AI is making job seeking easier; and the benefits of being a social enterprise

Welcome to the Tech-Wrap Up.

In this edition we take a look at the explosive growth of Meta's new social media app Threads and ask the question... is it Twitter 2.0?

We also explore hiring staff through the use of AI, and the benefits this could bring the job seeker and the employer.

Plus we delve into the pros and cons of starting a social enterprise instead of a startup.

Read on.

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Job interviews aren’t fun — many find them daunting and often unsuccessful applicants are left not knowing where they went wrong.

But an Australian AI-powered recruitment platform is trying to change that, by using machine learning to reduce the amount of time applicants and hiring managers spend on the hiring process, and the likelihood of bias.

Sapia.ai is trained on 31.3 billion words from former job applicants. It boasts Qantas, Woolworths Group, Big W,?Suncorp and Medibank Private as its clients.

The startup raised 24 million dollars last year, backed by Macquarie Capital global recruitment firm Hudson, to help it expand into the lucrative US jobs market.

Sapia.ai Founder and CEO? Barb Hyman ?talks to Tech Wrap-Up Australia about how chatbots make applying for a job easier, how AI can reduce bias in the hiring process and why the resume is dead.

?: Barb, what is your technology trained on??

??: Five years ago we started to build this product based on chat as the medium, recognising that people feel more comfortable on their phones. We had to figure out the signs that could be extracted from that language data — your personality, your communication skills and your behavioural traits.

To train our model we use only first party data, which is data that we have collected from people using the product. This is done via a structured interview, much like you might get interviewed for a job.

The model has been trained on 1.3 billion words so far.

This is data that is proprietary to us — we own it as part of our partnerships with our clients. It doesn't have any Personal Identifiable Information (PII) data. It doesn't know you, your name, your skin colour or your demographics.

It is the purest and cleanest data set that you can use in order to inform an AI system, in contrast to third party data, which is social media data or resume data. Third party data contains a lot more latent signals of privilege that may lead to bias.

?: There’s a lot of concern that AI (especially generative AI) reinforces existing biases. How can you be sure Sapia.ai is removing bias from the hiring process?

??: Probably the best example [of bias in AI] recruitment is what happened with Amazon, where they experimented by building an algorithm to help with hiring. The algorithm factored in the CVs of those who had already been hired, and compared that data set to the CVs of those who applied. The problem there was that the algorithm was biased before they even started to use it.?As a result it turned out that they mostly hired men.

This is why we don’t use any historical decisions or data to build our models. We use rules-based models. You can identify where you might be impacting on equity before you build and deploy the model.

There is never any disparate impact or adverse impact in our models because you can do that testing before you release it.

We do still see bias in human decisions, but the bias in the process has been removed. At the end of the day it is still up to the employer, but the shortlist that is presented to them is an unbiased shortlist.?

Click the link below to read the full interview.

?? To learn more about AI and recruitment, follow Barb Hyman on LinkedIn.

This week in?Venture Chats?we talk to?Tom Dawkins ?— a LinkedIn Top Voice and CEO of?StartSomeGood ?— who founded a crowdfunding platform for social enterprises, non-profits and community projects looking to leave a lasting change on the world.

Social enterprises are booming in Australia, as ethically-minded consumers increasingly seek out products and services that better align with their values, providing unique opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.

?: Tom, for an entrepreneur considering starting a company, what are the benefits of a social enterprise?

??: The advantage of having a clear story around the impact you're creating and clear purpose that goes beyond just private wealth creation is that it tends to inspire all sorts of affiliation and commitment from all the other stakeholders around the business. You will find it easier to recruit great staff and collaborators and they will tend to be more inspired and want to stick around. f you are a B2C company — a consumer-facing company — there's huge social trends around people wanting to be responsible, conscious and ethical in the decisions they make about which companies they support and buy from.

Click the link below to read the full interview.

?? To learn more about running social enterprises, follow? Tom Dawkins ?on LinkedIn.

• What challenges will emerge for the AI sector once the issue of how to regulate it is resolved? Quantum computing power, a bubble set to burst, cybersecurity woes and deepfakes — this is what the future holds for AI .
• Women are underrepresented in AI roles in Australia, as well as top management STEM positions according to new LinkedIn data. Here's what women in tech are saying about it .
• Having technical skills in AI, such as an understanding of programming languages, machine learning and Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI), can help get you a salary premium. But avoid these risks when boasting about your AI knowledge at work.
• The demand for AI-related skills is increasing in all sectors as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into the global economy. These are the fastest growing AI skills in APAC, writes Adrian Tay
• LinkedIn News Australia recently unveiled its Top Voices in AI — you can read all about them here. And follow them to get regular updates and insights into Australia's AI industry.

Threads is hurting Twitter

Social media app Threads appears to be living up to its billing as a potential “Twitter killer”, with app downloads and traffic figures soaring.

Meta ’s new app has already generated 100 million sign-ups in its first week, beating OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which became one of the fastest-growing consumer products earlier this year, according to?TechCrunch . ChatGPT had 10 million daily users signing up in 40 days and 100 million monthly users in nearly two months.

The soaring figure comes despite the app still not being available in the European Union, with the launch there delayed due to regulatory uncertainty apparently caused by the EU's Digital Markets Act.

Twitter traffic fell 5% on Thursday and Friday compared with the previous week, and 11% compared with the previous year, according to web analytics firm?Similarweb .

Prominent Australians on the platform include Prime Minister? Anthony Albanese , Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Indigenous Australians Minister? Linda Burney , Environment Minister? Tanya Plibersek , and actor Chris Hemsworth.

Twitter is threatening to sue Meta over Threads, alleging in a lawyer's letter that the app is a "copycat" of its platform and that Meta hired its former employees to work on the project, stealing trade secrets to launch it — allegations that Meta denies.

Here's what tech professionals on LinkedIn are saying:

Logan Daley , Group Cyber GRC Specialist for NIOA :

Have we magically forgiven Meta for all their past issues like data breaches, profiting from our data, and of course, let's not forget Cambridge Analytica. Time will tell where this is headed. Right now, it seems that no matter how much social media and its inherent risks burn us, we seem to be like moths drawn to yet another flame. Just don't take it too seriously. See his full post here .

Ian Yip , cybersecurity expert and founder and CEO of Avertro :

This has sparked another debate about Meta's lack of respect for?consumer privacy, [but] others pointed out that Twitter’s own app isn’t much better. I examined ... Threads, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, to analyse the declared user data each uses and for what purposes. In short, Threads is worse than Twitter. But it's just as bad at respecting privacy as Facebook and Instagram. See his full analysis here .

Tarzon Budhathoki , tech recruiter for Emmbr :

Threads by Meta emphasises on structured and organised data, making it easier for teams to track conversations and retrieve past discussions. Threads by Meta, being part of the Meta (formerly Facebook) ecosystem, benefits from Meta's numerous open-source contributions, providing a robust and versatile platform. Threads by Meta has a detailed privacy policy, providing users with control over their data and how it's used. Twitter also has a comprehensive privacy policy, with options for users to control what information they share and who can see it. In conclusion, Threads by Meta and Twitter each have their unique strengths. It's not about one platform being superior to the other, but about which platform best meets your specific needs. Twitter, too, has made significant open-source contributions, particularly in the area of big data analytics. Read his full comparison here .

Do you see yourself using Threads instead of Twitter well into the future? What differences are you noticing? Share your thoughts on the post in the link below.

?? The Robodebt report is finally out and it might influence AI and automated decision-making regulation in Australia, writes AI expert Raymond Sun .

?? In a significant ruling, the Court of Justice of the European Union recently ruled that Facebook “cannot justify” the use of personal data to target users with ads unless it has their consent. Michael Loewy , cybersecurity expert and co-founder of Tide Foundation , writes this shows that Australia's privacy reforms are swimming with the current of trending global legislation and are not isolated extreme measures.

?? Cybersecurity experts have discovered that one of the best ways to beat a scammer is not to block their calls but rather to answer them , writes technology journalist Joseph L. .

?? Threads has become the fastest growing app of all time, so how do you build it into your branding or advertising? Lisa Teh , co-founding of digital advertising agency Mooning , shares her tips on the best way to create a content strategy on the shiny new platform.

?? The narrative around tech entrepreneurs is that their obsessive focus, combined with crazy hours and personal sacrifice, is how they succeed. But Angus Stevens , CEO and founder of Start Beyond - AFR Top Ten Most Innovative Tech Company 2023 , explains how finding avenues for self-expression and growth outside of your company can help generate success.

?? Cyber-attacks could be thwarted using virtual reality headsets. With its inherent ability to merge the physical and virtual worlds, AR is positioned to be a valuable tool in our collective arsenals , writes security and risk expert Joel Earnshaw .

?? Apple's Vision Pro headset marks a paradigm shift in the spatial computing and mixed reality space. But will the shift take another 5 years to fully mature ? Trent Clews-de Castella , co-founder of PHORIA , explains.

?? The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority recently released its early findings from an expansive study on cyber-resilience in financial services. Cybersecurity expert Shamane Tan takes you through the main points .

?? The next leap forward — and also a very new investment area — in generative AI is autonomous AI agents. Annie Liao ???? , an investor at Aura Ventures , explains why demand for agents — which are systems that leverage LLMs to perform complex tasks through self-learning, actioning and goal setting — is set to explode in coming years . In a separate post, Liao also shares some advice on investing in the era of AI .

??? In an age of increasing cyber-attacks it is critical to have a structured cyber simulation program. Plus, regulators expect it, writes Valeska Bloch , Partner and Head of Cyber at Allens . In a seperate article, Bloch writes that cyber insurers are increasingly refusing or limiting cover where known vulnerabilities in organisations' systems are exploited.

??? Governments and organisations can deploy these generative AI functionalities to create real productivity gains, worth $7 billion in annual economic value globally, writes digital transformation expert Tariq Munir .

??? In the ever-evolving landscape of defence technology, it is crucial to adapt to the changing needs and challenges posed by autonomous systems and advanced media streaming, writes ?? Ross Newman , the founder of DefenceX .

?? How should we think about accountability and liability when it comes to AI systems? And how does that question change if the AI is considered?potentially conscious ? AI philosopher? James C. explains.

?? What can Black Mirror teach us about AI ethics? AI export Grant Davies explains what the popular Netflix show tells us about invasion of privacy, deepfakes and technology gone wild .

?? One enduring frustration of the technology sector is that it has a gender imbalance that is proving difficult to shift , writes Alexandra Coates , Managing Director (Australia) for Datacom . She argues that while optimists say the gap is not as stark as it once was, current gender statistics in corners of the sector — like AI — are concerning.

?? ChatGPT creator Sam Altman's recent visit to Melbourne offered invaluable insights that can help inform anyone working in AI or even considering how it fits into their business.? ?? Mark Monfort , co-founder of NotCentralised , gives you an insider's look at the rockstar welcome Altman received , and the knowledge he imparted to those who went to watch him speak.

Thank you to this edition's experts. If you would like to get featured, please send me your LinkedIn content over?InMail .

? Click here to subscribe ?to the latest tech and startup news and analysis on LinkedIn.