Latest news with #IsabelMoussalli
ABC News
02-08-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Unions push for AI protections
Rachel Mealey: As the Commonwealth Bank becomes the first in its industry to publicly attribute job cuts to AI, unions are urgently renewing their push for worker protections. That's prompted a sharp rebuke from industry, saying more regulations will restrict productivity and the goal of AI is efficiency, not job cuts. Isabel Moussalli reports. Isabel Moussalli: The Commonwealth Bank isn't the first company to cut jobs in favour of AI, but the Finance Sector Union says it's the first in its industry to acknowledge it. Joseph Mitchell: Well, it's frankly unjust. Commonwealth Bank has made billions of dollars of profit every year for however many years. Isabel Moussalli: Joseph Mitchell is with the Australian Council of Trade Unions. He's angry that 45 roles will be replaced by a customer service chatbot. Joseph Mitchell: And making them redundant by bringing in AI to replace their jobs is just not fair. Isabel Moussalli: A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson says its investment in technology, including AI, is making it easier and faster for customers to get help, and its priority is to explore opportunities for redeployment and to support affected employees. But Joseph Mitchell says unions will fight mass redundancies from AI. Joseph Mitchell: So we know the most productive way to implement AI in a workplace is through the skilled application of workers. Workers are trained in how to use it. They can make decisions with employers about how it gets used. Isabel Moussalli: The ACTU will call for AI regulations at the Federal Government's Economic Reform Roundtable next month. Joseph Mitchell: We want to see employers required to enter into AI implementation agreements with their staff. That means that employers need to come to their staff with a plan, negotiate with employees and come to a joint agreement about how they're going to implement AI and what are the consequences going to be, with things like guarantees around job security, training and skills development. Isabel Moussalli: But the Australian Industry Group has hit back. Innes Willox: Well, it's kind of ironic because we go into a productivity summit that we have some proposals here that will restrict further productivity growth. Isabel Moussalli: That's Chief Executive Innes Willocks. Innes Willox: There are going to be times where there has to be significant consultation with the workforce and there's going to be other times when they just can't be in business, just has to get on with it. But all the information that we're getting, everything we're seeing and hearing from business is that they're not setting out to use it as a means to cut jobs on the whole. It's really about how to make their business better. Isabel Moussalli: RMIT's Dr. Emmanuelle Walkowiak is an innovation and labour economist specialising in generative AI. She explains the impact on the workforce can't be precisely forecast, but says right now we're in the middle of a massive disruption to the labour market. Emmanuelle Walkowiak: The major impact is through the transformation of jobs themselves. So what we need is really to upskill people. Isabel Moussalli: In a statement, Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth acknowledged AI offers significant opportunities to drive economic growth, but also presents challenges, and says the government's been consulting on introducing safeguards for AI. Rachel Mealey: Isabel Moussalli reporting.
