The internet’s smartest machines are thirsty, electricity-hungry tools that cause massive impacts on the environment, silently depleting the Earth of resources. While generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools feel environmentally immaterial, the framework behind it is not. Every time a user prompts a generative AI model, an invisible network of machinery kicks into gear. In the background AI consumes electricity, draws on water for cooling and releases emissions. Training a generative AI model is not a green process. It requires immense computational power that can run for weeks on thousands of servers. Training a model like GPT-3 consumes 1,300 MWh of…
Author: Michaela Bonser
A surge in online gambling is transforming the way young Australians bet, with 24/7 application access and targeted advertising fuelling a silent addiction among online users. From multi-screen bet slips to checking live odds mid football game, online gambling has been rapidly embedded into the digital lives of young Australians, according to a report by the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). The survey shows that in 2015, 5.9 per cent of men bet on sports; however, in 2022, this figure jumped to 9.3 per cent, a 57.6 per cent increase over the last seven years. Australian National University…
Western Sydney University (WSU) has been at the forefront of two cyber attacks last week, making it the fourth major cybersecurity issue for the University in the last year. The continued incidence of these issues is worrying for all students as the recent attacks have been a compromise of their single sign-on accounts, resulting in unauthorised access to demographics, enrolment and progression information of around 10,000 current and former students. DVULN CEO Jamieson O’Reilly said the recent cyber attacks also included the leak of students’ personal data on the dark web. “Once you do get access to a single sign-on…
New data has shown that tens of thousands of patients are leaving NSW hospitals before receiving treatment compared to figures before the pandemic. The NSW Bureau of Health Information highlights that over 67,000 patients left emergency departments without the completion or commencement of treatment during the last three months of 2024. This means 16,000 more people have left emergency departments (ED) without treatment when compared to figures from five years ago. More patients are leaving EDs without treatment compared to 2019 across the hospital’s triage system, including patients in the urgent care bracket, highlighting the growing pressure on…
More than half of Australian principals have reported considering leaving the profession due to deteriorating mental health, an increase in threats, and experience of physical violence. The Australian Catholic University (ACU) has conducted an annual study since 2011 and surveyed teachers and senior staff on their basic psychological needs. The latest survey found that 53.2 per cent of Australian school principals have considered quitting their roles, a figure that rises to 63.7 per cent among principals in New South Wales, exceeding the national average. Findings from the 2024 Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Survey reveal the demanding pressure…
Image from the NSW Government
Twenty-four-year-old Josh Azzopardi from Camden, NSW, has an extensive and impressive portfolio with competitive athletics, starting his journey as a little fella in the under-6 age group for Camden Little Athletics. He continued into senior age categories, where he made a name for himself at each level of competitive sprinting. Today, he has the privilege of being able to call himself an Olympian. During his senior career, Josh has sprinted around the globe from the starting blocks at Onslow Oval to the tartan of countries like the Bahamas, China, Fiji, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This itinerary allowed…
Camden-grown talent, Adam Bates, is set to join the Major League Baseball Competition (MBL) after signing a professional deal with the Boston Red Sox in September. With an already impressive resume, at just 18 years of age, ‘going pro’ is the next big step in fulfilling his childhood dream. “It’s a dream come true,” Bates said. “Being able to call myself a professional is the best feeling.” Bates’ Baseball journey began at just seven years of age playing Little League Zooka ball with the Camden Red Sox. Progressing through the ranks, he went on to play for the Macarthur Orioles in the Under 18’s and first-grade competition and has…
A Camden man is in training to take part in the Corporate Clash, a charity boxing event held in Macarthur in August to raise money for Rare Cancers Australia and other local charities. Elderslie resident, Paul (Beefa) Clarke, 46, is stepping up for a good cause after being sponsored by his brother-in-law’s business GT’s Fencing. Mr Clarke said the volunteers who participate have no prior boxing training, and it was a great way for local businesses to grow and ultimately raise money for charity. “Everyone who does it has no experience at all, that’s the good thing,” Mr Clarke said.…