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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

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...

Bank of Japan Eyes Further Rate Hikes Amid Middle East Tensions and Inflation Pressures

A senior Bank of Japan official reaffirmed the central banks commitment to continuing its interest rate hike cycle, while closely monitoring how the ongoing Middle East conflict is shaping Japans economic outlook and...

Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as Yen Weakens Toward 160 Per Dollar

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a stern warning to currency traders on Friday, signaling that Tokyo is prepared to take decisive action against what officials describe as speculative behavior driving...

China's Services Sector Maintains Growth Streak Despite March Slowdown

Chinas services industry continued to expand in March, though at a notably slower pace, as weakening demand and ongoing workforce reductions tempered activity across the sector. According to the latest RatingDog Services...

U.S. Stock Futures Stabilize Ahead of Good Friday as Investors Eye Jobs Report

U.S. stock index futures held steady Thursday evening as markets entered a cautious holding pattern before the Good Friday holiday closure, with traders weighing Middle East tensions and positioning ahead of a critical...

Politics

Iran-U.S. Military Tensions Escalate as Tehran Fortifies Key Energy Infrastructure

As geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, Tehran is ramping up its military readiness in anticipation of a potential ground operation on its soil. According to reports from the Wall Street...

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...

First Western Ship Transits Strait of Hormuz Since Iran War Began

A container vessel operated by French shipping giant CMA CGM has become the first Western-linked ship to successfully navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, signaling a cautious...

Trump Fires Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files and Slow Prosecutions

President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position on Thursday, ending a tenure marked by controversy and growing frustration from the White House. Sources familiar with the matter say Trump had...

Ukraine Frontline Holds Firm as Zelenskyy Claims March Offensive Successfully Repelled

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared this week that the countrys frontline situation is the strongest it has been in ten months, crediting the Ukrainian armed forces with successfully neutralizing a major...

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

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...

Annie Altman Amends Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Annie Altman has filed an amended civil lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of sexually abusing her over a span of nearly a decade. The amended complaint was submitted Wednesday in St. Louis...

TSMC Japan's Second Fab to Produce 3nm Chips by 2028

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has confirmed plans to begin equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers at its second fabrication plant in...