🌈 Olga Drath, PhD

New from me: When Australian AI expert Dr Kobi Leins (PhD, GAICD) declined a medical specialist’s request to use AI transcription software during her child’s upcoming appointment, the practice told her the practitioner required the technology be used and Leins was "welcome to seek an alternative" provider. 👋 The specialist’s “high workload and limited time” meant they were now “unable to perform timely assessments without the use of AI transcribing tools”, the practice said in an email seen by Information Age. “They gave me the choice of proceeding with the AI that they were insisting on, or to find another practitioner,” Leins said. In Australia, healthcare providers can decide to not consult with a patient for any reason — except in emergency situations — provided they facilitate the patient’s ongoing care in some way. The system used by the specialist was one whose privacy and security capabilities Leins had previously reviewed as part of her work in AI governance — and one she said she would not want her child’s data “anywhere near”. And unlike most medical devices, AI scribes remain largely unregulated, leaving it up to individual healthcare practices to decide which tools they want to use, and how. The University of Queensland associate professor Dr Saeed Akhlaghpour said regulating AI scribes in healthcare with “targeted, risk-based national oversight” would help prevent potential issues around privacy, security, and liability. Full story: https://lnkd.in/gCJKR5Ne

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The Women in Data Science New Zealand Event on August 18th has 17+ Speakers covering the spectrum of Data Science to highlight and attract more women into the field. While Data Science is a relatively new field over the past 10 years, tech in general has been a male dominated field, hence the amazing work of WiDS both globally and locally here is all about shinning a light on the field to make it more attractive to women. From the recently graduated to the super experienced, each diverse story will share a different part of Data Science and the speakers journey. Hosted at Victoria University of Wellington Centre for Science and Artificial Intelligence in Wellington, a long standing partnership with WiDS over it's 8 years, it's going to provide diverse perspectives and great opportunity to connect with women in data science whether you're currently in the industry or looking at entering it! Please register to attend - all are welcome: https://lnkd.in/gcwpz595 Below is the program so you can get the headline of the speakers and subjects: Key Note: - Stop, collaborate and listen - Professor Bryony James Provost at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington Fireside chat: From Stanford University across the oceans to Nelson New Zealand - Dana Briscoe, PhD and Kate Kolich Presentations: - Māori data sovereignty what do data scientists need to know - Ernestynne Walsh - Data Science and AI applications - Junhong (Jennifer) Zhao - Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence - Better understanding pacific strengths with data - Shawn Wimalaratne Social Equity Researcher - Lessons learned in Data and Analytics - Silvina Pugliese (PhD) Think Data Lab Panels: Unlocking Value, Shielding Privacy for AI and Open Data Innovators with: - Liz MacPherson - Deputy Privacy Commissioner - Office of the Privacy Commissioner - Ngapera Riley - CEO Figure NZ - Emma MacDonald - Director Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation Stats NZ - Panel facilitator - Amelia Bentley Data and AI Scientist - HazardCo Navigating Career Journeys in Data Science: Pathways, Pivots, and Purpose - Daria (Ah Reum) Kwon - Manager Integrity Services ACC - Austin McCourt - Data Insights Analyst NZ Police - Jan Sheppard - Chief Data and Analytics Officer ESR - Macushla Howell - Head of Data - NZ Post  Panel facilitator – Jaime Linton Lightening Talks: - Data Science at Scale - from data and research to operational outputs by Poppy Schlaadt and Lydia Acton - All about Social Investment Tahia Eaqub - Interim Director Data and Economics Social Investment Agency In summary, if you or someone you know is interested in Data Science, or doesn't know if they are and would like to explore, this event will give you the insights and the community to be a part of to explore Data Science. Congratulations to the WiDS NZ Ambassadors who make these events happen; Kate Kolich, Ivy Liu, Bing Xue and Qi Chen and thank you to all sponsors.

