When to stop being a bystander, and can AI make you laugh? episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 9, 2025 · 55 MIN

When to stop being a bystander, and can AI make you laugh?

from Life Matters - Full program podcast · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Being an active bystander - that is, speaking up or intervening in the face of injustice - feels like the right thing to do when you see something you disagree with. But it doesn't always go to plan, and your best intentions can backfire. There's new analysis suggesting that, in schools at least, encouraging kids to intervene isn't always helpful. So how are you meant to know when it's the right time to stop being a bystander and step up? Dr Karyn Healy is an Honorary Principal Research Fellow at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland and Dr Vicki Webster is an organisational psychologist with a focus on the workplace and executive team.Artificial intelligence may be a lot of things ... chatbot, digital assistant... but can it be funny? An Australian researcher is trying to work out whether AI robots can do stand-up comedy. Not necessarily write jokes... but deliver a comedy routine that leaves people in stitches.So, do you think AI could make you laugh? Dr Robert Walton is a Research Fellow, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne and Nicolette Minster is a comedian and writer.We're asking your favourite Australians about their relationship with money in our series My Two Cents. So, is it raining cash in ABC weather presenter Nate Byrne's world?

Being an active bystander - that is, speaking up or intervening in the face of injustice - feels like the right thing to do when you see something you disagree with. But it doesn't always go to plan, and your best intentions can backfire. There's new analysis suggesting that, in schools at least, encouraging kids to intervene isn't always helpful. So how are you meant to know when it's the right time to stop being a bystander and step up? Dr Karyn Healy is an Honorary Principal Research Fellow at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland and Dr Vicki Webster is an organisational psychologist with a focus on the workplace and executive team. Artificial intelligence may be a lot of things ... chatbot, digital assistant... but can it be funny? An Australian researcher is trying to work out whether AI robots can do stand-up comedy. Not necessarily write jokes... but deliver a comedy routine that leaves people in stitches.So, do you think AI could make you laugh? Dr Robert Walton is a Research Fellow, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne and Nicolette Minster is a comedian and writer. We're asking your favourite Australians about their relationship with money in our series My Two Cents. So, is it raining cash in ABC weather presenter Nate Byrne's world?

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When to stop being a bystander, and can AI make you laugh?

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This episode was published on December 9, 2025.

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Being an active bystander - that is, speaking up or intervening in the face of injustice - feels like the right thing to do when you see something you disagree with. But it doesn't always go to plan, and your best intentions can backfire. There's...

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