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Bill Simpson-Young

Chief Executive, Gradient Institute, University of Sydney
Bill is co-founder and Chief Executive of Gradient Institute, a non-profit research institute with the purpose of progressing the research, design, development and adoption of ethical AI systems.

Bill has spent his career so far in computer technology research and development working in teams of researchers, software engineers and product designers to develop novel techniques, technologies and products and get these into widespread use.

He started as a software engineer and research assistant in machine learning (ML), working on the c4.5 library, one of the world’s first ML technologies used commercially. He has led R&D for global technology companies (Canon and Unisys) and government-funded research institutions (CSIRO and NICTA) and been on the executive teams of three leading Australian science and technology organisations (CiSRA, NICTA and CSIRO’s Data61).

Until 2018, he was Director of Engineering and Design at Data61 where he led a team of 100 data scientists, engineers, user experience designers and product managers, developing new techniques, technologies and products. This included work in areas incuding ML (including ethically-aware ML), data privacy, computational law, geospatial systems and more.

He designed and taught a Masters course in IT Innovation at University of Sydney for seven years to 2016 covering topics such as technology life cycles, disruptive innovation, open innovation, open source strategies, organisational culture for innovation and innovation ecosystems. He has sat on several government data-related committees influencing approaches to data sharing, data privacy, data analytics and open data as well as advisory groups at two Australian universities. He has degrees in computer science, history of art and cognitive science.

Artificial intelligence can deepen social inequality. Here are 5 ways to help prevent this

Jan 14, 2021 06:30 am UTC| Technology

From Google searches and dating sites to detecting credit card fraud, artificial intelligence (AI) keeps finding new ways to creep into our lives. But can we trust the algorithms that drive it? As humans, we make...

Economy

March 2025 Jobs Report: Strong Headline Numbers Hide Deeper Economic Concerns

The U.S. labor market showed resilience in March 2025, with employment growth rebounding sharply after a sluggish February and the unemployment rate dipping unexpectedly to 4.3%. However, beneath the encouraging surface,...

UAE's Largest Natural Gas Facility Suspended After Attack-Triggered Fire

Abu Dhabi authorities have temporarily halted operations at Habshan, the United Arab Emirates largest natural gas processing facility, following a devastating attack that triggered a major fire at the site. The incident...

Trump's FY2027 Budget: Major Defense Boost and Domestic Spending Cuts

President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, signaling a dramatic realignment of national spending priorities. The plan centers on a significant expansion of military funding...

U.S. Warplane Shot Down by Iran Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

A U.S. military aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing five-week conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Both nations confirmed the incident, with...

U.S. Job Market Braces for Slow Recovery Amid Middle East Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

The U.S. labor market is expected to post modest gains in March, recovering from Februarys sharp drop of 92,000 jobs, but persistent headwinds are keeping economists cautious. A Reuters poll forecasts nonfarm payrolls...

Politics

U.S. F-15E Shot Down Over Iran: One Crew Member Recovered Amid Escalating Conflict

A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been shot down over Iranian territory, marking the first confirmed incident of its kind since the start of the nearly five-week conflict between the U.S., Israel, and...

U.S.-Iran War Escalates: Downed Fighter Jet, Stalled Ceasefire Talks, and Ground Invasion Fears

Tensions between the United States and Iran have reached a dangerous new peak following the downing of a U.S. F-15E fighter jet over Iranian territory the first time Tehran has shot down an American aircraft since the...

Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas in Federal Reserve Investigation, Delaying Powell Succession

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has once again ruled against the Justice Departments efforts to revive a criminal investigation targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, dealing another significant blow to what...

Congo in Talks With Trump Administration to Accept Third-Country Deportees

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reportedly in discussions with the Trump administration about accepting deportees from third countries individuals who are not Congolese nationals but were living in the United States...

Russia's Easter Strikes Kill Multiple Civilians Across Ukraine

In a significant escalation of its ongoing war against Ukraine, Russia launched a massive daytime strike on Friday, killing at least six people across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, and Kharkiv....

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Digital Currency