If you were forwarded this email (Hi! Welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning!
Here is today’s trivia question: Who is the most-followed Australian person on Instagram?
Answer is at the end of the titbit.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “If we couldn’t get agreement on the way forward... His resignation was inevitable.” ABC boss Hugh Marks, speaking to Radio National Breakfast, about last week’s resignation of ABC's News Director Justin Stevens. Marks confirmed that he was looking for Stevens' successor before he had resigned. Reuters executive editor Simon Robinson will replace Stevens as ABC’s next News Director.
The stat: $143,000. The estimated median salary of Australian workers with AI skills, according to a new report by the Australian Institute of Business (AIB).
The big question:
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Yesterday’s results: 60% of you told us you don’t use dating apps because you’re in a relationship. 27% of you said you avoid the apps because you “don’t want to” and 13% of you do use them. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [1,404 votes]
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Coalition has left the door open to working with Pauline Hanson to oust Labor from power, as One Nation rises in the polls. The latest Newspoll published in The Australian shows the Hanson-led party pulling ahead of Labor as the most popular party in the nation, while the Coalition has sunk to third in their standing with voters. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the Government’s planned changes to investor tax incentives had further eroded trust in politics. He said the Coalition would work with others to defeat Labor at the next federal election and did not rule out a preference deal with One Nation. Meanwhile Labor has launched a social media ad campaign asking for donations to take on One Nation. Trade Minister Don Farrell downplayed concerns, saying “populist parties in this country come and go”. He added if “anyone should be worried about One Nation, it should be the Coalition."
NSW Police have charged two people over a shooting at the wrong funeral site for a murdered gangland figure. Investigators allege the 17 and 23-year-old men targeted a funeral home in southwest Sydney believing a service for crime boss Lorenzo Lemalu was being held there. The “Coconut Cartel” leader was killed in Vietnam last month, and his funeral was scheduled to take place at a Punchbowl funeral venue on the weekend. However, a last minute change saw the memorial moved to Lakemba Mosque. Officers were called to the original venue on Saturday afternoon after reports multiple bullets were fired at the funeral home. Attackers fled the scene in an SUV, and an abandoned car was found well alight nearby a short time later. Police have since arrested a man and a teenage boy in connection with the shooting. They’ve both been charged with weapons and organised crime offences and were refused bail as investigations continue. An ongoing feud between the Coconut Cartel and Sydney’s notorious Alameddine crime family has been blamed for a series of recent attacks across the city.
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
Not sure what’s next after school? Build a creative and meaningful career in early childhood education.
With strong job security, study support, and opportunities to grow. Become a kinder teacher or educator through university, Free TAFE or a traineeship, and access financial support while you study. It's a career that’s in-demand, future-proof, and lets you make a genuine impact from day one.
Shape young lives – and your own future.
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 1 minute
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced world-first reforms that will require tech companies to block children from taking or sending nude images on their devices.
The plan, unveiled at London Tech Week, will give companies including Apple and Google three months to “activate built-in features” or “implement technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to detect and block nude images for children.”
“This is not an impossible challenge,” Starmer said.
“These are some of the most innovative companies in the world, and I believe they can solve it. But if they choose not to, then we will act and we will change the law,” he noted.
Announcement
The UK Government’s Home Office said its proposal will prevent predators from exploiting victims through their devices, and stop children from accessing porn.
Tech companies will have three months to implement measures voluntarily. If they fail to do so, the Government will legislate the requirements.
Such laws would include non-compliance penalties including fines for companies. A Home Office statement said tech bosses could also be held criminally liable. “Nothing is off the table,” the statement said.
Technology
The kind of technology required to block children from taking, sharing or viewing naked pictures on their devices already exists. In some cases, like Google’s SafeSearch feature, this function is already in operation.
Last year, UK-based company SafeToNet launched HarmBlock, an AI tool built into smartphones designed to prevent explicit content from being filmed, viewed and shared in real time.
SafeToNet’s co-founder Richard Pursey said HarmBlock has “proven” safeguards can prevent children from seeing, filming and broadcasting explicit content.
Opposition
UK Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch said she doesn't “want to see children being able to send nudes”, but argued “the Prime Minister needs to go further”.
Badenoch said children under 16 should be banned from social media, rather than relying on what she described as “piecemeal measures” that tackle issues one by one.
The comments come as the UK continues to debate whether to introduce its own version of Australia’s under-16 social media ban.
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Features Editor Emma and Editor-in-Chief Billi explain Australia’s illegal tobacco boom. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🏒 Want to know what’s happening with the Stanley Cup? Or stay across the biggest footy storylines? Sports journalists George and Pav have you covered in TDA Sport. Sign up here and it will land in your inbox at 4:30pm today.
Odoo’s Tax Time Tips
📚 You don't need to spend big to stay on top of your books. Odoo supports your finance team year-round and works right alongside your bookkeeper and accountant - at a price that actually makes sense.
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
On Monday, OpenAI announced plans to become a publicly-listed company. OpenAI is the maker of ChatGPT, one of the world’s most widely-used AI chatbots.
