The Australian Government on Tuesday announced a national plan to provide guidance to industry, researchers, governments and the public on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) safely and profitably.
Under the National AI Plan, the government says it will prioritize supporting and retraining workers whose roles will be affected by AI, accelerate investment in data centres, and share the productivity benefits of AI across the economy.
Tim Ayers, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, said the plan will keep Australians safe as AI technology continues to evolve, Xinhua News Agency reported.
From 2026, a new government-funded AI Safety Institute announced by Ayers in November will be responsible for evaluating emerging AI capabilities and supporting timely responses to address potential risks.
“The National AI Plan is about ensuring technology serves Australians, not the other way around,” Mr Ayres said in a statement.
The plan says it is in Australia’s interest to ensure AI development is domestic and aligned with national priorities.
It predicted data centers could account for 6% of Australia’s total electricity demand by the end of the 2020s, up from 2% in 2024.
Mr Ayers said the federal government was working with states and territories to address energy and water challenges.
The government had previously announced plans to impose 10 mandatory safeguards for “high-risk” AI, including risk management plans and the ability to challenge the results of automated decision-making, but there are no plans to abandon that approach and introduce dedicated legislation to regulate AI.
The Productivity Commission, the government’s main research and advisory body on economic, social and environmental issues, said in a report released in August that tightly regulating AI could cost the domestic economy A$116 billion (US$75.8 billion) over the next 10 years.
