Canadian journalist, host of the Tech Won't Save Us podcast, and former Wellington resident Paris Marx joins us to discuss the role that technology and the billionaires that control it play in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Plus, the role Aotearoa New Zealand can play in ensuring that emissions mitigation tech is effective at more than just turning a profit.

Plus, we talk about the cellphone bans in schools, cleaning up space junk, identifying methane leaks, and Australia's new Rocket Lab competitor.

Reading list and links

Canadian journalist, host of the Tech Won't Save Us podcast, and former Wellington resident Paris Marx joins us to discuss the role that technology and the billionaires that control it play in mitigating the impact of climate change.
Plus, the role Aotearoa New Zealand can play in ensuring that emissions mitigation tech is effective at more than just turning a profit.
Plus, we talk about the cellphone bans in schools, cleaning up space junk, identifying methane leaks, and Australia's new Rocket Lab competitor.
<a href="https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/technology/business-of-tech-podcast-tech-might-save-us-but-the-billionaires-wont">Reading list and links</a>

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.

Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.

New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.

@petergnz

@businessdesk_nz

Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!

 

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.
Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.
New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.
@petergnz
@businessdesk_nz
Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!
&nbsp;

The Business of Tech

Tech might save us, but the billionaires won't

As US tech companies double down on artificial intelligence, pouring billions into new data centres and offering eye-watering compensation packages to secure the best talent, a different path is emerging for New Zealand.

Catalyst Cloud co-founder Don Christie returned to The Business of Tech podcast this week to lay out his vision for sovereign AI, one where open source models and local infrastructure pave the way for the country’s digital future.

While Christie welcomes the recent government effort to devise a national artificial intelligence strategy, he was clear-eyed about its limitations. 

“My take is that the government is making a start... I thought it was quite generic in its application,” he says, noting that while the strategy offers guidance for small businesses dipping their toes in AI, it stops short of investing in the infrastructure or innovation needed for real autonomy.

Christie is adamant that New Zealand can, and must, chart its own course by leveraging open source AI. Catalyst Cloud runs on the OpenStack cloud platform and has worked with the likes of Te Hiku Media to apply large language models in the cloud to New Zealand-specific applications.

“The technologies are there. You don’t have to build it from scratch. We’ve done this with Linux. We’ve done this with OpenStack in the cloud space. And as open source models begin to mature... the opportunities to build self-determination within New Zealand will explode,” he said.

Listen to episode 111 of The Business of Tech in full, powered by 2degrees Business, streaming on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

As US tech companies double down on artificial intelligence, pouring billions into new data centres and offering eye-watering compensation packages to secure the best talent, a different path is emerging for New Zealand.
Catalyst Cloud co-founder Don Christie returned to The Business of Tech podcast this week to lay out his vision for sovereign AI, one where open source models and local infrastructure pave the way for the country&rsquo;s digital future.
While Christie welcomes the recent government effort to devise a national artificial intelligence strategy, he was clear-eyed about its limitations.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My take is that the government is making a start... I thought it was quite generic in its application,&rdquo; he says, noting that while the strategy offers guidance for small businesses dipping their toes in AI, it stops short of investing in the infrastructure or innovation needed for real autonomy.
Christie is adamant that New Zealand can, and must, chart its own course by leveraging open source AI. Catalyst Cloud runs on the OpenStack cloud platform and has worked with the likes of Te Hiku Media to apply large language models in the cloud to New Zealand-specific applications.
&ldquo;The technologies are there. You don&rsquo;t have to build it from scratch. We&rsquo;ve done this with Linux. We&rsquo;ve done this with OpenStack in the cloud space. And as open source models begin to mature... the opportunities to build self-determination within New Zealand will explode,&rdquo; he said.
Listen to episode 111 of The Business of Tech in full, powered by 2degrees Business, streaming on <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1049-the-business-of-tech-114330718/">iHeartRadio</a> or wherever you get your <a href="https://pod.link/1686022906">podcasts</a>.

Sovereign or sidelined?: Making the case for Kiwi-controlled AI

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/ffc5ffe7-a68e-49f1-92df-b337018627c5/transcript

This week's episode of The Business of Tech marks a historic moment: the 60th anniversary of Datacom, New Zealand’s largest homegrown IT company. 

I was joined by Datacom’s Group CEO Greg Davidson, who has overseen nearly two decades of remarkable change, steering the Christchurch-founded company through tidal waves of technological innovation. 

