Understanding AI – 7 things it can do for you

It’s in the name, sure... But is AI really ‘intelligent’? Does it ‘think’? What do you know about how these tools were made, who owns them now, and who determines the way they work? How can you turn AI to best advantage in business and personal spheres?  Now that AI’s on the tip of everyone’s tongues and offered as a service by almost every company you encounter, it’s time to examine your own relationship with the technology.  Dr Sandra Peter wants to make technology work for people. Through her research at the intersection of business and cutting-edge technology at the University of Sydney Business School, Dr Peter explores where AI where it is at this moment, where came from, and invites you to think about how to harness AI in your own life – and where to consider placing limits.  For more on the rise of AI, listen to Dr Sandra Peter in this forum held at the University of Sydney in 2023.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Andrea Ho. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE SOLUTIONISTS SUMMER THROWBACK: Heatwaves are an invisible killer, and they’re becoming more common.   With another scorching summer already upon us, you need to know how to keep you and your family cool when temperatures soar. In this episode, originally published in 2023, heat expert Ollie Jay gives you a tour of his groundbreaking thermal ergonomics lab and teaches you how to stay safe during a heatwave.  Ollie explains how extreme heat affects the human body and shares easy, cost-effective ways to stay cool without resorting to an air conditioner.   +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Monique Ross. Sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field recordings by Harry Hughes. The executive producer is Rachel Fountain.  Executive editors are Jen Peterson-Ward, Kellie Riordan and Mark Scott.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who gets to tell the story of Australia?   This is the question always at the forefront of Michael Dagostino’s mind. Michael’s the Director of Museums and Cultural Engagement at the University of Sydney, meaning he oversees its famous Chau Chak Wing museum. The museum houses tens of thousands of objects, all of which tell a story.   But how does an object tell a story? And how does the way we collect and house them affect that story?   Michael shares how art offered him a sense of place and identity as an outcast kid, and how he adopts the mindset of a journalist when curating an exhibition. You’ll also hear from Marika Duczynski, Chau Chak Wing’s Indigenous heritage curator, about her favourite objects in the museum and how they help her connect with women who lived in Sydney hundreds or even thousands of years ago.   And if you’re in Sydney, you can pay a free visit to the Chau Chak Wing museum FREE. Details here.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do your values come from? What do you care about, and why?   If you're one of the growing number of non-religious people in Australia, you might find this question pretty hard to answer... Politics and philosophy professor Alexandre Lefebvre says that if this sounds like you, you might be living by a philosophy you didn't even know you had.   Alex believes liberalism could be the source of your very soul. It isn't just about politics - it's actually the hidden operating system running in the background of modern life.   Whether you're wrestling with big societal challenges or just trying to live a good life, Alex wants to offer you a new perspective on the values that guide our modern world.   If you want to hear more about liberalism from Alex, listen to his talk for Sydney Ideas here for free.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why’s it so hard to be healthy? Why does everyone recommend a Mediterranean diet? Is diet or exercise more important? Is intermittent fasting actually useful?   When the entire world’s collective knowledge is at your fingertips, why’s it still so difficult to answer the kinds of questions we’ve been asking for millennia? Nutrition and longevity expert Luigi Fontana says it’s because nutrition isn’t as simple as we’d like to think.   Food is complex; it’s deeply tied to our emotions, our health and our sense of culture and community. How you eat is also influenced by a wider food system, one that profits most from the kinds of ultra-processed food Luigi recommends minimising.   So, what should you eat?   Luigi shares the results of his groundbreaking experiment, in which he’s investigating what a more proactive and holistic healthcare system could look like. He teaches you the core principles he teaches the subjects of that experiment, and introduces you to Marzio Lanzini, the Charles Perkins Centre’s chef-in-residence.   If you want to dive deeper into Luigi and Marzio’s work, visit the CPC RPA Health for Life Program’s website. And if you want to make Marzio’s lentil Bolognese, you can find a video walkthrough here.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Max Petrovic. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why doesn’t anyone seem to trust journalists anymore? Or politicians? Or anyone, really? Are we all becoming paranoid, or has our trust been broken by those we lent it to?   Lenore Taylor’s the editor-in-chief of The Guardian Australia and the host of the Guardian’s Full Story podcast. Lenore jokes that journos have always been about as trusted as used car salesmen, but she’s worried facts don’t mean what they used to anymore.   Lenore takes you back to the moment she noticed facts were losing their power, explains how political figures have leveraged mistrust to stoke fear, and breaks down what needs to change if we want to rebuild trust in Australia.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no one else on the planet just like you. So why do you take the same medicine as everyone else when you get sick?   Professor David James is an expert is obesity and diabetes, and he says the current medical system isn’t good enough. But as researchers and clinicians learn more about how our genetics work, a better path is beginning to clear.   David explains how your genetics and environment interact with one another and influence your health, and what this means for the future of medicine. You’ll also meet Harry and Stewart from David’s lab, who share how this groundbreaking research gets done.   +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Gia Moylan. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deanna D’Alessandro is the director of the University of Sydney’s Net Zero Institute... So why does she want it dissolved?   “In 2051, my goodness, I hope we do not need the Net Zero Institute,” she says. “We should have solved this problem by then.”  So what needs to happen in the meantime? Deanna shares the personal connection to the planet that sparked her passion for climate science, and explains how and why the Net Zero Institute pulls together the work of physicists, chemists, lawyers, business experts and policy makers in the fight to save the planet.   You’ll also visit one of Deanna’s colleagues, Associate Professor Alejandro Montoya, who's invented a novel way of recycling minerals from electronic waste.   +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Gia Moylan. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“When I say what I do for a living, most women have a story,” says Rae Cooper. “Women have a way of being able to understand what it is pretty easily. I think men find it a little bit more... academic.”   Rae Cooper is Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney. She says Australia hasn’t come nearly far enough in the fight for gender equality at work, and there’s a few reasons why.   You’ll also hear how professionals Penny and Glen juggle their careers and families, and how they’ve accessed greater flexibility at work.   +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do you live where you live?   If you’re lucky, it’s by choice. Maybe you love the solitude and sprawling nature of the bush. Maybe you can’t get enough of the coffee, cuisine and culture that makes your dense inner-city neighbourhood special.   Many of us don’t get to choose, though. People are forced into tiny living spaces as their cities grow in population, while others are pushed to the outskirts when gentrification prices them out of their homes. As our global population grows and the climate crisis worsens, how we live – and how we live together – needs to change.   Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, says cities are the greatest engines of innovation. They’re melting pots, bringing together the top performers and brightest minds from all over the world. But they’re hotbeds of inequality, and that inequality is only growing. At the same time, some of the world’s greatest cities are in great physical danger thanks to rising sea levels.  That’s the big picture, but what does a great city feel like? To give you a sense of what makes a city livable and loveable, Dr Jennifer Kent, a Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, takes you on a walking tour of the Sydney suburb of Abbotsford.  +++  The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room.  This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.