🗞️ ClaudeAU

Good morning. New data from Anthropic shows Australia now ranks first in the world for Claude usage per head, using it more than 6 times as much as our population would suggest.

Business operations is the second most common use here after homework, and most of it is people using AI to help with their work rather than replace it.

This week, separate research also found that 1 in 3 Australian workers are secretly using AI on the job.

All the headlines and more below…

QANTAS ARRIVED ON TIME 87.16% OF THE TIME IN JUNE, BEATING EVERY OTHER AIRLINE GLOBALLY.

Qantas arrived on time 87.16% of the time in June, up from 80.4% a year earlier and beating Spain's Avianca at 87%. Virgin Australia sat at 80.18%. The result follows a post-COVID low where nearly half of all Qantas flights arrived late in July 2022.

Qantas has ranked in the top 3 globally for 5 of the past 6 months, with March the exception when Cyclone Narelle disrupted flights across 3 states. Domestic on-time departures are tracking at 85% for June - the airline's best result since 2017.

The airline is midway through a $15B fleet transformation, adding Airbus A220s and A321 XLRs to replace retired Boeing 717s and older 737s. It has also introduced 2-door boarding, streamlined turnaround procedures and enhanced crew and aircraft allocations using AI.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

• ASIC has launched a surveillance investigation into how KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC handle internal audit complaints, using compulsory information-gathering powers after whistleblower allegations of KPMG misuse of confidential Lendlease client data. LINK

• India and Australia have signed agreements to boost uranium exports and deepen trade and defence ties, as industry warns capital gains tax changes could hinder new mine investment. LINK

• Australian travel to China has surged as visa-free access, cheap single-hop flights and strong airline capacity drive a 34% annual rise in April visitors to 90,930 and higher booking searches. LINK

• Australian retail is enduring one of its toughest years as long-running chains like Barbeques Galore and Aussie Disposals enter liquidation while Lincraft and Betts shut stores to focus online. LINK

CBA CUTS 276 AUSTRALIAN JOBS WHILE HIRING 37 SIMILAR ROLES IN INDIA.

Commonwealth Bank is cutting 176 technology and engineering roles plus nearly 100 jobs across business banking, institutional banking, HR and retail support. The Finance Sector Union says the bank then advertised similar roles at its Indian operations. CBA is currently hiring across at least 37 different roles in India.

The union has lodged a formal dispute and threatened Fair Work Commission action if CBA doesn't disclose the real rationale. Last year, the FSU forced CBA to pull 30 job listings in India after the bank announced 400 technology cuts in Australia.

CBA maintains it runs integrated teams across multiple locations and that the changes reflect how work is organised, not a shift of jobs offshore. The bank reports full-year profit on August 12.

COMPANY NEWS

• General Pants owner Alquemie Group has struggled to stay afloat as it amassed nearly $59M in losses from FY23 to FY25 after securing $22M in shareholder funding and related-party loans surged to $43.8M. LINK

• Telstra has pulled major State of Origin ads after its worst outage in a decade caused nationwide disruption, as Labor threatens $30M fines and attacks industry trust. LINK

• Wikipedia is facing unprecedented threats to its neutrality, finances and volunteers, as the Wikimedia Foundation boosts lobbying and monetised access for Google and Meta. LINK

• SunRice has begun consulting its up to 650 Riverina employees as it scales back southern NSW rice milling operations due to drought and water buybacks, raising fears for regional jobs. LINK

• PepsiCo beat second-quarter revenue estimates as resilient demand for zero-sugar sodas offset a 2% decline in North America foods organic sales and unchanged annual forecasts. LINK

• Fast Retailing, the Japanese owner of Uniqlo, raised its FY26 operating profit forecast to ¥730B yen on strong overseas sales while warning that a weak yen and heatwaves may hurt Japan. LINK

2026 AUSCORP SALARY SURVEY

Since late 2022, your employer can no longer stop you discussing your pay. But most people still have no idea what the person next to them earns. We're trying to fix that.

This is our biggest survey yet and the more people who contribute, the harder it gets for anyone to be underpaid without knowing it. Anonymous, takes 2 minutes, and the results go straight back to the community.

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CHART OF THE DAY

Foreign direct investment in data centres is booming

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BRAINTEASER

Which five-letter word can go AFTER "back", "salt" and "ground" to make three other words?

Answer below

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ANSWER

Water: Backwater, saltwater, groundwater

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