AIs on the prize
Labor’s new AI plan, unveiled by Senator Tim Ayres, sets out a lighter regulatory path but kicks the can down the road on some of the bigger questions around the tech.
From a background in representing high-vis heavy industry as the former head of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres had his opportunity to court the tech world on Tuesday, delivering his first major pitch to the sector since joining cabinet in May.
At the Lowy Institute’s headquarters on Bligh Street in Sydney’s CBD — in a room framed by chandeliers and a two-storey-high ceiling — Ayres formally launched the National AI Plan before a who’s who of Australian innovation.
In attendance were Data Centres Australia CEO and AirTrunk's former head of government affairs Belinda Dennett, Tech Council of Australia CEO Damian Kassabgi, Nine Entertainment and Quantium chair Peter Tonagh, and Microsoft head of government affairs for Australia and New Zealand Liz Fitch. Even OpenAI’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon, in Sydney from San Francisco for the week, was present.
Labor’s AI plan adopts a light-touch stance on new regulation, favouring the use of existing regimes. It marks a decisive shift from the safety-first approach of former Industry Minister Ed Husic, who pushed for mandatory AI guardrails and has since made explicit his calls for a standalone AI Act.
