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Technology & security season 1 2023
Episode 1 Emerging technologies and signals intelligence with the ASD's Jessica Hunter
In this episode of the Technology and Security podcast, Jessica Hunter from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) joins Dr Miah Hammond-Errey to talk about emerging technologies and signals intelligence. They cover ASD’s role in Australian intelligence, REDSPICE, offensive and defensive operations and the Russia–Ukraine conflict, technology as statecraft and cybercrime. They also discuss alliances, the security of everyday technology, the Optus and Medibank hacks, international standards, and the value of creativity and vulnerability for leadership in intelligence.
Jess is a First Assistant Director-General at the ASD, working at the Australian Cyber Security Centre under Access & Effects. She has worked in the intelligence and security community for almost 20 years, including postings at agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom. She has held leadership roles in offensive and defensive cyber security, cyber resilience, threat assessment and disruption.
Episode 2 Quantum developments, data localisation and ethics in AI with Google's Alex Lynch
In this episode of the Technology and Security podcast, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Alex Lynch, from Google Australia’s Public Policy team to discuss emerging technologies, quantum, Australia’s role and much more. They cover Google’s recent quantum announcement on error correction and Australia’s significant role in quantum research, data localisation, ethics in AI — including Google’s approach — and strategic decoupling. They also talk about the complexity and security of Google’s global infrastructure, data breaches and what it is that should not be automated.
Alex manages Google's public policy engagement in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, as well as related areas, including digital lines of communication, technology supply chains and trade and investment. Prior to joining Google, Alex consulted on crisis and strategic reputation management for some of Australia's top companies, having formerly worked as a national security practitioner in New Zealand.
Episode 3 AI’s rapid rise and online harms with eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant
In this episode of the Technology and Security podcast, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey talks with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, about AI’s rapid rise, online harms, where banking has led the way in technology regulation, and much more. In this episode they discuss eSafety’s world-leading regulation work, why we can’t just regulate algorithms and how eSafety collaborates with industry to drive change. They also cover the TikTok bans and some of the wild technologies coming down the pipeline.
As Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant focuses on keeping Australia’s citizens safe online. She has previously worked across the public and private sector in the US technology space, including at Microsoft and Twitter. Her work has helped drive world-first regulatory regimes under the Online Safety Act 2021, and positioned eSafety to harness proactive, systemic approaches and address online user safety through a range of schemes, education tools and strategies.
Episode 4 Intelligence, AI and AUKUS with former US Principal of National Intelligence Susan Gordon
In this episode of the Technology and Security podcast, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey interviews Susan Gordon, former US Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, discussing the potential of public disclosures of intelligence to build trust, the nuanced differences between American and Australian cultures that impact technology policy and innovation, especially in areas like AI regulation and what is needed to make AUKUS Pillar II a success. They also cover the increasing role of private-sector firms in national security – from supply chain decisions to the role of Starlink in Russian invasion of Ukraine to Chinese infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific – how best to harness them and their technologies, and the new heights disinformation could reach, and the fact “2022 was the last time we talked about AI in the future”.
Susan M. Gordon was the former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, advising the President on intelligence matters and providing operational leadership of the US intelligence community. She has had an extensive career in United States Intelligence Community – working as the Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and spending 29 years at the CIA where she also led the establishment of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture arm. She is a fellow at Duke and Harvard Universities and has worked with leading companies and government on intelligence integration, outreach and driving innovation.
Episode 5 Cyber security, critical infrastructure and ransomware with Home Affairs’ Hamish Hansford
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey sits down with Hamish Hansford, Deputy Secretary of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group at the Department of Home Affairs, to discuss the evolution of the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SOCI), including Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Programs (CIRMPs), refining the critical asset class definitions and the importance of board accountability. They also cover the International Counter Ransomware Taskforce, working with other countries in cyber security and Australia’s upcoming Cyber Security Strategy for 2023–30, including lessons from the US National Cybersecurity Strategy.
The discussion also touches on lessons from the Optus and Medibank data breaches, Australia’s progress towards the goal of being the world’s most cyber-secure nation by 2030 and the unrealised potential of 5G networks.
Hamish Hansford is the Deputy Secretary of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group at the Department of Home Affairs. He has more than 20 years of experience across government, including as the Inaugural Head of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre. He also led the delivery and implementation of Australia's 2020 Cyber Security Strategy and has worked in cybercrime, combating terrorism and child exploitation, as well as on reform of critical and emerging technology, data security and surveillance.
Episode 6 Synthetic biotech, DARPA for intelligence and AI regulation with RAND CEO Jason Matheny
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Jason Matheny, CEO of RAND Corporation and founder of CSET to delve into the complexities of regulating emerging technologies — from AI to biotechnology, what the United States can learn from Australia, the opportunity a current bottleneck in compute capacity offers democracies, and his work at IARPA — ‘the DARPA of the intelligence world’ — using innovative methods to solve the hard problems of policy and national security. They also discuss the role of alliances such as Five Eyes in combatting AI-generated disinformation and why standards bodies need greater support.
