‘Risks and opportunities’: Albanese’s upcoming speech to outline broad AI plan, including defence
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The news: Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy has confirmed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s upcoming speech about AI will provide new details about the government’s broad approach to the technology, including its plan for defence.
Speaking on ABC Insiders on Sunday morning (AEST), Conroy said Australia has “led the world in engaging technology in other areas, such as the social media ban” and the prime minister would provide more detail in a speech on Wednesday.
The context: Albanese’s speech is expected to outline the future use and guardrails around AI.
Asked specifically about the risks, and the recent Five Eyes statement that AI could change risk assumptions in “months not years”, Conroy said it is a “really challenging frontier of technology” and described the joint statement as a “historic event”.
“That’s why we’re providing record investments in the Australian Signals Directorate through Project REDSPICE.
“This is rapidly upgrading the capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate to defend Australia against not just traditional cyber intrusions, but AI generated cyber-attacks, as well as providing them with other capabilities,” he said.
He acknowledged a range of risks from conventional military attacks to cyber-attacks from governments and non-state actors that justified increased spending in capabilities to tackle both.
What they said: “AI is obviously a huge challenge for all sectors of our society, including defense,” he siad.
“It’s important that we do three things. We have to seize the opportunities of AI. We can’t be left behind while other countries dominate in this area. Secondly, we need to make sure that we spread the benefits of AI to workers and the broader community. And thirdly [we have to keep] our community safe,” he said.
“There are risks of AI to defense as well as opportunities ... That’s why we’ve put in place a number of safeguards. But importantly, we’re also seizing the opportunities.”
The source: ABC Insiders
