Latest news with #Besiroglu
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. Related: What the case of a young man accused of violent crimes reveals about Victoria's new bail laws 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice manager. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter It follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mechanize Raises Eyebrows And Millions: Tech Giants And Famous Investors Rally Behind AI Startup Aiming To Fully Automate The Global Workforce
In a bold move that's stirring both excitement and concern, AI researcher Tamay Besiroglu has launched Mechanize, a startup with the ambitious goal of fully automating all human labor. Announced via a post on X, Besiroglu stated that Mechanize aims for 'the full automation of all work' and 'the full automation of the economy.' Mechanize plans to achieve this by developing virtual work environments, benchmarks, and training data to enable AI agents to perform tasks traditionally done by humans. The startup is initially focusing on white-collar jobs, such as those in finance, customer service, and management, rather than manual labor roles that would require robotics. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — . The startup has garnered significant backing from prominent figures in the tech industry, including former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, tech investor Daniel Gross, Stripe co-founder and CEO Patrick Collison, podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, investor Sholto Douglas, and crypto hedge fund AltX Managing Partner Marcus Abramovitch, according to the announcement on startup's site. TechCrunch reported that Abramovitch expressed his support, stating, 'The team is exceptional across many dimensions and has thought deeper on AI than anyone I know.' Besiroglu estimates the total addressable market for Mechanize's services by aggregating all wages currently paid to human workers, amounting to approximately $18 trillion annually in the U.S. and over $60 trillion globally. Trending: Donald Trump Just Announced a $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal — Despite the ambitious vision, Mechanize's launch has sparked controversy. Critics argue that the startup's mission could lead to widespread job displacement and economic inequality. One X user commented, 'The automation of most human labor is indeed a giant prize for companies, which is why many of the biggest companies on Earth are already pursuing it. I think it will be a huge loss for most humans, as well as contribute directly to intelligence runaway and disaster. The two are inextricably linked. Hard for me to see this as something other than just another entrant in the race to AGI by a slightly different name and a more explicit human-worker-replacement goal.' In response to concerns, Besiroglu contends that fully automating labor could lead to 'vast abundance, much higher standards of living, and new goods and services that we can't even imagine today.' In an interview with TechCrunch, he suggests that even if wages decrease, people could derive income from other sources such as rents, dividends, and government welfare. Mechanize's approach involves creating simulated environments and evaluations that capture the full scope of what people do at their jobs, including complex tasks like long-term planning and coordination. The startup believes that by addressing the current shortcomings of AI models, such as unreliability and lack of long-context capabilities, it can unlock the potential for AI to perform a wide range of labor tasks. As Mechanize moves forward, it joins a growing field of AI startups aiming to revolutionize the workforce. While the path ahead is fraught with ethical and economic challenges, the company's vision has definitely ignited a critical conversation about the future of work in an increasingly automated world. Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Mechanize Raises Eyebrows And Millions: Tech Giants And Famous Investors Rally Behind AI Startup Aiming To Fully Automate The Global Workforce originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Arab Times
20-04-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
AI expert starts new company to replace all human workers with AI
NEW YORK, April 20: From time to time, Silicon Valley sees the emergence of startups with such ambitious—or seemingly absurd—missions that it's hard to tell whether they're serious ventures or elaborate satire. Mechanize, a newly launched company, is one such example, and it's stirring significant controversy. The backlash centers not only on Mechanize's lofty goals but also on concerns that it may tarnish the reputation of Epoch, the respected nonprofit AI research group founded by the same person —Tamay Besiroglu. Following the announcement, criticism poured in on X (formerly Twitter), with even a director at Epoch sarcastically commenting, 'Yay just what I wanted for my bday: a comms crisis.' Mechanize officially launched on Thursday via a post on X by Besiroglu, a