new-report/

-          The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and the Twenty-first Century’s greatest dilemma: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/90590134

Regulating Digital Empires

In this joint episode of Tech Mirror and the National Security Podcast, Anu Bradford and Johanna Weaver join Jennifer Jackett to discuss the global impact of technological advances, the challenges and opportunities they bring, and the evolving landscape of tech regulation.

 

Anu Bradford is a Henry L. Moses Professor of Law and International Organization at the Columbia Law School. She is also the author of ‘Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology’. 

 

Jennifer Jackett is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar at the ANU National Security College.

 

Professor Johanna Weaver is host of Tech Mirror, the founding Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre (TPDC) at the Australian National University and a regular guest lecturer at the ANU National Security College.

 

Links:  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• National Security Podcast: find out more
• Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology by Anu Bradford 
• 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy: find out more 
• Quad Tech Network: an address by the Hon Clare O’Neil MP: watch the video 

Internet Governance is Sexy

Recorded on location in the margins of NetThing and the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum. Johanna, and guest co-host Tanvi Nair, canvass how the internet actually works, and what the internet of the future might look like, with a stella line up of guests, including:

• Jordan Carter, Head of Policy at au.DA
• Senator Jana Stewart, Senator for Victoria
• Brendan Dowling, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology
• Alex Caples, Director of Cyber Tech and Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
• Jenna Fung and Luke Teoh, representatives of the Youth Internet Governance Forum
• Pablo from Asia Pacific Network Information Centre.

 

Relevant Links:

• NetThing: https://netthing.org.au/
• Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum: https://www.aprigf.au/
• AuDA Internet Governance Roadmap: https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/internet-governance-and-public-policy/audas-internet-governance-roadmap-2023-2025