“It is older than me, I'm going to hang on to that for as long as I can,” Davidson quipped at the start of a wide-ranging conversation about the company that employs over 5,000 staff across New Zealand and Australia and generated $1.48 billion in revenue last year.

Datacom started in 1965, the era of the computing bureau when it was too expensive for all but the largest companies to own a computer outright, so businesses shared access to a machine. The Computer Bureau Ltd., which became Datacom, was in demand for processing payroll transactions, a line of business it is a major player in to this day.

“We pay about half a million Kiwis every fortnight using those platforms,” said Davidson. 

Listen to episode 110 of The Business of Tech to find out how Datacom is embracing the latest technological sea change, artificial intelligence, and how it stays competitive in the face of stiff competition from multinationals.

This week's episode of The Business of Tech marks a historic moment: the 60th anniversary of Datacom, New Zealand&rsquo;s largest homegrown IT company.&nbsp;
I was joined by Datacom&rsquo;s Group CEO Greg Davidson, who has overseen nearly two decades of remarkable change, steering the Christchurch-founded company through tidal waves of technological innovation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is older than me, I'm going to hang on to that for as long as I can,&rdquo; Davidson quipped at the start of a wide-ranging conversation about the company that employs over 5,000 staff across New Zealand and Australia and generated $1.48 billion in revenue last year.
Datacom started in 1965, the era of the computing bureau when it was too expensive for all but the largest companies to own a computer outright, so businesses shared access to a machine. The Computer Bureau Ltd., which became Datacom, was in demand for processing payroll transactions, a line of business it is a major player in to this day.
&ldquo;We pay about half a million Kiwis every fortnight using those platforms,&rdquo; said Davidson.&nbsp;
Listen to episode 110 of The Business of Tech to find out how Datacom is embracing the latest technological sea change, artificial intelligence, and how it stays competitive in the face of stiff competition from multinationals.

Datacom at 60: Leading NZ’s tech giant into the AI era

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7e15f6d3-1ea4-47e5-ad4c-b330003c9f87/transcript

Concrete might be the backbone of modern society, but it comes at a steep carbon cost.

As global climate pressures intensify, the business of “greening” this essential material is heating up, and few are more determined to crack the code than Zarina Bazoeva, co-founder of Neocrete.

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, Zarina sits down for an in-depth interview about how her New Zealand startup is tackling one of the world’s most stubborn climate problems: cement, the glue in concrete, is responsible for around 8% of global CO2 emissions. 

“To produce cement, we use a lot of fossil fuels, and so partly that's the reason why it's so carbon intensive, and the other part is because the chemistry of cement contains CO2 in it, so it is released during the manufacturing process,” Zarina told me.

Neocrete is using volcanic ash and its own additive to replace conventional cement ingredients, with promising results. With Neocrete shipping product to its first customer in Southeast Asia and embarking on a Series A capital raise, join us to hear Zarina outline her vision for cities build from low carbon concrete.

Streaming on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

Concrete might be the backbone of modern society, but it comes at a steep carbon cost.
As global climate pressures intensify, the business of &ldquo;greening&rdquo; this essential material is heating up, and few are more determined to crack the code than Zarina Bazoeva, co-founder of Neocrete.
In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, Zarina sits down for an in-depth interview about how her New Zealand startup is tackling one of the world&rsquo;s most stubborn climate problems: cement, the glue in concrete, is responsible for around 8% of global CO2 emissions.&nbsp;
&ldquo;To produce cement, we use a lot of fossil fuels, and so partly that's the reason why it's so carbon intensive, and the other part is because the chemistry of cement contains CO2 in it, so it is released during the manufacturing process,&rdquo; Zarina told me.
Neocrete is using volcanic ash and its own additive to replace conventional cement ingredients, with promising results. With Neocrete shipping product to its first customer in Southeast Asia and embarking on a Series A capital raise, join us to hear Zarina outline her vision for cities build from low carbon concrete.
Streaming on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1049-the-business-of-tech-114330718/">iHeartRadio</a>&nbsp;or wherever you get your&nbsp;<a href="https://pod.link/1686022906">podcasts</a>.

Concrete for a low-carbon world, with Neocrete’s Zarina Bazoeva 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d7ffcd8b-3fed-4a9d-89ed-b32a0030a52d/transcript

Tech might save us, but the billionaires won't

In 1 playlist(s)

The Business of Tech

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips