Nine To Noon for Thursday 5 October 2023

 

 

09:05 Facial recognition technology to combat retail crime

Retail NZ is seeking a coordinated and "sector-wide" use of facial recognition technology in a bid to cut down on repeat crime. It says almost all retailers who responded to its latest survey have experienced crime at their businesses in the last year  - costing the sector an estimated $2.6b - half of which is stolen goods. Chief Executive Carolyn Young says more businesses are expecting to incorporate AI facial recognition to identify offenders, with supermarket giant Foodstuffs running a trial next month. The Privacy Commissioner, in recent guidelines, stated that the uptake of AI tools `presents some specific challenges for privacy'. Kathryn speaks to Carolyn and privacy legal expert Marcin Betkier, who has penned a report on the legalities and ethics of facial recognition technology.

09:20 Two-thirds of NZ's monitored river sites rated poorly for harmful E. coli

Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (Lawa) has painted an alarming - albeit sadly familiar - picture of 1700 of the country's rivers and lakes. The data, published last week, revealed two-thirds of monitored river sites rated poorly for harmful E. coli, while nutrient pollution is turning 60 percent of our lakes into breeding grounds for algal and invasive plant growth. There is no quick fix, says Dr Roger Young. One of the scientists involved in the Lawa project, Dr Young is also the Cawthron Institute's freshwater ecosystems manager. 

09:45 UK: Tory conference, HS2 scrapped, Braverman irks

UK correspondent Matt Dathan joins Kathryn to talk about the Conservative Party conference that is being held in Manchester, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered an hour-long address outlining his plans for the Tories. He confirmed the HS2 link - high speed rail between Birmingham and Manchester would be ditched - saying it was due to huge costs and long delays. Meanwhile Home Secretary Suella Braverman's comments that UK child grooming gangs were "almost all British-Pakistani men" has been ruled misleading by the press regulator. She's continued to warn of a "hurricane" of mass migration - comments that will anger her colleagues.

Matt Dathan is Home Affairs Editor at The Times

10:05 Lessons from the United States' tertiary education system

Dr Karen Stout is an American educationalist who leads Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national network of more than 300 tertiary community colleges in the United States. She is visiting New Zealand to share her experience of how tertiary education organisations (TEOs) can redesign themselves around the needs of learners. She says the network has proved that innovative, evidence-based community college programmes, and interventions can produce and sustain improved student success. The Tertiary Education Commission, which is supporting Dr Stout's visit, has conceded the tertiary system is not working for many , including Maori, Pasifika, disabled and working students. So, what can tertiary institutions here, learn from Achieve the Dream?

10:35 Book review: Modern New Zealand Cricket Greats: From Stephen Fleming to Kane Williamson by Dylan Cleaver 

Matthew Roche reviews Modern New Zealand Cricket Greats: From Stephen Fleming to Kane Williamson by Dylan Cleaver published by Upstart Press

10:45 Around the motu: Robin Martin in Taranaki

Robin Martin is in Taranaki, where a series of proposed cycleways are causing an uproar in New Plymouth. The initial plans would involve removing around 900 on-street carparks, which nearby businesses believe would decimate customer numbers. Also, a series of cooking classes being run by a Waitara food bank after it realised many clients did not know how to use the fresh vegetables provided for them in parcels.

11:05 Tech: AT hack, boost to Aussie ID app, Digital Health Week

Technology correspondent Paul Matthews looks at the cyber attacks that have hit Auckland Transport, causing chaos for commuters. What's happening and what is the organisation doing to stop it? The Australian Government is proposing a big boost to their Digital ID service MyGovID, turning it into a form of digital ID and opening it up for adoption by the private sector. Will it work and what are the risks? Lastly, Digital Health Week is coming up at the end of next month, with a big focus on Data and AI in Health.

Paul is chief executive of CIO Studio

11:25 Helping your kids do their best in exams

Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen shares 12 ways parents can help their secondary school age children do their best in exams.

11:45 Screentime: Henry Sugar, Who Killed Jill Dando, Uproar

Film and TV correspondent Chris Schulz joins Kathryn to talk about The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Netflix), directed by Wes Anderson and based on the Roald Dahl story of the same name. He'll also talk about new Netflix documentary series Who Killed Jill Dando and new Kiwi flick Uproar starring Julian Dennison.