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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Martin Farrer

Morning Mail: AI cracks government ‘voiceprint’ security, Aukus nimby anger, Cure sick at ticket rorts

Centrelink and other agencies such as the ATO uses a voice identification system that can be bypassed by AI.
Centrelink and other agencies such as the ATO uses a voice identification system that can be bypassed by AI. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Morning everyone. It’s hard to say just yet what exact impact artifical intelligence might have on our lives but it’s already causing a headache for the government. Our smart data experts have figured out that the voice identification systems used by the agencies such as Centrelink and the ATO to control phone access to accounts can be duped by AI-generated audio. We’ve got the full exclusive story, plus the latest on the Aukus controversy, and why this Friday the Cure are not in love with ticket rorts.

Australia

FILE PHOTO: People queue for coronavirus tests in SydneyFILE PHOTO: A woman takes a test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a testing centre in Sydney, Australia, January 5, 2022. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo
Covid testing in Sydney. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters
  • Covid spike | New South Wales is experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases, with one expert warning the data indicates early signs of a new wave with a “patchwork quilt” of variants.

  • Exclusive | A voice identification system used by the government has a serious security flaw, a Guardian Australia investigation has found. Centrelink and the ATO both give people the option of using a “voiceprint” to verify their identity over the phone. But using just four minutes of audio, our reporter was able to generate a clone of their own voice and use it, combined with their customer reference number, to gain access to their own Centrelink self-service account.

  • Aukus anger | Unions and business groups in Wollongong are angry about reports Port Kembla could be the east coast base for the subs, warning it could displace offshore wind and container terminal jobs. A Chinese embassy official asked Australian counterparts during an Aukus briefing whether the nuclear-powered submarines were intended for “sightseeing”, according to sources, causing confusion about whether it was meant sarcastically or not.

  • Voice progress | The two bills needed for the Indigenous voice referendum are on track for the coming parliamentary fortnight, ministers insist, despite its expert group of Aboriginal leaders still finalising its crucial advice to cabinet.

  • Spiritual cost? | A Liberal party candidate in the NSW election has shared a post online saying Christian parents who sent their children to public schools were making “the most costly spiritual decision they’ve ever made”.

World

French government’s pension reform bill at the National Assembly in ParisMembers of parliament of the left hold placards and sing the Marseillaise, French national anthem, as French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrives to deliver a speech on pensions reform bill at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
Pension changes debated in French parliament. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters
  • Borne ultimatum | The French government has used special powers to force through a rise in the pension age to 64 amid chaotic scenes in parliament in which leftwing MPs sang the Marseillaise to stop the prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, from speaking. The reforms are seen as a decisive moment for President Emmanuel Macron.

  • Drone collision | A video released by the Pentagon shows the moments before a Russian fighter crashed into a $32m US Reaper drone after spraying it with jet fuel on Tuesday morning over the Black Sea.

  • Air power | Poland will deliver fighter jets to Ukraine in the next few days, marking a significant upward step in military backing for Kyiv in the lead-up to an expected counter-offensive. It comes as a UN-backed inquiry finds Russia has committed a wide range of war crimes in its attack on Ukraine.

  • Euro hike | The European Central Bank has raised interest rates across the eurozone by 0.5 percentage points, despite fears that higher borrowing costs could destabilise the financial system amid fears about Credit Suisse.

  • ‘Sickened’ Cure | Robert Smith of the Cure has told fans he is “sickened” after fans complained of Ticketmaster’s additional fees on sales of tickets for the band’s US tour – which reportedly exceeded the face value of the ticket.

Full Story

President Joe Biden, center, speaks as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, listen at Naval Base Point Loma, Monday, March 13, 2023, in San Diego, as they unveil, AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, Britain, and the United States. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
The Aukus announcement on Tuesday. Photograph: Denis Poroy/AP

Is Aukus here to stay and is it worth the risk? – with Lenore Taylor

Gabrielle Jackson talks to Guardian Australia’s editor-in-chief, Lenore Taylor, and head of news, Mike Ticher, about the need for scrutiny of the controversial $368bn Aukus submarine agreement.

In-depth

Christian Tuipulotu of the Sea Eagles is tackled during the NRL Round 3 match between the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Parramatta Eels at Brookvale Oval in Sydney, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AAP Image/Mark Evans) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Christian Tuipulotu of the Sea Eagles is tackled. Photograph: Mark Evans/AAP

The new NRL and AFL seasons are up and running but the early excitement threatens to be overshadowed by continued concerns about concussion injuries. The AFL is facing lawsuits from two groups of former players but there is still no mention in its guidelines of the brain disease linked to contact sports – chronic traumatic encephalopathy – and NRL coaches have pushed back strongly against the introduction of independent concussion-spotting doctors, writes Stephanie Convery.

Not the news

Press shot of Australian composer Liza Lim
Liza Lim, composer. Photograph: Harald Hoffmann

After years of lobbying, quotas and mentorship, the symphony orchestras of Sydney and Melbourne have reached 50% female representation for new compositions for the first time. Kelly Burke looks at how the landmark was achieved and what it means for Australia’s female composers.

The world of sport

AFL Rd 1 - Richmond v CarltonMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Richmond fans celebrate a goal during the 2023 AFL Round 01 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Carlton Blues at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 16, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Richmond fans celebrate a goal. Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Media roundup

The Sydney Morning Herald claims an exclusive with a vow by the treasurer to safeguard superannuation amid growing calls for a royal commission into pandemic-era schemes that allowed people to withdraw savings early. Myer is leaving the Queen Street mall in Brisbane in what the Courier-Mail says is the biggest shake-up of the precinct in years. The AFR says Australian regulators are watching the unfolding crisis at Credit Suisse carefully after the bank required an emergency loan. The West Australian says Perth hopes to become home to the planned naval nuclear school.

What’s happening today

  • Economy | Productivity Commission to release 1,000-page report on Australia’s productivity problems.

  • Transport | Hearing for lawsuits between RTBU and Sydney Trains over industrial action.

  • Coronavirus | Ruby Princess litigator in high court appeal bid.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.

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