well-known figure in AI research. The startup's stated aim is to achieve 'the full automation of all work' and, more broadly, 'the full automation of the economy.' In practical terms, this means Mechanize intends to replace human labor across the board with AI-driven agents. The company plans to develop and provide the data, performance evaluations, and digital infrastructure necessary to automate virtually any job. Besiroglu estimated the total market potential by summing up all current human wages. He explained that U.S. workers earn about $18 trillion annually, while the global figure exceeds $60 trillion — making the market 'absurdly large,' in his words. However, Besiroglu clarified to TechCrunch that the company's initial focus is on automating white-collar jobs rather than roles requiring physical labor, which would necessitate robotics. Reaction to Mechanize was swift and often harsh. 'Huge respect for the founders' work at Epoch, but sad to see this,' responded Anthony Aguirre on X. 'The automation of most human labor is indeed a giant prize for companies... I think it will be a huge loss for most humans.' The criticism doesn't stop with Mechanize's mission. Many are questioning the potential conflict between Besiroglu's involvement in a startup aiming to accelerate AI capabilities and his role at Epoch, which has built a reputation for impartial analysis of AI's economic impact and for setting industry benchmarks. Epoch has faced scrutiny before. In December, the group disclosed that OpenAI had supported the development of one of its benchmarks—a benchmark that OpenAI then used to launch its o3 model. That revelation stirred debate online, with critics arguing that Epoch should have been more transparent about the connection. Besiroglu's latest move reignited these concerns. 'Alas, this seems like approximate confirmation that Epoch research was directly feeding into frontier capability work,' wrote X user Oliver Habryka in response to the Mechanize launch. Despite the controversy, Mechanize boasts an impressive list of backers, including Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Patrick Collison, Dwarkesh Patel, Jeff Dean, Sholto Douglas, and Marcus Abramovitch. While most declined TechCrunch's request for comment, Abramovitch—managing partner at crypto hedge fund AltX and a self-described 'effective altruist'—confirmed his investment. 'The team is exceptional across many dimensions and have thought deeper on AI than anyone I know,' he said. So, what does this mean for humanity? Besiroglu argues that automating labor could ultimately benefit society by driving 'explosive economic growth.' He points to a research paper he authored, suggesting that such a shift could lead to greater abundance, higher living standards, and entirely new types of goods and services. Of course, these benefits might depend on who owns the AI agents doing the work. If companies buy agents instead of developing them in-house, they could monopolize productivity gains. And there's a fundamental economic issue: if humans lose their jobs, how will they afford the goods and services being produced? Besiroglu responds by suggesting that even in a fully automated economy, human wages could rise in areas where AI can't compete. He adds that income doesn't only come from wages—people could rely on investments, property, or government support. 'Even in scenarios where wages might decrease, economic well-being isn't solely determined by wages,' he told TechCrunch. In theory, then, people might live off dividends or welfare funded by AI-generated value — assuming AI agents are taxed appropriately. While the vision behind Mechanize may sound extreme, the technical problem it aims to tackle is very real. The idea that every worker might eventually have a team of AI agents enhancing their productivity could indeed lead to economic growth. Besiroglu also acknowledges that today's agents are far from capable. They're inconsistent, have poor memory, struggle with complex tasks, and often veer off track when trying to execute long-term goals. That said, Mechanize is not alone in trying to solve these challenges. Tech giants like Salesforce, Microsoft, and OpenAI are investing heavily in agent platforms. A host of startups are also emerging, focusing on everything from task-specific agents to data curation and pricing models for agent-based systems. For now, Mechanize is looking to expand—and yes, they're hiring.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Famed AI researcher launches controversial startup to replace all human workers everywhere
