The cost of AI, Scam Prevention, and Digitising Smell with Scentian Bio
The New Zealand Tech Podcast dives into the hidden costs of AI, from skyrocketing cloud expenses to environmental tolls, while spotlighting innovative solutions like Sentient Bio’s breakthrough in digitizing smell and taste. At the heart of the episode is a stark warning: AI isn’t always cheaper than humans—Uber reportedly burned through $3 billion in months using AI for coding, revealing that unchecked AI adoption can backfire financially. Yet, the same technology is enabling transformative advances in food safety, with Sentient Bio’s low-cost chemical sensors allowing real-time quality checks on ingredients, slashing waste and recalls. The episode also highlights New Zealand’s growing tech momentum, from Health NZ’s massive cloud migration to startups leveraging agentic AI to simulate boardroom debates. But amid the optimism, a sobering message emerges: innovation must be balanced with cost control, data privacy, and environmental responsibility. The real power lies not in chasing hype, but in deploying AI with precision and purpose.
AI can cost more than human labor—Uber spent $3 billion in months on AI coding, proving that unchecked AI use can be financially unsustainable.
Sentient Bio’s AI-powered chemical sensors enable real-time food quality checks, reducing waste and recalls by replacing slow lab testing with instant on-site analysis.
Agentic AI is being used to simulate board members’ perspectives, helping executives prepare for meetings by anticipating tough questions.
New Zealand’s Health NZ is migrating 12,000 legacy servers to a hybrid cloud, a critical step toward secure, modernized healthcare infrastructure.
Scammers are increasingly using personalized data to craft urgent fake calls—Spark’s verified call feature helps users distinguish real from fake telecom contacts.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Digitizing Smell and Taste: The Future of Sensory AI
“We're giving machines a sense of smell. This is so cool. This is so cool. I'm really looking forward to delving more into that, Jonathan.”
Health NZ’s Massive Cloud Migration: A National Tech Transformation
The episode examines Health NZ’s plan to migrate 12,000 legacy servers to a hybrid cloud, a complex but essential move for modernizing healthcare data infrastructure.
The Scam Epidemic and Spark’s Verified Call Solution
“When Spark are calling you, they ping the app on your phone and then update. This is my understanding. I haven't had this fully verified but this is what it looks like.”
AI’s Hidden Costs: When Machines Outspend Humans
“It'd be cheaper actually to get a human to do that than to get the AI to do it.”
Agentic AI in Leadership: Simulating Boardroom Perspectives
Two Degrees CEO uses AI avatars of board members to anticipate questions and prepare for meetings, demonstrating a practical use of agentic AI.
“that actually, oh, no, it'd be cheaper actually to get a human to do that than to get the AI to do it.”
“And the consequence of that with perishable food is by then you've already made something. And so that's why as consumers we observe in the food industry recalls and there's a lot of food waste from write -offs and there's a lot of rework in terms of manufacturing.”
“So we're giving machines a sense of smell. This is so cool. This is so cool. I'm really looking forward to delving more into that, Jonathan.”
Host
Guest
sentient bio
organization
jonathan goode
person
spark
organization
health new zealand
organization
two degrees
organization
workday
organization
uber
organization
tax traders
organization
warren and mahoney
organization
university of the united nations
organization
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