Rae Johnston
Verified
Wiradyuri 🖤💛❤️ & Greek
STEM Journalist
🎙️@weirdtechmedia
📺 Going Places (NITV) Back Roads (ABC) The Secret DNA of Us (SBS)
@unicefaustralia Ambassador
Articles by Rae Johnston
Program: Show and Tell: PJ Lane
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Program: Is this the end of software?
AI is making it easier than ever to take software apart and build a copy. We look at what reverse engineering involves, and whether it is a good idea to use reverse engineered software? Ukraine's drone are striking Russian data centres. What role do data centres and bots play in spreading disinformation, and what would taking their data centres offline achieve? Finally, Theranos is back in the spotlight with the new documentary You Can See Everything.
Program: The surveillance technology watching Australians
We expect to be tracked online, but increasingly we're being watched in real life too. Strangers in the street are wearing "pervert" glasses, cameras can follow us through shopping centres, and WA Police have rolled out live facial recognition cameras. In this special episode, how much surveillance is too much? And could Australia follow the US down the path of Flock-style policing? Plus, how can we protect ourselves from this data collection, and can we rely on privacy law to keep up?
Program: What new research tells us about pressures on working parents
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Program: Could your AI agent end humanity?
AI agents are popping up everywhere: Facebook, OpenAI, Google. Meanwhile, tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman are warning these agents could end humanity. So, how much of this is a marketing tool, and what threat do AI agents actually pose? We'll return to the basics: what are AI agents, and how much should you be trusting them with? What happens if your AI agent, say... hacks into Medicare? Plus, deepfakes are distorting the Victorian election.
Program: Can technology save us from climate change?
Technology helped get us into the climate crisis. Could it also get us out? Bringing extinct species back to life, seeding clouds to control the weather, and cleaning up nuclear energy are just some of the "techno fixes" hawked as solutions to our biggest environmental problems. But at what cost? And if we are entering an era where technology can reshape the planet, who gets to decide how it’s used, and how do the rest of us get a say?
Program: The Renter Algorithm: 2Apply responds to privacy concerns
Are rental applications asking for less personal information now? How safe is your data on 2Apply? And how has 2Apply responded to OAIC's concerns about data privacy? In April, the Privacy Commissioner called out rental technology platforms, especially 2Apply, for collecting "excessive personal information".
Program: Show & Tell: Ash Williams
What do a gym membership, whipped cream and a tennis ball have in common? They're the items chosen by comedian Ash Williams for Show & Tell, ahead of the release of his memoir (Almost) Killing it in Hollywood.
Program: Can books survive the age of algorithms?
What impact is reading on your Kobo or Kindle having on your brain? As AI turns up in writing, reviewing and literary prizes, how do we decide what's genuinely human creativity? And how is the Australian publishing industry changing as a result of BookTok, Bookstagram and Goodreads? GUESTS: Anna Burkey, CEO ofAustralia Reads. Bec Kavanagh, senior tutor in creative writing and publishing at the University of Melbourne, and former bookseller.
Program: Riverina woman sets sheep shearing record!
Only just a few months ago, Riverina woman Nicki Guttler couldn't even put on her socks… Well… flash forward to the weekend just passed, and Nicki has now become the first woman in the world to win two sheep shearing titles at the same event! NSW Afternoons host Rae Johnston caught up with Nicki, to find out more!
Program: Show & Tell: Cristian Bonetto
What do a trunk, espresso cups and a travel guide have in common? They're the items chosen by travel writer Cristian Bonetto, who's new book Italo explores the role of Italian migration to Australia, and their influence on our cities.
Program: How much do our devices know about us?
It's not just phones. How much do our TVs, streaming boxes, and browsers know? This week, we look at research that suggests some LG TVs may be gathering more information about our viewing habits than we realised. Plus, there's a streaming box promising free access to subscription services. Is it too good to be true? And how much does it know about me? And, a former white-hat hacker gives us an internet hygiene refresher. Is public wifi risky? Can I save my passwords in my browser?
Program: Show & Tell: William Barton
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Program: Roblox under pressure from Australia's eSafety Commissioner over child safety
The eSafety Commissioner has accepted a court-enforceable plan from Roblox to address child safety concerns after questions were raised about whether the platform was meeting its obligations under Australia's Online Safety Act. We'll unpack what parents need to know. Also on the show, Microsoft is putting time limits on its Xbox Cloud Gaming subscribers. What is cloud gaming, and what does this tell us about the future of digital ownership?
Program: Exploring the quantum world
Quantum physics has a reputation for making perfectly sensible people stare into the middle distance - but the strange rules of the quantum world are behind some very familiar things, from the light that reaches us from the stars to technologies you use every day. Dr Danni Holmes is a quantum physicist and engineer at UNSW Sydney, where she researches how to build quantum computers, and she’s written a book about finding quantum physics in the world around us called Wonders of the Quantum World.
Program: What Australia's Privacy Act reforms mean for the tech you use
Australia's proposed Privacy Act reforms are some of the boldest changes to privacy law we've seen in years. How could it change the tech we use every day? And does this mean Australia is setting a new global privacy standard, or catching up to the rest of the world? Also on the program, one of Australia's spiciest privacy debates has been the use of wearable cameras. The e-Safety Commissioner has proposed that smart glasses should have an automatic blurring feature.
Program: How Ukraine's military drones are changing warfare forever
Drones went from being flying cameras to autonomous weapons within a handful of years. Our guest, Cory Alpert, explains what he's seen on the front lines of Ukraine's drone war, and why drone warfare is changing international conflict forever. Also in this episode, we check in on how drones might be used elsewhere: exploring caves on the Moon, patrolling beneath the ocean and, of course, delivering dinner. How much of this future is Australia actually ready for?
Program: Show & Tell: Dr Megan Burslem
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Program: How WA police are using facial recognition technology
Facial recognition cameras are being rolled out in Western Australia by the police force. Whilst its a new policing tactic in Australia, major retailers including Bunnings, Woolworths and Coles have tested it. How does police use of the technology differ from the retail use? And if you're not a person of interest, what happens to your biometric data?
Program: Show & Tell: Bridie McKim
Actress Bridie McKim popped by the studio for Show & Tell, ahead of her performance in Belvoir St Theatre's The Book of Everything.
Program: The Renter Algorithm: The illusion of choice
Dark patterns. They're the manipulative practices that are part of the foundations of our online life... and apparently our rental lives. Confirm shaming, biased framing, and bundled consent are all examples of dark patterns. What are they? What are they doing to our ability to make choices? And how do they relate to rental applications? And once we've had to fill in these rental application forms, giving over up to 50 points of data to be stored online, how secure is that data?
Program: The Renter Algorithm: The invisible system judging tenants
The Privacy Commissioner has put the RentTech industry on notice over 'unfair and excessive personal information collection'. If you've rented a home recently, you've probably used one of the online platforms that promise to make applying easier. Submit all your personal details in one place, and they'll share it with the relevant real estate agents. But somewhere along the way, the intention changed.
Program: The project sharing stories from Australian centenarians
Filmmakers John Winter and Ros Walker are creating a growing archive of Australians aged 100 and over, preserving their memories, life lessons and remarkable experiences for future generations. Their films are a window into more than a century of history, told by the people who lived it. For more information, head to https://www.the100project.com/
Program: Have AI models truly "gone rogue"?
Anthropic's Claude Cowork and an OpenAI model have reportedly "gone rogue", but is that really what happened? And what does it mean to escape a 'sandbox'? Plus, this week, Apple, Meta and a growing list of secretly filmed strangers all had something to say about smart-glasses and their ability to record people without consent. More than half of employers now say they regret cutting jobs for AI. What will this mean for staff morale, and the future of businesses?
Program: Show & Tell: Rhys Nicholson
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Program: What is Q-Day and how scared should we all be?
