Hack

So, an OpenAI agent went rogue and infiltrated Australian Government websites a few months ago - and we only found out today. We unpack what went wrong, why the government didn’t know, and what happens next.  And, we’re joined by Gumbaynggirr artist and activist Aretha Brown to chat about why she is leaning into joy, why she describes the relationship between artists and some galleries as 'parasitic' and how it feels to be a real romantic in 2026. 
Listen now: 
01:16 - OpenAI Medicare hack
14:14 - “The most romantic job in the world”
Guests:
John Lyons, Americas Editor, ABC News
Aretha Brown, artist and activist
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Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Aretha Brown has been in the public eye since she was 16 years old when a speech she gave at an Invasion Day rally made national headlines.
Last year she became one of the youngest artists ever selected for the National Indigenous Triennial at the National Gallery and her art collective, Kiss My Art, has painted more than 65 murals around the world.
Now Aretha is preparing for her first solo show - Born Romantic.
In this week's long listen, Aretha tells Ali why she is leaning into joy, why she describes the relationship between artists and some galleries as 'parasitic' and how it feels to be a romantic in 2026.
Born Romantic is on at the Abbotsford Convent from September 26 - October 4.
Guests:
Aretha Brown, Gumbaynggirr artist
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Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Have you ever been unsure if something in your feed  was real or AI? Well, you’re not alone. We look into a FIFO influencer who has almost 85,000 followers... but she’s actually one of several generative AI accounts pushing their followers to paywalled AI adult content.  And, we hear about US president Donald Trump’s threat towards Iran in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, and the reasons behind the high fuel prices we’re seeing around Australia. 
Plus, the AFL Grand Final is this weekend at the MCG - featuring two non-Victorian teams - so we find out the lengths some fans are going to get around the sky-rocketing prices for flights, and whether all states should have the day off on Friday... 
Listen now: 
01:15 - Fuel prices and Trump’s address
06:22 - AI FIFO ‘influencer’
20:42 - AFL Grand Final creative fans
Guests:
Dan Miller, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, James Cook University
Oli, Seb and Ronan, Fremantle Dockers fans
Poppy Penny, ABC Sports Reporter
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The Federal Government have looked ahead... 40 years ahead, in fact, as they predict what the future of Australia will look like. We unpack the government's latest Intergenerational Report to find out exactly what young people can expect in 2065. 
And, US President Donald Trump has banned three media outlets from the White House. He's called the outlets "fake news" and now, other TV networks in the US are boycotting out of support. 
Plus, a new Australian study has highlighted the dangers women are facing on dating apps. What are they being subjected to? And should the government's Digital Duty of Care legislation extend to online dating? 
Listen now: 
01:10 - Trump bans three US media outlets
09:15 - Prediction 2065
22:23 - Dating app dangers
Guests:
Andrea Carson, director of the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism
Simon Kuestenmacher, co-founder of The Demographics Group
Claudia Long, ABC political reporter
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It's been a "horrific" weekend of alleged domestic violence incidents in NSW, with three women and a child killed. The Police Commissioner says he can't remember a weekend like this, and the NSW opposition leader says "we need to be doing so much more".
And, while the United Nations has called it the world's largest humanitarian crisis, it doesn't make headlines often – the Sudan civil war continues to cause mass displacement, risk of famine, and sexual violence.
Plus, new research has revealed that despite shoppers knowing the harm fast fashion causes the environment, they're buying anyway. So what's going on there?
Listen now: 
01:06 - Domestic and family violence in NSW
11:50 - Sudan civil war
22:37 - Fast fashion study
Guests:
Kellie Sloane, NSW Liberal Party Leader
Majduleen Ahmed, Sudanese-Australian community member
Carol Tan, associate professor RMIT University
Get the whole story from hack:
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
Subscribe to the hack podcast
Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm