Startup Harrison.ai lays off Australian staff, pivots to US after $32m government investment

a month ago by zero_gravitas to c/austech

Harrison.ai is laying off staff and pivoting to a new US business model, a year after receiving a $32 million investment from the federal government to keep the company in Australia.

In short:

A federal government-backed health AI startup has laid off Australian staff while launching a US venture hiring American clinicians who will be paid money to use its tools.

The company, Harrison.ai, received $32 million from the government last year so it could "continue to base its operations in Australia".

These changes have prompted staff to leave and raised concerns about how the company will manage what experts flagged as a potential conflict of interest that could affect patient care.

Salvo 7 points a month ago

They should be forced to pay back the investment.
The government should learn from this and not invest in AI at all.

A) they will not be forced to pay back the investment B) the government will continue pouring corporate welfare down the drain, while cutting public welfare programs and public infrastructure investment.

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