CSIRO's Data61

Season 2 of our Everyday AI podcast is here! 🎙️ From AI for embryo selection to digital legacies after death, this season unpacks the full scope of AI’s role in our everyday lives: https://bit.ly/3YcsTfH Hosted by Jon Whittle, each episode features expert guests sharing cutting-edge insights on how AI is transforming healthcare, education, and even dating. Listen here or search 'CSIRO Presents: Everyday AI' wherever you get your podcasts: https://bit.ly/3YcsTfH 🎧 #AI #podcast #tech

A team from CSIRO’s Data61 and the University of Melbourne have tackled one of quantum machine learning's (QML) toughest hurdles: simplifying how classical data sets are encoded into quantum states💡 Their new method drastically reduces encoding complexity while maintaining data efficiency, cutting down circuit depth requirements and making QML scalable. This innovation could lay the foundation for quantum-powered AI and ML applications in healthcare and transport. Congrats Muhammad Usman, @Maxwell West, @Azar Nakhl, Jamie H., Floyd Creevey, @Lloyd Hollenberg, and Martin Sevior 👏

We can’t wait to see what 2025 holds for the talented Terria team! 🦾 Terria is CSIRO’s Data61 newest spin-out. Their innovative platform organises and visualises spatial data from thousands of sources to create digital twins that can model ‘what-if’ scenarios. This powerful tool supports smarter planning, detailed analysis, and efficient management of environments and infrastructure. Learn more about Terria here: https://bit.ly/3ZZz2N9 #geospatial #mapping #startup

What a year it’s been at CSIRO’s Data61! From groundbreaking AI research to transformative collaborations, 2024 was filled with achievements that wouldn’t have been possible without our exceptional team and partners 🙌 To celebrate, we’ve put together a highlight reel showcasing the faces, moments, and breakthroughs that made this year unforgettable. It’s a testament to the power of dedication, creativity, and teamwork. As we look forward to the opportunities of 2025, we want to thank everyone who made this year remarkable 👏 Here’s to another year of pushing boundaries and creating impact! 🦾 #AI #science #2024wrap

Our scientists are developing advanced ground robots to help firefighters safely tackle bushfires 🔥 These robots are designed to scout fire fronts, collect real-time data, and provide critical insights from areas too dangerous for humans. This research is part of Project Silvanus, a global collaboration to create a platform that integrates drone and robot data with fire modelling. Learn more about these blaze battling bots and Project Silvanus here: https://bit.ly/4gOxufz #AI #robotics #bushfire

What if AI could handle your Christmas shopping for you? 🎁 In his latest The Conversation Australia + NZ article, our Director Jon Whittle explores how AI agents could transform everyday tasks, including Christmas shopping. AI agents are intelligent systems designed to autonomously perform a wide range of actions, like managing complex workflows, coordinating actions, and decision-making. In this instance, imagine an AI that selects, buys, and ships gifts, all without you lifting a finger. Would you use it? While there are still challenges to address, such as trust, context, and privacy, the rapid progress in AI suggests that by next year, AI agents could become a key part of our holiday season preparations. Read the article here: https://bit.ly/4iMXOss #AI #Christmas

Huge congratulations to our very own Dr Melanie McGrath, who has been chosen as a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia! 👏 As a social psychological researcher in CSIRO’s Data61, Melanie explores the vital role of human trust in collaborative intelligence systems. Her work ensures humans and machines can complement each other’s strengths. Superstars of STEM empowers 60 trailblazers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to become role models to challenge gender assumptions about who can work in STEM. We chatted to Melanie about her nomination and advice for early career researchers here: https://bit.ly/4gFMXhM Congratulations, Melanie! 🚀 #WomeninSTEM #womeninscience

We highly recommend reading CSIRO cyber security expert Dr Marthie Grobler’s insights in Qantas Magazine on equipping corporates with the tools to prepare for cyber incidents 💡    Through CSIRO’s collaboration with the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), Marthie and her team are helping organisations build robust defences through innovative training programs.    Here are a few of her key tips from the article: ✅ Know your plan: Many don’t know who to call during a cyber attack, and those critical contact lists are often inaccessible if encrypted by hackers.  ✅ Back to basics: Keep printed backups of vital information, secured, and ensure everyone knows who has the keys.  ✅ Consider interdependencies: If one service fails, how will it affect others? Assess risks to avoid ripple effects. 📖 Read the full article by Jane Nicholls to learn more about building cyber resilience (page 164 – 172): https://bit.ly/4fmqndm How is your organisation preparing for potential cyber challenges? #cyber #cybersecurity

Will AI kickstart the next scientific revolution? 🧬 CSIRO’s AI for Science Director, Dr Stefan Harrer, PhD, recently returned from the AI for Science Forum in London, hosted by Google DeepMind and the The Royal Society. The forum brought together leading minds in AI, science, and policy (including Prof Hannah Fry, Lila Ibrahim, Dr Eric Topol, MD, and Demis Hassabis) to explore how AI can reshape the future of scientific discovery. Dr Harrer’s key takeaways were: • Ambition to bring AI to all scientists: The need for easy-to-use, intuitive, and accessible AI tools that can enhance research across disciplines. By ensuring these tools are within reach for all scientists, we can foster innovation today and empower the next generation of innovators. •Public good and socio-economic policy: Talks stressed that AI-powered tools must benefit society and align commercialisation efforts with public interest. Public support is vital for successful AI integration into science. •The scientific method will always underpin research: While its capacity to tackle exceedingly complex challenges is limited, AI offers the ability to scale the scientific method, acting as a powerful tool to assist scientists rather than replace them. •Breaking disciplinary boundaries:  AI is poised to foster an unprecedented interdisciplinary research environment. By linking scientific domains, AI enables researchers to uncover valuable connections, insights, and skillsets across fields. What do you think? How will AI shape the next wave of scientific breakthroughs? Let us know your thoughts below 👇 Discover how we're using AI for science at CSIRO: https://bit.ly/3Zn6jkV #AI #science Scott Riddle

Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) has awarded $2.33 million to CSIRO's Quantum Systems team to develop new quantum machine learning technologies for Australian Defence 🧑💻 CSIRO's Data61’s Data61 Quantum Systems team, led by Dr Muhammad Usman, brings world-class expertise in quantum computing.    The team has made significant strides in enhancing adversarial robustness in quantum machine learning, building trust and reliability in AI-based autonomous systems. This new initiative will support their work in developing practical applications of quantum machine learning for defence systems. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3VuDTUY Defence Australia, Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Jon Whittle, Professor Aaron Quigley, Liming Zhu, Eromanga Adermann, PhD,  Amena Khatun, PhD, Akib Karim,