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My five takeaways from the TGA’s AI regulation report that matter beyond the policy world. Yes, it’s a 31-page government document. No, I don’t expect most people to read it. But I did. And it’s fascinating. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has been reviewing how we regulate AI in healthcare, especially tools like AI scribes. Here’s what stood out for me. 🖲️ Some AI scribes are already breaking the rules If a digital scribe goes beyond summarising and starts suggesting diagnoses or treatments, it probably counts as a medical device. That means it’s supposed to be registered and approved. Many aren’t. 🖲️The law doesn’t quite know who’s in charge Who’s responsible when a bot gets it wrong? The builder? The clinician? The person who clicked install? The TGA says we need to sort this out. Right now, we’re applying rules built for tools that don’t talk back. 🖲️You might not even know it’s AI The report confirms what many already feel. People, including clinicians, often don’t realise when AI is in the room. Tools may look like normal software but are trained on AI models, or change over time. 🖲️The guidance needs a glow-up The TGA admits its current info is buried, hard to follow, or full of jargon. They will create clearer advice for the public, developers, and health professionals. That includes examples, real-world scenarios, and better visibility of what “approval” actually means. Great. Also, can we get a laminated “is this a medical device?” flowchart please? 🖲️Trust is the real product being managed Whether it’s a GP visit, therapy session, or team meeting, the feeling of being heard matters. AI tools can shift that feeling in ways we don’t always notice right away. The TGA is nudging the system to pay attention to that shift. So I’m glad the TGA is doing this work. Thank you. And I hope we all keep asking questions. Because the bots might be helpful. But in health, safety has to come first. Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) Therapeutic Goods Administration Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) #DigitalHealth #Safety #Trust #AI https://lnkd.in/gFiypD6j

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NZ Tech Hiring – July 2025 A quick pulse check for anyone recruiting in the current climate. 📉 Perm hiring remains slow across a lot of the tech space — particularly mid-senior delivery, engineering and leadership roles. Most businesses are being cautious, prioritising BAU over transformation unless it's tied to revenue, risk or compliance. 🛠️ Contracting is ticking along, especially in areas like cloud, cyber, data, and large regulatory programmes. We're seeing demand for flexible resources, often scoped to shorter terms. 📊 The good news? There’s solid talent on the market. Some high-calibre PMs, developers, BAs and architects are open to work following restructures and programme wrap-ups. These aren’t the “active candidates” from job boards — these are proven operators who are open to the right opportunity. 🎯 But that’s the catch: they’re being selective. People are looking for clarity — hybrid expectations, meaningful work, and engaged leadership. The days of vague briefs and unclear pipelines won’t cut it. 🔍 From a recruiter’s view, the market is: Candidate-rich but opportunity-lean Fast-moving in contracting Quietly competitive for top-tier talent If you're hiring and not seeing results, it may be time to reassess how the role is positioned, or how you're approaching the market. Always happy to talk through what we're seeing firsthand. #techrecruitment #nztech #contractingnz #digitalhiring #talentmarket #techjobsnz #marketinsights

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Excellent piece from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio National, with Professor Emily M. Bender in conversation with Dr Kobi Leins (PhD, GAICD), followed by Tracey Spicer AM GAICD, Paula Bray and Lucy Hayward hosted by Ally Burnham - covering multiple points in the #AI discourse: 🟢 How do we define #AI? We need to be more specific what we mean to cut through the hype. 🟢 How do we interrogate #AI systems? This requires a critical perspective, and the ability to ask the right questions. We need to think about risk - potential harms - and the harm that are actually occuring. 🟢 How is #AI scaling? Particularly with respect to #data and the extractive practices of theft of literary works. 🟢 What are the human costs? Data work - labelling and moderation - is done in a gig work economy - precarious forms of labour (see also the work The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) is doing in this space). 🟢 What are the #biases in the systems? They reflect the biases they are trained on - often objectionable content. Well worth a listen! https://lnkd.in/gYeuWKdx

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