SYDNEY, July 14 (Reuters) – Australia will create an office at the heart of government to manage the development of AI standards, seeking to balance the need to attract investment with effective regulation of the disruptive technology.
The “Office of AI” will be established within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and ensure a whole-of-government approach across different ministries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the initiative in a major address on Wednesday in Sydney.
“Up until now, our response has been issue-by-issue, sector by sector,” Albanese is expected to say.
“But just as government developed co-ordinated approaches for other significant technologies: from civil aviation in the 1920s to genetics in the 1990s, we must do this with AI as well.”
The approach is a world-first and will enhance Australia’s appeal as a destination for AI investment by providing more clarity for approvals and a more streamlined compliance process, Albanese is expected to say.
The announcement comes as Australia seeks to position itself as an AI leader and a global hub for data centres, while facing calls for tougher regulation as the technology spreads through the economy.
Concerns are growing that AI will lead to job losses and higher energy costs, infringe on safety, security and intellectual property, and harm the environment through the expansion of data centres that require vast amounts of water.
Australia currently does not have any specific AI laws, and instead relies on a range of privacy and consumer protection laws as well as a voluntary AI ethics framework.
(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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