Entertainment
15 November, 2026
Author optimistic about AI
CAIRNS-born author and artificial intelligence expert Dr Tania Peitzker is preparing for a European book tour following the international release of her latest work, which examines AI, climate change and the decline of civility in public debate.
Her book ‘AI. Civility. Climate. Ways to Move Forward’, was published in August 2026 by New York-based Business Expert Press and is available from international booksellers, including Harvard Bookstore and Oxford’s Blackwell’s.
Speaking to Cairns Local News, Dr Peitzker said that the political changes following US President Donald Trump’s return to office prompted her to abandon an earlier book proposal and to explore the intersection of technology, environmental policy and public discourse.
The book examines the opportunities and risks of AI, including its growing environmental footprint and its potential to address climate change.
Dr Peitzker said that emerging biological computing technology could eventually reduce reliance on energy-intensive data centres.
“Humans are so smart. We keep inventing solutions to the problems we keep inventing,” she said.
She highlighted Melbourne-based Cortical Labs and the Swiss company FinalSpark, both developing computing systems using human brain cells.
Despite concerns about privacy and regulation, Dr Peitzker remains optimistic about AI’s potential, describing generative chatbots as productivity tools that are increasingly embedded in everyday life.
She said she preferred European AI platforms, particularly France’s Mistral AI, because of European data protection laws.
Dr Peitzker left Cairns in 1988 to study at the University of Queensland and then established an international career spanning journalism, academia and technology entrepreneurship. She later worked for The Wall Street Journal and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Silicon Valley.
Reflecting on her upbringing in Far North Queensland, she said that growing up in Cairns helped build her resilience and determination.
