James Purtill
James Purtill is the ABC's award-winning online technology reporter, covering stories from social media to solar panels, and artificial intelligence to electric vehicles. Prior to joining ABC Science he worked as a reporter at triple j Hack and ABC News.
Latest by James Purtill
A discovery by a curious US schoolboy has landed Apple in hot water and could change how you text
James Gill discovered how to streamline texting between Apple and Android devices during his school holidays, but Apple blocked the workaround. Now the tech giant may face legal action in the US.
Why hot Australian cities keep laying dark heat-absorbing asphalt, not pale 'cool roads'
Los Angeles and other US cities have embraced lighter-coloured "cool roads" in response to climate change and heatwaves. So why isn't Australia doing the same?
Battery prices are tipped to fall 40 per cent. Here's what that means for cheaper EVs
A string of recent developments, from battery manufacturing to new engine efficiency rules, will affect the price you pay for a new car.
ChatGPT was tipped to cause widespread cheating. Here's what students say happened
At the start of 2023, experts warned ChatGPT would swamp schools in a wave of cheating. With the academic year wrapping up, we asked students what really happened.
Everyone is talking about ChatGPT right now. So why does the man who helped invent it think he's failed?
As big tech invests billions in a race to control "the most powerful technology in the world", some of AI's inventors fear the future they've helped create.
Analysis
analysis:Broken dreams, bad predictions and big tech: Five things to know about AI
For the last few months, there's one question that I've been asked countless times: What do you think of AI? Here's what I've learned over months interviewing the top AI experts, writes James Purtill.
'Computer got it wrong': Robert was locked up by AI for a crime he didn't commit
In January 2020, Robert Williams was wrongly arrested — the victim of a faulty artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition system. Even as he fought to clear his name, the system continued operating.
'The most shocking thing I've ever seen': How one move in an ancient board game changed our view of AI
A board game contest between human and machine in 2016 marked the birth of modern AI. This is the moment the world changed forever.
An audacious plan to rapidly detect bushfires from space appears to have hit a roadblock
After the Black Summer fires, experts called for a way of detecting bushfires more rapidly, using satellites. But executing this idea faces challenges.
Peaceful Rabaul was known as the 'pearl of the Pacific'. Then the earth cracked open
In 1994, a volcanic eruption destroyed a thriving town in PNG. Years later, houses have been rebuilt, as scientists watch and wait for the next big blast.
As natural disasters loom, these towns are taking control of their power by building microgrids
Two communities that went without power during Black Summer are getting a microgrid to keep the lights on during network outages. As another dangerous fire season looms, is this technology the way forward?
As EVs take over, the resale value of petrol and diesel cars is set to fall. Here's when it will hit
If you're looking to buy a second-hand EV, there's good news: they're getting cheaper. Here's when, and how far, prices are expected to fall.
Plug-in hybrids are being left in the dust as battery EV sales surge ahead
The latest sales figures suggest the age of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can charge from a power point and fill up at the service station appears to be drawing to an end, at least in Australia.
In the old fossil fuel heartlands of Australia, a new kind of industry is being built
Batteries could shape Australia's future from mining to assembly. But industry leaders say we need to act quickly to capitalise on the renewables boom.
Google is about to change the way most of us search the web. Here's what it will look like
Google has unveiled an experimental revamp of its Search results page, replacing the familiar list of blue links with an AI-generated "snapshot" answer. Here's what to expect when it comes to Australia.
As Musk shakes up Twitter, the app's co-founder has launched a rival platform that's gaining ground
A new Twitter rival has emerged, backed by Twitter's co-founder and armed with an invitation-only viral marketing campaign. Will it work?
A single urban delivery truck emits as much as several passenger vehicles. So why aren't they electric?
Switching to zero-emission trucks would be the fastest way to cut emissions, but they've largely been left out of the national EV strategy. Here's what's holding back the uptake.
Could this new battery spell the end for EV range anxiety?
The world's largest battery maker says its new battery could power electric aircraft or propel electric vehicles beyond 1,000km on a single charge.
How Australia was overtaken in the electric vehicle race as global sales go 'exponential'
The latest snapshot of global EV uptake shows "explosive" growth in sales in China, Europe, the US and the UK, while Australia is at risk of being left behind.
A few simple changes could save many Australian households thousands in energy costs
As the cold weather sets in, the Climate Council has calculated households can save $2,000 on energy bills through insulating ceilings, plugging gaps, and other efficiency measures.
How to record the solar eclipse on your phone without frying your eyes
What to do, what not to do, the gear you need, and how to get it on camera (it's hard). If you read nothing else: Do not look directly at it.
'Love barks at the fence': Courtney asked ChatGPT to write a poem to the neighbour's dog, from her dog
From consulting ChatGPT for relationship advice to asking it to write a love poem on behalf of your dog, here are stories of the novel and unexpected ways Australians have been using generative AI.
This forgotten technology once rivalled solar panels, and it's about to make a comeback
Concentrated solar power is an old technology making a comeback, with the CSIRO forecasting it'll be a cheaper form of storage than pumped hydro. Here's how it works.
AI-whisperer, salary $500k: How engineering the perfect prompt became a hot new skill
The rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has created demand for a new kind of skill called prompt engineering. We spoke with experts to assemble a bag of tricks and tips for how to talk to AI.
Silicon Valley has dominated tech for years. Now the pendulum has swung away
The 15-year tech boom has ended with rounds of mass layoffs and a recent series of high-profile bank collapses. So what went wrong and will Silicon Valley ever be the same?