Forward Slash

In March our world changed forever. There is no going back. But what does our new world look like beyond COVID-19? A new television documentary airing on Sky News Australia will explore the nation's response to the coronavirus crisis. This exclusive preview features host Ticky Fullerton speaking to Stuart Robert MP. The full program will air on Sky News Australia at 7:00PM AEDT, on Sunday the 15th of November. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IBM holds more U.S. patents than any other organisation, and having just celebrated 27 consecutive years of patent leadership in 2019, remains at the forefront of global innovation. Our guest today is Jeff Welser, vice president of Exploratory Science and University Partnerships at IBM Research. Specialising in semi-conductor physics and materials, Jeff oversees research labs in San Jose, Melbourne, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Kawasaki, with a strong focus on advanced technologies for AI, neuromorphic devices and quantum computing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of season one, Atlassian chief executive and co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes speaks at length about technology and leadership in Australia, how he balances his own advocacy against running one of the country's hottest companies, and life on the rich list.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid 19 has brought disruption to many industries, but disruption is increasingly common to all business and that will continue beyond the coronavirus. That’s why IBM have designed specific Cloud solutions for heavily regulated industries, helping organisations drive digital transformation while continuing to meet their specific regulatory and compliance standards. Here’s Hillery Hunter, VP and CTO of IBM Cloud.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when your booming company loses 80 per cent of its business overnight? Airbnb cofounder Brian Chesky was already planning for a busy 2020 with an IPO on the cards, but the COVID-19 turned everything upside down. In this exclusive interview, he explains how his leadership team handled the extreme stress of that crisis, made tough calls about a leaner model, and how he would advise other business owners struggling with the pressures that this year has heaped on.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the areas where blockchain is being applied is in the simplification of the bank guarantee process. It’s a complex, paper based process that can take up to a month to issue due to the fact that multiple parties are often involved. With Lygon, IBM is working with major banks and retail landlord Scentre Group to create a blockchain solution that can get that timeframe down to days.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2017, cryptocurrency looked like another story of tech success. Skyrocketing prices for Bitcoin and other digital currencies turned early adopters into millionaires, and a niche product quickly gained mainstream appeal. But the infrastructure around the technology simply wasn't there, and the bubble burst, leaving many investors badly burnt. Now much of the attention is around the blockchain systems that underpin cryptocurrencies. Large firms have embraced blockchain startups, convinced that this is revolution that will change the world if it can be managed maturely.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So called Exponential technologies like Artificial Intelligence, 5G telecommunications, Internet of things and automation will mean the manufacturing plant of the future will look very different. Manish Chawla IBM's Global Managing Director for Energy, Resources & Manufacturing believes Australia has a powerful opportunity to add value to our commodities.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manufacturing is often seen as a holy grail industry that provides long-term high paying jobs, imbues a country with a sense of pride (even if misplaced) and reassures the public that we are going to be self-sufficient in a crisis. But manufacturing as a share of GDP has been in decline since the 1960s and despite report after report, we never really see a resurgence.  Can we pull it off this time? And what will it take to do it?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digitisation has brought the world to our fingertips and created enormous economic efficiencies and opportunities. But all those apps and analytics and APIs have to run on servers somewhere and as our usage grows, so too does the energy needed to power them. Julian De Hoog, a scientist at IBM's research centre in Melbourne wants to ensure that powering our digital future doesn't endanger our planet.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar generation is an Australian success story. We're innovators, adopters, and exporters of technology and expertise. But experts are now warning that Australia now risks being left behind, just as a tidal wave of demand appears on the horizon.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following on from our episode on artificial intelligence and the dangers of bias, in this bonus episode we are looking at ways that AI can help predict diseases far earlier, and how researchers at IBM are removing bias from the model.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From facial recognition to predictive policing to approving a loan, AI is touted as a solution that is faster, cheaper and more effective. But it also has the potential to get it wrong, and regulators are worried. So if Artificial Intelligence is analysing everything we do, who is watching AI?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The growth of buy now pay later firms like afterpay and zip has driven home the fundamental gap between millennial expectations of simplified financial services, and what the big banks are offering. In this bonus episode we look at what incumbents need to do to catch up to consumer needs.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buy now, pay later companies are eating up an increasing share of the retail transaction market at a time when credit cards are on the wane. It's another example of neglected customers finding a better experience with an innovative start-up product. But is regulation keeping up with the pace of change, and should consumers be more wary of these lending systems as a historic recession rocks the world?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the difficulties of editing together a series like this is all the great material left on the cutting room floor, so we're going to start releasing some extra interviews with IBM's team of experts and insiders in-between the remaining episodes of Forward Slash. This bonus features Chris Hockings CTO, IBM Security, A/NZ, who explains how IBM is helping companies monitor this cyber attack boom, and predict future attacks.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The group of parties who have benefited from 2020 is an extremely exclusive club. But one clear standout has been the hackers making hay in a global crisis. Experts say they've never seen a widespread cybersecurity campaign like the one unleashed this year. Individuals, companies and governments are all under threat as general chaos and sudden shifts in working arrangements create new vulnerabilities. Is there a way for technology to protect us from ourselves?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working from home has created a whole new dynamic at the bargaining table between employer and employee. Would you be prepared to concede some elements of your privacy in exchange for a flexible environment that puts you in charge of how you work? There are already signs that many workers feel they are getting more done at home, and that this new flexible structure could create a fairer workforce for us all. A remarkable data set sourced from workplaces who were early adopters of sensor tracking in their offices shows how important face to face contact has been in a functioning business. Can new technologies bring some of that dynamic into a digital environment?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When will we get a COVID-19 vaccine? There's never been a question more people around the world have asked at the same time. Those on the frontlines of this search for a cure are under enormous pressure to deliver a safe solution in record time, and they are increasingly turning to new technologies to accelerate the process. And the common enemy of this virus has transformed teams of competitors into collaborators. Has science been changed forever?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2020 has seen the world reshaped at an unprecedented pace. Eras that once spanned a decade fly past in the space of a month. Trends that lasted weeks are lucky to survive an entire day. Technology is accelerating a lot of these changes, but could it also steer us towards a safer, fairer future? Forward Slash is a podcast series about how massive change and technology are colliding in our present moment. New episodes will be released fortnightly.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.