Quantum computing sounds like science fiction, but all of a sudden the biggest names in tech are treating it like the next industrial arms race. Google, Microsoft, IBM are all chasing breakthroughs that could transform everything from medicine to finance. However! It does pose a serious security threat. Cybersecurity experts are warning those same machines could one day unravel the encryption protecting our bank accounts, private messages and government secrets.
Program: Show & Tell: Janice Petersen
SBS newsreader Janice Petersen has been a mainstay on our screens for years, either behind the desk or travelling the world for Dateline. Janice joined Rae for a fabulous Show & Tell.
Program: The Wolfe Brothers live ahead of national tour
Tassie brothers Tom and Nick first came to national attention on Australia's Got Talent in 2012. Since then, they've built one of the most consistent live careers in the country, including a decade touring with Lee Kernaghan before headlining their own tours. Five ARIA number one albums, twenty number one singles, and fifteen Golden Guitars later, they played for us live in the studio!
Program: What to know before watching the Odyssey
One of the oldest stories ever told has made its way back onto the big screen, but if you're thinking about seeing The Odyssey, we've got a bit of a guide for you to get your bearings before you settle into the cinema.
Program: (Nearly) everything that happened in AI this week
Anthropic has just released the Spotify Wrapped equivalent of Claude. Claude Reflect claims it can help you optimise your AI use. But will a tool built by an AI company ever genuinely encourage you to use it less? Also on the program, the humans hired to train AI are secretly getting AI to do it. How does this "AI inbreeding" degrade quality? Meta launched a tool that would allow someone to generate pictures based on individual Instagram accounts.
Program: Show & Tell: Ed Le Brocq
What do a bike, cello and Afghan rhubab have in common? They're the items chosen by broadcaster and musician Ed le Brocq for Show & Tell.
Program: The UN calls for a ban on 'killer robots'
Microsoft and Xbox have laid off thousands of staff. Sony, Xbox and publishers like Rockstar all seem to be moving away from physical discs. And the UN Secretary General has called for a ban on AI powered ‘killer robots’. What does it all mean? GUESTS: Kai Riemer, professor at the University of Sydney Business School and Director of Sydney Executive Plus. Gianfranco Di Giovanni, games reporter at ABC Arts and 102.5 ABC Perth Content Director. The articles Gianni mentioned are here and here.
Program: How sitting with silence can make you a better listener
Are you someone who can't handle silence in a conversation? Journalist, actress, comedian and filmmaker Alison Fonesca couldn't until they began volunteering as a phone helpline crisis supporter! Through that experience, they learned that sitting with silence doesn't just make you a better conversationalist... It makes you a better listener! She spoke about it with NSW & ACT Evenings host Rae Johnston!
Program: Will fining social media companies make them uphold the ban?
The Australian government wants to double the penalty tech companies will face for not keeping kids off their platforms. The proposed bill would also compel these companies to release documents that prove whether they have been keeping kids off their platforms. How effective will this actually be? Plus, there's been shifts in the energy sector that mean everyday Australians are missing out on potential savings.
Program: Show & Tell: Brett Weymark
What do a text, Casio keyboard and marriage certificate have in common? They're the items selected by the Sydney Philharmonic's Brett Weymark for Show & Tell.
Program: How do you stop being addicted to your phone?
If your phone seems impossible to put down, that's because it's intentional. So how can we break our addictions? Also on the show, how safe is online voting? With our traditional political system in a bit of a chaotic state at the moment, it's safe to say we're lacking trust in our politicians. But Australians are still very trusting in our electoral processes. Will changing to online voting jeopardise that?
Program: Is it wrong to have robots take care of our parents?
Tech is being marketed as the solution to taking care of our aging parents and our young children: AI companions, improved surveillance tools, and wearables. How much are robots truly able to replace genuine human care, and ethically should we let them? Plus, how much do we actually know about the effect of screen time hours on children's brains? Turns out, some of the initial experiments were a bit off the mark. And, 'tech tourism' is China's latest booming industry.