If the company goes public, members of the public would be able to buy shares in OpenAI and own a small stake in the business.
The move comes after Anthropic and SpaceX announced they are also going public.
So, what does this all actually mean?
What is OpenAI?
In 2015, OpenAI said it was being set up as a “non-profit artificial intelligence research company” aimed “to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return”.
OpenAI began developing ChatGPT in 2018. Its first models were publicly released with detailed research in line with its original transparency pledge. In 2023, OpenAI launched its fourth generation model, but did not release its code publicly.
Over time, it converted to a for-profit entity.
Listing
When a business goes public, it invites people to purchase a ‘stake’ or ‘share’ in that company. A person who buys shares becomes a part-owner of that company, also known as an investor or a stakeholder.
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the first time a company offers shares to the public.
On Monday, OpenAI announced it had filed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to become a public company.
In a post on OpenAI’s blog, they said: “We recently submitted a confidential S-1. We expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it.”
An S-1 is the first registration statement to the SEC.
A confidential filing means that the public cannot view the listing information for a certain period of time.
At this stage, the number and cost of OpenAI’s future initial shares has not been made public.
Musk case
Last month, X Corp founder and OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk unsuccessfully sued OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, claiming they “stole a charity” by abandoning OpenAI's original non-profit mission.
Musk sought up to $US150 billion ($A209 billion) in damages, a court order forcing OpenAI back into a non-profit structure, and the removal of Altman and Brockman from their positions.
The jury unanimously found Musk had waited too long to sue, ruling the case fell outside the three-year statute of limitations.
Impact
So how could this affect ChatGPT users?
UNSW Associate Professor of Finance Mark Humphery-Jenner said impacts on consumers would likely be indirect.
He said a public listing would allow people to invest in OpenAI, while also exposing the company to greater scrutiny from shareholders if its products decline in quality.
Humphery-Jenner added that being publicly listed could also make it easier for OpenAI to acquire other companies and expand its offerings.
Other examples
In 2021, former OpenAI staff founded Anthropic, the company behind AI chatbot Claude. Co-founder Dario Amodei later said he felt OpenAI was not sufficiently prioritising AI safety.
Last week, Anthropic also announced it had filed paperwork to go public.
Elsewhere, Elon Musk's SpaceX is preparing for its own stock market debut. Shares became available to Australian investors on 4 June ahead of the company's planned U.S. listing on 12 June. The IPO price has been set at US$135 (A$190) per share.
What’s next?
OpenAI has not set a timeline for when it might go public.
In a blog post, the company said it had "not decided on timing yet" and that "it may be a while" before any IPO proceeds.
OpenAI said remaining private offers some advantages, adding there are "things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company".
However, it said filing the paperwork gives it the option to move ahead more quickly if going public ultimately proves to be the best path.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
A message from CommBank
Skincare running low. Fridge needs a restock. Too exhausted to catch public transport home after work. We’ve all been there, so consider this your mini boost to help out.
Open your first CommBank Everyday account and get up to $40 cashback at your faves: Amazon, Chemist Warehouse, Uber Eats and Uber Rides. When you spend $10, you’ll get $10 cashback – it’s that easy.
Disclaimer: Open your first CommBank Everyday account by 30 June 2026. Eligibility criteria & offer T&C’s apply. $10 min spend for $10 cashback per merchant for up to $40 cashback in total. Consider if appropriate for you. TMD on the CBA website.
Give me some good news
Australian researchers have discovered a new way to brew espresso using ultrasonic sound waves, a method they say could make coffee cheaper.
UNSW Chemical Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr Francisco Trujillo explained that traditionally, espresso is made “by forcing hot water through coffee under pressure”. His team has now developed a system that can extract coffee grounds using room temperature water and high-frequency sound waves. A small metal device generates ultrasound while pressing against the side of an espresso filter basket causing it to vibrate rapidly. This vibration helps break down the coffee grounds and speeds up the extraction, using up to 75% less energy than traditional machines. Researchers ran blind taste-tests of their ultrasonic espresso and found regular coffee drinkers didn’t notice any difference. In some cases, using ultrasound “even improved” flavour, Dr Trujillo noted.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Prada is in its space era.
The Italian fashion house has revealed it will be dressing the astronauts for NASA's Artemis III mission – the next step in NASA's plan to land humans on the Moon in the coming years. (Oh, and overnight, NASA named the four astronauts who have been picked for this mission, set to launch by mid-2027.)
But back to Prada’s announcement (this is the titbit): This week, Prada unveiled the garment that astronauts will wear underneath the spacesuit, which includes ventilation tubes that are designed to support up to eight hours of spacewalking.
It's not every day a luxury fashion brand helps dress astronauts for the Moon. And if all goes to plan, Prada's next runway will be 384,000 kilometres from Earth!
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
Trivia answer: Chris Hemsworth, with 58 million followers. (Was your guess Margot Robbie? She doesn’t have Instagram, silly!)
TDA asks