Every now and then, a Silicon Valley startup launches with such an 'absurdly' described mission that it's difficult to discern if the startup is for real or just satire. Such is the case with Mechanize, a startup whose founder – and the non-profit AI research organization he founded called Epoch – is being skewered on X after he announced it. Complaints encompass both the startup's mission, and the implication that it sullies the reputation of his well-respected research institute. (A director at the research institute even posted on X, 'Yay just what I wanted for my bday: a comms crisis.') Mechanize was launched on Thursday via a post on X by its founder, famed AI researcher Tamay Besiroglu. The startup's goal, Besiroglu wrote, is 'the full automation of all work' and 'the full automation of the economy.' Does that mean Mechanize is working to replace every human worker with an AI agent bot? Essentially, yes. The startup wants to provide the data, evaluations, and digital environments to make worker automation of any job possible. Besiroglu even calculated Mechanize's total addressable market by aggregating all the wages humans are currently paid. 'The market potential here is absurdly large: workers in the US are paid around $18 trillion per year in aggregate. For the entire world, the number is over three times greater, around $60 trillion per year,' he wrote. Besiroglu did, however, clarify to TechCrunch that 'our immediate focus is indeed on white-collar work' rather than manual labor jobs that would require robotics. The response to the startup was often brutal. As X user Anthony Aguirre replied, "Huge respect for the founders' work at Epoch, but sad to see this. The automation of most human labor is indeed a giant prize for companies, which is why many of the biggest companies on Earth are already pursuing it. I think it will be a huge loss for most humans.' But the controversial part isn't just this startup's mission. Besiroglu's AI research institute, Epoch, analyzes the economic impact of AI and produces benchmarks for AI performance. It was believed to be an impartial way to check performance claims of the SATA frontier model makers and others. This isn't the first time Epoch has waded into controversy. In December, Epoch revealed that OpenAI supported the creation of one of its AI benchmarks, which the ChatGPT-maker then used to unveil its new o3 model. Social media users felt Epoch should have been more up-front about the relationship. When Besiroglu announced Mechanize, X user Oliver Habryka replied, 'Alas, this seems like approximate confirmation that Epoch research was directly feeding into frontier capability work, though I had hope that it wouldn't literally come from you.' Besiroglu says Mechanize is backed by a who's who: Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, Patrick Collison, Dwarkesh Patel, Jeff Dean, Sholto Douglas, and Marcus Abramovitch. Friedman, Gross, and Dean did not return TechCrunch's request for comment. Marcus Abramovitch confirmed that he invested. Abramovitch is a managing Partner at crypto hedge fund AltX, and self-described 'effective altruist.' He told TechCrunch he invested because, 'The team is exceptional across many dimensions and have thought deeper on AI than anyone I know." Still, Besiroglu argues to the naysayers that having agents do all the work will actually enrich humans, not impoverish them, through 'explosive economic growth.' He points to a paper he published on the topic. 'Completely automating labor could generate vast abundance, much higher standards of living, and new goods and services that we can't even imagine today,' he told TechCrunch. This might be true for whoever owns the agents. That is, if employers pay for them instead of developing them in-house (presumably, by other agents?). On the other hand, this optimistic outlook overlooks a basic fact: if humans don't have jobs, they won't have the income to purchase all the things the AI agents are producing. Still, Besiroglu says that human wages in such an AI-automated world should actually increase because such workers are 'more valuable in complementary roles that AI cannot perform.' But remember, the goal is for the agents to do all the work. When asked about that, he explained, 'Even in scenarios where wages might decrease, economic well-being isn't solely determined by wages. People typically receive income from other sources—such as rents, dividends, and government welfare.' So perhaps we all make our living from stocks or real estate. Failing that, there's always welfare – if the AI agents are paying taxes. Even though Besiroglu vision and mission are clearly extreme, the technical issue he's looking to solve is legit. If each human worker has a personal crew of agents which helps them produce more work, economic abundance could follow. And Besiroglu is unquestionably right on at least one thing: a year into the age of AI agents, they don't work very well. He notes that they are unreliable, don't retain information, struggle to independently complete tasks as asked, 'and can't execute long-term plans without going off the rails.' However, he's hardly alone in working on fixes. Giant companies like Salesforce and Microsoft are building agentic platforms. OpenAI is, too. And agent startups abound: from tasks specialists (outbound sales, financial analysis); to those working on training data. Others are working on agent pricing economics. In the meantime, Besiroglu wants you to know: Mechanize is hiring. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
