Sam Altman in Melbourne and The Startup Network's national launch
Small Steps Vol. 79: Startup Vic’s national expansion ⬆️; regulating AI 🤖; and big wins for renewables in the EU 🇪🇺.
“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.”
- Indira Gandhi
Kick start
🗣️ As you’ve probably heard, Sam Altman spoke at an intimate 2,000 person fireside chat in Melbourne last Friday. The CEO of OpenAI and former Y Combinator President was hosted by none other than our friends at The Startup Network, who have recently expanded nationally and rebranded from their origins as Startup Victoria.
So what’s behind this big change? We spoke to Vicki Stirling, CEO of The Startup Network, to learn about the drivers behind the decision and what’s next for the ecosystem.
Check out the interview here.
What we’re thinking about
🎤 Key takeaways from Sam Altman in Melbourne. Missed out on being in the room? Here are our key takeaways from the talk:
The call for an international agency for super intelligence: On his global tour, Altman has seen countries across the world be increasingly aligned in their discussions about establishing an international agency to govern AI risk. This collaborative approach indicates a recognition of the global nature of the challenge and the need for unified action.
A clean slate for innovation: Altman believes that the current era presents a unique opportunity for innovation. Countries that may have missed out on previous waves of innovation can now start afresh – it will all come down to who embraces generative AI fastest and deepest. This makes it an ideal time to launch a startup, as the potential for groundbreaking and transformative innovations is greater than ever before.
Embracing technological change for global benefit: Instead of focusing solely on individual countries' interests, the emphasis should be on leveraging technology for the benefit of the entire world. Startups’ key question should be, "what can we do better than anyone else in the world?" By embracing new technologies and applying them with urgency, we can drive positive change on a global scale. The real upside scenario could be a future where intelligence is too cheap to metre and we have access to things we can’t even imagine.
AI as a catalyst for productivity growth: Both Australia and the United States have experienced stagnation in productivity growth over the past decade. Altman sees AI as a game-changer, capable of addressing this issue. By harnessing the power of AI, the potential for substantial productivity gains becomes evident, potentially enabling individuals to accomplish tasks with 20 to 30 times greater efficiency.
Mainstreaming experimentation and AI adoption: Altman emphasised the importance of widespread adoption of and experimentation with AI technologies. Companies that wholeheartedly embrace AI in all aspects of their operations report remarkable results – we should pair this with a willingness to test and refine AI applications to unlock the tech’s true potential.
Despite the excitement buzzing in the room, the talk again highlighted for us the very real and urgent need for increasing the depth of our risk-analysis lens and actively considering the long-term, interconnected societal risks of AI-related harm – as we dove into in our recent interview with Dr Kobi Leins, global expert in AI, international law and governance.
🤖 AI regulation in Australia. Given the above, it’s more than timely that the Australian government is looking to specifically regulate AI. Ed Husic, Federal Minister for Industry and Science, released a discussion paper on measures that can be put into place to ensure responsible governance of AI in Australia. Both Australia and the US are trailing behind the EU in taking regulatory action in this space.
🌍 In other news… a big renewables win in the EU. For the first time ever, more energy has been generated in the EU from wind and solar than from fossil fuels. According to data from Ember, an energy think tank, other clean energy (including hydro, nuclear, bioenergy and other renewables) also made up a greater proportion of total energy generated in May 2023. Nice.
Now the focus will need to be on improving and expanding battery tech to help store all of this beautiful renewable power.
Graph originally sourced here.
New paths
🥔 Great Wrap is hiring a Sales Development Representative (Australia).
🎧 Mindset Health is looking for a Data Engineer (Melbourne/Hybrid).
👩💻 MoreGoodDays is hiring for a number of roles, including a Rheumatologist Advisor, a GP & Health Advisor, an Exercise Physiologist Advisor & Writer, and a Dietitian Advisor & Writer (Australia).
💰 Future Super wants a Creative Strategist (Australia/Remote).
🧠 UK based? Applied is after a SEO and Content Manager (London/Remote UK).
🔥 Also, check out our Giant Leap Fund jobs board for over 80+ available positions or fill out our expression of interest form. There’s even more jobs at ethical companies on the global B-Work job board.
Giant leaps
🙌 AcademyXi has launched its free ‘AI Toolkit’ online course! Check it out to learn how AI can drastically improve your productivity, boost creativity, enhance your user's experiences, and support intelligent data-driven decision-making.
🎉 Giant Leap’s climate action summary is now live on Trace’s website - check it out here.
For the road
💡 Sam Altman on how to be successful. Interested in hearing more from the man himself? He’s shared his 13 key tips for founder success, including trusting the exponential, having almost too much self-belief, thinking independently, and never underestimating the need for hard work.
🌡️ The world is heating up. We recorded the second warmest May in three decades last month. In addition, ice levels in Antarctica hit a new low for the third time in the past 12 months.
📋 A helpful redundancy checklist. Check your terms of employment, understand why you are losing your role, dust off your resume and start lining up coffees - this is investor Solai Valliappan’s great advice for those affected by tech redundancies.
🧯 Startups emerging from the (wildfire) ashes. The east coast of the US is currently enveloped in a thick haze of smoke as a result of seasonal — but severe — wildfires. With air quality now a focus, TechCrunch contends that this will lead to a new wave of climate-focused businesses.
⚡ Australia’s future as an electrostate. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already all too aware of the daunting task we face in radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the challenge also presents immense opportunity. Alan Finkel, Australia’s former Chief Scientist, shares his thoughts on how Australia gets to net zero from here.
🩺 Maybe don’t trust Dr Tik Tok with your gut health. A trend towards people sourcing their health advice from influencers has health professionals worried -- especially when that advice is too simple or plainly inaccurate. FYI - “only eat broccoli” may sound healthy, but it is not a balanced diet.
🏥 Digital health commercialisation. Keeping on health, applications are now open for ANDHealth+ - a non-equity-taking program offering selected digital health SMEs up to $1M in non-dilutive funding, access to an international network of experts and a dedicated project support team. Applications close 11:59 pm Sunday 25 June.
🌏 Impact curious? Apply for the Social Impact Hub Fellowship. It’s a program for like-minded social impact professionals to learn and further angle their career towards benefitting the planet. Applications close June 30.
👩 Get ready for women in tech. Tech Ready’s Women’s accelerator is taking applications! The eight-week program covers everything from ideation, developing a MVP and commercialisation. Applications close July 18.
🤝 Lessons on investor trust and transparency. Tripple’s latest annual report is a lesson in itself on investor transparency. Most reports front load the good news and fund strengths, but this one delves into its weaknesses and areas for improvement. (We posted this last fortnight with a few typos and a missing link, apologies for that, so we’re reposting in this edition.)
Save the date
📅 27 June, online: Anyone Can Start Program Ask Me Anything Session - Join The Creative Cooperative’s upcoming AMA to have all your questions answered about the next cohort of Anyone Can Start, an early-stage startup program specifically by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Black and Women of Colour and non-binary people. Mark your calendar for 12:00 pm AEST and register here.
📅 27 June, Sydney: Building for Impact - the 2023 Climate Tech Industry Report Launch - Climate Salad is hosting a community event to celebrate the launch of this year’s report. Come along to Tech Central to be the first to learn about the growth of the industry over the past year and connect with other like-minded individuals who are passionate about creating a sustainable future.
📅 July 13, Sydney: From Surviving to Thriving in Startups and Tech – The Creative Cooperative is teaming up with Tech Central to host a startup event designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Black and Women of Colour and non-binary people. Expect no-BS panel discussions, audience Q&As, performers, new friends, great food and goodie bags.