Jason is the President and CEO of RAND Corporation. He previously led technology and national security policy for the White House in the National Security Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Jason founded the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University, was a Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). He has also worked at the World Bank, Oxford University, the Applied Physics Laboratory and Princeton University.
Episode 7 Decoupling, de-risking and tech diplomacy – special episode
In a special episode, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Michael Green, CEO of the United States Studies Centre, to consider the conversations and developments around technology decoupling between the United States and China across the past six months. Drawing on insights from previous guests on the podcast, Miah and Mike cover topics from international standards, subsea cables and individual user trust in technology to the role of Japan and Australia. They also discuss the role of alliances, digital infrastructure, national security and historical lessons that can inform this evolving area of debate.
Episode 8 Digital ID, leadership and innovation with the Hon Victor Dominello
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by the Hon Victor Dominello, former NSW Minister for Community Services and Digital Government. They discuss the potential and complexities of digital identification, what it means for democracies, and how to lead risk-averse organisations like government in a manner that promotes innovation and productivity and empowers decision-making. They also discuss AI regulation, building trust in technology between government, corporations and individuals, and what can be learnt from Estonia when it comes to digital service delivery.
Across a 12-year term as cabinet minister, Victor helped modernise service delivery in the NSW Government across a set of portfolios, which included leading the development of the Services NSW app, the Digital Driver’s License and COVID-19 vaccine certificates. He now sits on the board of the Tech Council of Australia and is the Director of the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society Hub.
Episode 9 The Christchurch Call, AI in art, elections and disinformation with Canva’s Kara Hinesley
Kara Hinesley, Canva’s global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, joins Dr Miah Hammond-Errey to discuss her experience during the creation of The Christchurch Call after the livestreamed 2019 terrorist attack in New Zealand while at Twitter, the complex relationship between AI, art and artists, AI and IP, AI regulation and the technology workforce shortages,as well as building robust civic discourse and debate on digital platforms. They also discuss, what differentiates Australian and American tech companies and culture, working to prevent online and offline harms and navigating a career shift from law into public policy and from the United States to Australia.
Before her current role as the global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Canva, Kara worked at Twitter, including as the Director of Public Policy, Government, and Philanthropy, overseeing policy strategy in Asia-Pacific. Kara was also previously an advisor for the Honorable Minister Ed Husic when he was in Opposition and has a background in law, in Australia and the United States.
Episode 10 Nanomaterials, international standards, AI and data ethics with Dr Kobi Leins
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Dr Kobi Leins, Honorary Senior Fellow at King’s College, London and international law expert,to discuss her work on nanomaterials and their implications for existing international law governing chemical and biological weapons. They also discuss why international standards are so important, AI’s potential for evil and the need for improved understandings of data ethics – from the classroom to the boardroom – as well as why we should be wary about claims of de-identified or anonymised data.
Kobi is an Honorary Senior Fellow of King’s College, London; an Advisory Board Member of the Carnegie AI and Equality Initiative; a technical expert for Standards Australia advising the International Standards Organisation on forthcoming AI Standards; and co-founder of the IEEE's Responsible Innovation of AI and the Life Sciences. She is also a former Non-Resident Fellow of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, worked at NAB in Data Ethics and in 2022 published her book, New War Technologies and International Law: The Legal Limits to Weaponising Nanomaterials.
Episode 11 AI and competition, technology and productivity with The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by The Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and the Assistant Minister for Employment, to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of competition, the initial months of the Australian Centre for Evaluation and coordinating with overseas regulators on the complexities of AI. They also discuss Australia’s technology workforce challenges, charting a uniquely Australian approach to building industrial capacity and the ongoing, global geopolitical technology competition.
Dr Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and the Assistant Minister for Employment. He is the member for Fenner and has been in government for more than a decade, holding various Shadow Ministry positions, and was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2013. He previously worked as a lawyer and a Professor of Economics at ANU. He holds a PhD from Harvard in Public Policy and has written numerous books on inequality, economics, randomisation and innovation. His long-running podcast, The Good Life is focused on ethics, health and happiness.
Episode 12 AI, international humanitarian law and cyber security with ANU's Johanna Weaver
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Professor Johanna Weaver, founding Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre, to discuss the recent 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, including its funding, implementation and challenges, the relationship between hacktivism and international humanitarian law and the different ways of thinking about AI risk and harms. They also discuss their highlights for 2023, Australia’s important position in driving change in multilateral forums, myGov and digital government services and their hopes for the tech policy conversation in 2024.
Professor Johanna Weaver is the founding Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre at the Australian National University (ANU). Before joining ANU, she was Australia’s independent expert and lead negotiator on cyber issues at the United Nations. Johanna also led the Cyber Affairs branch at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is on the global advisory board on digital threats during conflict at the International Committee of the Red Cross and a former commercial litigator. Johanna also hosts the Tech Mirror podcast, which hosts discussions reflecting on technology and society.