National AI plan has ‘a lot of detail to be worked out’: Macquarie Tech Group
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More news: Macquarie Technology Group has flagged there is still more work needed to bring more data centre and AI investment to Australia following the release of the National AI Plan, but said it is a “welcome signal to industry”.
The ASX-listed data centre provider’s head of industry and policy Jamie Morse told Capital Brief “there's still quite a lot of devil to be worked out in the detail from the National AI Plan, but as a pointer to future policy directions, the plan delivers a very important and welcome signal to industry”.
In particular, Morse welcomed the direction on where the government can be expected to support AI investment, adoption and safe utilisation “here in Australia both by Australian companies, but also by international companies seeking to create beachheads for Asia-Pacific investment by providing AI services from Australian soil”.
In a statement, Amazon Web Services’ director of public policy Roger Somerville highlighted the focus on developing a “confident and adaptable workforce, by building AI skills for the current workforce”.
He also described the plan as a “significant step forward” in realising “the full economic and productivity benefits of AI”.
“AI is a once-in-a-lifetime reinvention of everything we know, and that’s why Amazon plans to invest $20 billion (through to 2029) into our data centres in Australia to expand our cloud infrastructure and strengthen the nation’s AI future,” Somerville said.
Tech Council expects ‘practical outcomes’ on skills, investment from AI Plan
More news: The Tech Council of Australia has welcomed the federal government's National AI plan, which it expects will deliver “key practical outcomes” across several initiatives aimed at promoting skills uplift and investment support.
In a statement, Tech Council CEO Damian Kassabgi said some of those outcomes include an AI skilling partnership, improvements to ASIC regulation 97 to encourage "more superannuation investment in starts up", the commitment to accelerate the development of data centre principles and "clarity on copyright settings".
Kassabgi also welcomed "prioritised access to the National Reconstruction Fund for earlier stage Australian AI companies” as well as plans for an AI accelerator round through the Cooperative Research Centre program.
Tech Council member Microsoft Australia and New Zealand’s national technology Officer Sarah Carney welcomed the plan’s focus on “upskilling our existing workforce to ensure workers can adapt to the technology while unlocking its many benefits”.
“This positive yet pragmatic approach is sure to strengthen Australia’s position as a global leader in AI – and attract the required talent and investment to deliver on its promise,” Carney said in a statement.
Equinix Australia managing director Guy Danskine, which is also a Tech Council member, said the data centre provider is “broadly aligned with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on the spirit of the eight data centre principles” in development.
“Key focus areas include renewable energy investments (both onsite and through Power Purchase Agreements “PPAs”), water usage and the energy-water trade-off for data centres, local workforce development, connectivity, and demand flexibility,” Danskine said in a statement.
However, he urged the government to develop a “cohesive plan involving Commonwealth and State collaboration” to ensure the grid is ready “for the electrification of everything”.
AI plan an ‘important step forward’, but BCA urges caution on workplace rules
More news: The Business Council of Australia has welcomed the federal government’s national AI plan, calling it an “important step forward”, but warned that regulating AI in the workplace could risk slowing adoption and discouraging investment.
“Australia already has comprehensive workplace, privacy, anti-discrimination and safety laws that provide world-leading safeguards,” said BCA chief executive Bran Black.
“A comprehensive gap analysis of existing workplace protections should be done before any proposal to expand these laws is advanced. We must ensure we don’t inadvertently discourage investment or slow down the adoption of new technologies.”
The BCA pointed to the NSW Digital Work Systems Bill as an example of a “poor approach to regulation“, where new rights for union access to systems and personal data “threaten to impede productivity gains and delay technological adoption.”
“Striking the right regulatory balance is essential, and we must ensure existing protections remain fit for purpose without erecting barriers that make Australia a slower or less attractive place to innovate,” Black said.
“Fundamentally, the best response to any concern regarding the impact of AI in the workplace is to ensure workforces are trained to make the most of the many opportunities AI can bring.”
Labor eyes sustainable data centres under national AI plan
The news: Investing in power-hungry data centres will come with sustainability expectations and unions will help to shape the future of AI, under Australia’s first national plan dedicated to the emerging technology.
The context: The Albanese government will release Australia’s first national AI plan on Tuesday, describing the rapidly-evolving technology as presenting “both opportunities and challenges”.
The plan aims to have “fully AI capable” workplaces by the end of the decade, with digital infrastructure supporting the technology’s growth.
The authors, Innovation Minister Tim Ayres and Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton stress the need to create a “world-class digital and physical infrastructure” to attract investment.
That will include designing a set of national data centre principles, positioning Australia as a leading destination for data centre investment, boosting cybersecurity across critical infrastructure, and expanding the National Broadband Network.
The Coalition has recently linked its decision to abandon net zero emissions targets to the emergence of AI, which it stresses is energy intensive.
Labor said its data centre principles will set “clear expectations for sustainability”, including bringing new renewable energy online and adopting efficient cooling technologies.
Amid concerns about how AI’s potential to disrupt the labour market, Ayres and Charlton insisted workers and unions “will play an important role” in shaping uptake across the economy.
That will include partnering the tech sector, unions and industry to equip workers with the training needed to develop and utilise AI, the pair said.
“Australian workers must share fairly in the potential productivity benefits of AI,” the plan states.
“Building digital and AI skills, growing and protecting jobs, supporting workforce transitions, and improving public services are central to this effort.”
Nearly $30 million will also be allocated to create a new AI Safety Institute in early 2026 to “monitor, test and share information on emerging AI capabilities, risks and harms”.
That information will be provided to ministers and regulators as laws are amended to keep pace with the technology.
What they said: “The government will ensure that AI delivers real and tangible benefits for all Australians,” Ayres said.
“As the technology continues to evolve, we will continue to refine and strengthen this plan to seize new opportunities and act decisively to keep Australians safe.”
The sources: Albanese government national AI plan, Business Council of Australia statement, Tech Council of Australia statement, Microsoft statement, Equinix statement
