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Tama Leaver

Associate Professor in Internet Studies, Curtin University

Tama Leaver is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internet Studies at Curtin University, and a researcher working in Curtin’s Centre for Culture and Technology and the Curtin Institute for Computation.

His research interests include social media, online identity, digital death, infancy online and media distribution.

He has published in a number of journals including Social Media + Society, Communication Research and Practice, Information Communication and Society, Popular Communication, Media International Australia, Comparative Literature Studies and the Fibreculture journal.

He is the author of Artificial Culture: Identity, Technology and Bodies (Routledge, 2012), co-editor (with Mike Kent) of An Education in Facebook? Higher Education and the World's Largest Social Network (Routledge, 2014) and co-editor (with Michele Willson) of Social, Casual and Mobile Games: The Changing Gaming Landscape (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016). He is currently researching the way birth, early life and death are changing in the era of networked digital communications.

AI Revolution Series

'Virtual influencers' are here, but should Meta really be setting the ethical ground rules?

Feb 02, 2022 09:29 am UTC| Technology

Earlier this month, Meta announced it is working on a set of ethical guidelines for virtual influencers animated, typically computer-generated, characters designed to attract attention on social media. When Facebook...

AI Revolution Series

Instagram can make teens feel bad about their body, but parents can help. Here's how

Sep 24, 2021 01:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Last week Facebooks internal research revealed Instagrams toxic effects on some young peoples body image particularly girls. One study by Facebook of teen Instagram users in the US and UK found more than 40% of those...

Facebook is merging Messenger and Instagram chat features. It's for Zuckerberg's benefit, not yours

Oct 05, 2020 13:23 pm UTC| Technology

Facebook Messenger and Instragrams direct messaging services will be integrated into one system, Facebook has announced. The merge will allow shared messaging across both platforms, as well as video calls and the use of...

AI Revolution Series

Facebook's accidental 'death' of users reminds us to plan for digital death

Nov 23, 2016 23:23 pm UTC| Technology

The accidental death of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and millions of other Facebook users is a timely reminder of what happens to our online content once we do pass away. Earlier this month, Zuckerbergs Facebook...

Economy

Wall Street Futures Tumble as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Oil Prices Surge

Wall Street futures dropped sharply Sunday night after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, intensifying geopolitical tensions and triggering a surge in oil prices. The sudden escalation...

Japan Manufacturing PMI Jumps to Four-Year High as Global Demand Strengthens

Japans manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in nearly four years in February, signaling renewed momentum driven by strong domestic and global demand. According to the latest SP Global Japan Manufacturing...

Australian Job Advertisements Hit 16-Month High as Labour Market Stays Resilient

Australian job advertisements climbed for a second consecutive month in February, reaching their highest level in 16 months and signaling continued strength in the labour market. The latest private-sector data suggests...

Oil Prices Surge 13% as U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran Spark Supply Fears

Oil prices jumped sharply in early Asian trading on Monday after the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, significantly escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The...

Global Markets Reel as Euro Falls, Swiss Franc Surges and Oil Prices Spike After U.S.-Israel Strike on Iran

Global currency markets turned volatile Monday as investors rushed to safe-haven assets following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The dramatic escalation in...

Politics

Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon After Missile and Drone Attacks

Israel launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, targeting positions linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after the militant organization fired missiles and drones toward Israeli territory. The escalation marks...

U.S. Deploys Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, F-35 Jets and AI Tools in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran

The United States launched a sweeping military operation against Iranian targets under Operation Epic Fury, deploying advanced weaponry that included Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 and F/A-18 fighter...

Australia Rules Out Military Involvement in Iran Conflict as Middle East Tensions Escalate

Australia has confirmed it will not participate in any military operations in Iran, even if the escalating Middle East conflict intensifies. The announcement came after Israel launched new airstrikes on Tehran and Iran...

Middle East Conflict Escalates After Khamenei’s Death as U.S., Israel and Iran Exchange Strikes

Tensions in the Middle East intensified after Israel launched a new wave of airstrikes on Tehran, prompting Iran to respond with additional missile barrages across the region. The escalation follows the killing of Irans...

Zelenskiy Urges Change in Iran After U.S. and Israeli Strikes, Cites Drone Support for Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for meaningful change in Iran following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes, saying the moment should be used properly to benefit the Iranian people. In his nightly video...

Science

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...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Nvidia to Launch New AI Inference Processor to Boost OpenAI Performance

Nvidia is preparing to introduce a new processor aimed at accelerating AI inference computing, a critical component in delivering faster and more efficient artificial intelligence systems for companies like OpenAI....

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Funding Round at $840 Billion Valuation Ahead of IPO

OpenAI has raised a record-breaking $110 billion in fresh funding, pushing the ChatGPT makers valuation to an impressive $840 billion. The massive investment round, backed by SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, highlights the...

Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules

Australias internet regulator has warned that search engines and app stores could be required to block artificial intelligence services that fail to implement age verification systems by an upcoming compliance deadline....

AWS Data Center in UAE Hit by Fire After Objects Strike Facility Amid Regional Tensions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed that one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a temporary power shutdown after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire. The incident occurred at...

OpenAI Pentagon AI Contract Adds Safeguards Amid Anthropic Dispute

OpenAI has confirmed that its newly signed contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) includes expanded safeguards designed to tightly regulate how artificial intelligence is deployed on classified government...