🗞️ Holy guacamole

Good morning. AI headlines are a mix of the absurd and the useful.

Here are 3 headlines that caught our attention recently:

• Custom Screensaver Ads - DirecTV lets you upload your photo to screensavers that feature tailored product ads.

• DIY Autonomous Mowing - Robotic lawnmowers are driverless, but only once you teach them the route first.

• The Ripe Detector - A new AI model can now visually assess an avocado’s ripeness, ending the guacamole guesswork.

Perhaps the true measure of a successful technological future is not flying cars, but rather a supermarket aisle full of avocados, entirely safe from no one's destructive thumb-poke test.

All the headlines and more below...

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Millions of Gen Z Australians lack a financial buffer

• Millions of Gen Z Australians lack a financial buffer as only 19% have a 3-month emergency fund, leaving most vulnerable to surprise costs. LINK 

• Australia is set to exceed its migration target by 15% as 40,000 more people arrive due to relaxed visa rules and higher permanent intake. LINK 

• None of Australia’s states have reached the 20% housing target one year into the 5-year plan as ACT, VIC and WA lead while NSW lags. LINK 

• Melbourne businesses have reported a drop in foot traffic as rising violence and frequent protests raise safety concerns for customers. LINK 

• AI adoption remains slow in business as studies show 95% of firms have seen no returns while technological progress continues rapidly. LINK 

• Banking is adopting AI in line with past tech disruptions such as ATMs, which changed rather than replaced jobs as it may expand career opportunities. LINK 

COMPANY NEWS

Bunnings defends use of facial recognition tech

• Bunnings is disputing a ruling by the privacy watchdog that it unlawfully used facial recognition in stores, as it argues the tech is needed for security. LINK 

• JPMorgan will not refund entries for its cancelled Sydney Corporate Challenge due to extreme heat, citing financial outlay and force majeure policy. LINK 

• Life360 has launched a GPS device for real-time pet tracking via satellite and mobile, integrating it with its core app to expand its services. LINK

• Google’s Quantum AI team achieved a breakthrough using the 'Quantum Echoes' algorithm on the Willow chip as it outperformed classical supercomputers by 13,000 times. LINK 

• Origin Energy confirmed a data breach as a terminated employee emailed encrypted customer data, prompting investigations and credit monitoring for 700 affected users. LINK

• EnergyAustralia will grant $1.2M in credits to 6,000+ Victorian customers after breaching laws by not informing them of payment assistance options. LINK

• Optus announced its CFO and CIO will leave as part of a leadership overhaul while it faces scrutiny over emergency service failures. LINK 

• Tesla posted a record US$28.1B Q3 revenue driven by EV demand ahead of tax credit changes while profit dropped 37% due to rising costs. LINK

• Qantas has introduced 70 Australian-inspired dishes on domestic flights with a 6-week rotating menu aimed at both economy and business passengers. LINK 

• Regis Healthcare will acquire 2 aged care homes in Victoria for $45M, adding to its 74-home portfolio with 8,400 beds and increasing its regional footprint. LINK 

• Unilever achieved 3.9% Q3 sales growth driven by 1.5% volume gains while strong demand in North America lifted overall performance. LINK

• IAG upgraded its FY26 forecast whilst acquiring RACQ Insurance for $855M, projecting a 10% rise in gross premiums and profit up to $1.75B. LINK

• Inghams is losing market share to private rival Baiada, which has become a stronger chicken competitor in the Australian market. LINK 

CHART OF THE DAY

2025 gold price chart

ONE MORE SCROLL

Editor’s Pick: DoorDash unveils Dot, the Delivery Robot powered by its autonomous delivery platform to accelerate local commerce.

Draft Pick: Meet Australia's $307M(!!) Boomers backcourt.

Odd Pick: Octopuses invade the English Coast, ‘eating anything in their path’.

TOGETHER WITH

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TRIVIA

We're going movie trivia today. We are giving you 6 well-known movies and you have to give us the director. Good luck!

1. The Lord of the Rings

2. Pulp Fiction

3. Titanic

4. The Dark Knight

5. Jaws

6. The Godfather trilogy

Answers below

OUR SOCIALS

ANSWERS

1. Peter Jackson
2. Quentin Tarantino
3. James Cameron
4. Christopher Nolan
5. Steven Spielberg
6. Francis Ford Coppola

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