Liam Malone swaps the track for technology
Retired blade-running paralympian Liam Malone officially traded in the track for a career in technology on Monday.
Malone, 24, began his business development internship role at Auckland-based artificial intelligence firm Soul Machines where he will report directly to former Microsoft New Zealand managing director and PowerbyProxi cofounder Greg Cross.
‘‘When I saw that running might not be a long-term viable option, I started exploring career paths, went and talked to Greg and went and made things happen.’’
Cross said Malone blew him away and he was excited to give him his first break in the technology industry, as his mentors did for him when he started out.
Soul Machines builds life-like digital humans for companies to employ as customer service representatives. Its aim is to humanise online self-service.
Air New Zealand trialled using a Soul Machines digital human to speak to tourists last year.
Malone said he believed digital humans could improve millions of people’s lives.
‘‘I think they [Soul Machines] are changing the world for the better by humanising computing.’’
Malone graduated from Wellington’s Victoria University with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and International Business.
Technology had always been of interest to him, and not just because he relied on it to walk.
‘‘I have become more aware that the value of my life is really dependent on my relationship with technology. My artificial legs, that is how I get to A and B, but at a wider level, how I communicate with the world, how I survive with modern medicine, every thing comes down to our ability to invent new things.’’
The technology industry grew to become New Zealands third largest exporter last year, although companies here still scream of staff shortages.
Malone said the technology industry needed more diversity and his perceived disability could help to fill that gap.
‘‘It is really important that we have a diverse range of people building technology so that the stereotypes that currently exist in society are not built into our technology.
‘‘I do not like to say that I have a disability … But, bringing people with disabilities, all types of people from the community to be represented in technology. That is how you build better technology in the future.’’ Relief for butter-lovers - after a year in which prices soared, December brought a Christmas present of an almost 5 per cent price drop.
Statistics NZ has released its latest food price data, which shows chocolate bars and wholemeal bread also fell in price.
Tomatoes and nectarines were cheaper in december, but avocados were still about twice the price of a year ago.
After four successive monthly rises, butter prices dropped 4.9 per cent in December 2017 to an average of $5.46 for the cheapest available 500g block. This compared with the previous month when they hit a record high of $5.74.
Butter prices had been falling at international dairy auctions since October. It is still well up on the October 2016 average price of $3.50 for 500g.
Total food prices fell 0.8 per cent in December, as all store-bought food groups fell during the month. Grocery food and seasonally cheaper fruit and vegetables were the main factors in the dip in food costs.
Chocolate and wholemeal bread drove the 1.3 per cent fall in grocery food prices. Chocolate bars fell to $1.44 for a 50g bar, down 8.4 per cent.
‘‘Specials on grocery items drove food prices down this month, but the higher prices for dairy, fruit, and vegetables throughout the year meant consumers were still facing 2.3 percent higher food prices than last December,’’ Statistics NZ prices manager Matthew Haigh said.
Fruit and vegetable prices fell 1.7 per cent this month, led by seasonally lower prices for tomatoes and nectarines. Despite the monthly fall, fruit and vegetable prices are still 4.5 per cent higher than this time last year, due to a 231 per cent increase in pumpkin prices, and an 88 per cent increase in avocados.
‘‘Avocados are usually at their cheapest this time of year, but prices are still relatively high this December,’’ Haigh said. A 200g avocado had an average price of $2.31 in December 2017, compared with $1.23 the previous year.
Although food items generally go up in price over time, breads and cereals are continuing a downward trend that began in early 2013, with prices falling 1.1 per cent each year.