ABC News
23-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Heart rate spikes in birds who lead flock
Sabra Lane: Have you ever watched a flock of birds and wondered about the leading bird? Turns out being the leader is stressful. A new study on birds in Kenya has found spiking heart rates among those leading a flock, especially when it's an unpopular move. Isabel Moussalli prepared this report. Isabel Moussalli: In central Kenya, a flock of vulturine guinea fowl running through the bush is quite a sight. Damien Farine: They're big birds, they're one and a half to two kilos, so like almost chicken size. In fact, they're related to the chickens and on their breasts they have this incredible blue cobalt colouring that's very vivid. I think it's one of the most striking blues in the animal kingdom. Isabel Moussalli: ANU Associate Professor Damien Farine was also struck by how they behave. They stay with their group for life, which is more commonly seen among primates. Damien Farine: So this cohesion that they maintain over time is really important for them. It allows them to sort of survive together and then breed together. But it also introduces new challenges for them, which is that they have to somehow reconcile the differences among group members and what to do next. Isabel Moussalli: Using heart rate monitors and GPS trackers attached to the guinea fowl, Professor Farine and his team studied the birds over four months. They wanted to know if leading the flock comes at a cost. Damien Farine: And what we found is that the individuals that are engaging in this leadership process or in this movement initiations, they actually in some cases have a higher heart rate. And we found this is particularly the case in situations when they're trying to lead and there's a lot of conflict about which directions to go. So when other individuals are trying to go in a very different direction at the same time. Isabel Moussalli: The researchers found heart rates also spike when a bird tries to lead the group, fails to win them over and then has to come back. Whether vulturine guinea fowls suffer embarrassment is unclear, but those who simply wait for others to take charge may be using their bird brain. Damien Farine: Some individuals seem to opt out from trying to lead. So either they don't necessarily need something right now and so they choose not to engage in leadership or they simply rarely engage in leadership and typically just follow what the group does. And they're probably doing this because the costs of trying actually outweigh the benefits of being successful. Isabel Moussalli: Professor Amanda Ridley is a behavioural ecologist at the University of Western Australia and wasn't involved in this study. Amanda Ridley: We have to be a little bit cautious when we conclude things about stress when we have elevated heart rate. Certainly it can be stress, but we need to be able to rule out excitement as well. And the study did attempt to quantify those differences and it does make the point that it is kind of a proof of concept study and it needs to be looked at more widely. Sabra Lane: Professor Amanda Ridley from the University of Western Australia ending that report by Isabel Moussalli.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Study finds genes linked to OCD
Sabra Lane: Obsessive compulsive disorder can be debilitating but often goes untreated. Now a new global study has identified the genes linked with the condition. Researchers hope it'll lead to better treatments and diagnosis. Isabel Moussalli reports. Isabel Moussalli : Dr Leigh Sheppard's earliest memory of her obsessive compulsive disorder was being asked to pick a balloon for her sick brother. Leigh Sheppard : In my mind, if I chose the wrong balloon, my brother would die. And so I'm making these huge decisions in my mind, but also it's really illogical. Often it doesn't make sense. Isabel Moussalli : But the now medical doctor didn't receive a diagnosis or treatment until she was 33. Her struggle in finding support led her to start the non-profit OCDWA. Leigh Sheppard : At my worst, I was almost bedridden. I could barely function and through treatment I now function really well and it's meant that I can return to work. Isabel Moussalli : And more people could soon receive the diagnosis and treatment they need. That's the hope of a large global group of scientists who've just published significant findings. Eske Derks : This is the first time, the first large study where we found genes linked to OCD risk. Isabel Moussalli : Professor Eske Dirks is a senior scientist at Medical Research Institute QIMR Berghofer and was involved in the decade-long project. Eske Derks : We have access to data from 50,000 patients with OCD and 2 million people who don't have OCD. And then we looked at the genetic profiles and compared them and yeah, we found 250 genes that are increasing OCD risk and 25 of these are very likely to be causal. Isabel Moussalli : She cautions it doesn't mean they're the only genes as larger studies are being conducted. Eske Derks : But... It's very important findings I think for several reasons. Because we have a better understanding of the genes that are related to OCD, we can look at existing drugs that might be effective. The other important reason to do this research is that it's also the first step into being able to predict the risk for OCD. Isabel Moussalli : Dr. Sheppard from OCDWA believes it'll be a landmark moment for her community. Leigh Sheppard : Identifying the genes and brain regions that are involved in OCD confirms what clinicians and people with lived experience have long understood, which is that OCD is a complex neurobiological condition, not a personality trait or a behavioural choice. Isabel Moussalli : Sane Australia's CEO, Rachel Green, also hopes it'll break down the stigma. Rachel Green : OCD is a condition that carries with it some incredible stigma that actually prevents people from seeking help. It's not just wanting to keep your house really clean and it's important not to use it as a term in that sort of context. It can be a really debilitating condition for people who live with it and a very lonely and isolating experience, especially if they haven't yet been able to seek help. Isabel Moussalli : And she says one place people can seek support is the Sane Australia website.