Program: Show & Tell: Dee Salmin
Dee Salmin is a presenter of the Hook Up on triple j, and now the author of 'It's Not Love, Actually’. She joined Rae in our Melbourne studios for Show & Tell.
Program: Leaked document reveals Microsoft wants you "addicted" to their product
While Meta and Google are fighting lawsuits about their technology being intentionally addictive, Microsoft’s strategy deck for their new AI assistant Scout has been leaked. It lays out three phases of launch, and phase one is simply "make people addicted." Apple just held it’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where they announced an "entirely new version of Siri". How different can this Siri be? And the Mythos tool Anthropic claimed was too powerful to be released to the public...
Program: Would you pay to use Instagram?
Meta has officially launched premium subscription tiers across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Does this mean we'll finally be able to rid ourselves of ads on social media? Plus, it's been a rough few weeks for the 'clankers'. During Vivid, nearly 90 drones fell from the sky into Sydney Harbour. And they're not alone. Humanoid robots are finding creative new ways to embarrass themselves in public. Why have we seen so many of them out and about, if they're not ready?
Program: Show & Tell: Angela O'Keeffe
Author Angela O'Keeffe joined us in the studio for Show & Tell, and to talk about her new book Phantom Days.
Program: The fascinating untold history of the Bark Petitions
Clare Wright is the Professor of History at La Trobe University, and she just won Book of the Year at the NSW Literary Awards for her book Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions.
Program: Can the Pope influence the future of AI?
The Catholic Church has entered the AI debate, with Pope Leo XIV warning against "digital slaveries" while seated beside the co-founder of Anthropic. We ask whether the Vatican is positioning itself as a moral counterweight to Silicon Valley — and whether religion could shape the future of AI. Google says AI-generated answers are the future of search, replacing the familiar list of blue links with chatbot-style summaries.
Program: Show & Tell: Paula Arundel
What do a Snoopy keychain, a copy of Jane Eyre and a clip of music have in common? They're the items chosen by Paula Arundel for Show & Tell.
Program: Is your podcast host... human?
Amazon's new Alexa feature allows anyone to create a podcast using AI. Could this be a genuine competitor to the podcast industry? Or will it become another dangerous source of misinformation? And Meta's latest parental controls promise greater oversight of teens' social media use through AI age checks and a centralised Family Center, but their effectiveness ultimately depends on imperfect technology and whether families actually engage with the tools.
Program: Show & Tell: Charles Mayer
After spending 11 years in the British military, Charles Mayer had had enough - and turned to Shakespeare for answers. He’s now the co-founder of Come You Spirits theatre company, and joined Rae Johnston for Show & Tell.
Program: Are we nostalgic for a 90s that didn't exist?
Mixtape is a new Australian-made video game set in the 90s featuring burned CDs, shopping trolley rides and feelings of adolescent freedom. Nostalgia for that era is trending, so what is it about those years that makes us feel so fond? And are we remembering it correctly? Plus, AI is making the internet sound like one not-quite-real person. What are the new indicators of AI writing, and is a 'human in the loop' still enough to keep it all in check? Finally, Polymarket.
Program: Can we force data centres to clean up their act?
Book publishers including Hachette and Macmillan have filed a lawsuit in New York against Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. They're trying to stop AI companies from allegedly illegally copying millions of books and articles from piracy sites to train their models. How likely is it that the case will succeed? Locally, there's a NSW inquiry into data centres. Can a state government actually force some of the world's most powerful companies to clean up their act?
Program: Show & Tell: Inga Simpson
What do a camera, a Pounamu and a glass echidna have in common? They're the items chosen by author Inga Simpson, and her new novel Once We Were Wildlife is available now.
Program: The new Aboriginal ballet coming to the Opera House
What do you know about Aboriginal ballet? Gary Lang is credited with developing it as a dance form, and whose latest work is described as powerful and healing - it centres on a Stolen Generations experience. It’s called The Other Side of Me and will make its Sydney debut from 6th to the 9th of May at the Sydney Opera House.
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