Australia to Create Central AI Office

Australia will establish a new Office of AI within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate standards governing the development and use of artificial intelligence across government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the initiative in Sydney on Wednesday. Australia aims to balance support for AI investment with effective regulation of the technology.

The government says the approach will be a world first and make the country more attractive to investors by providing greater clarity on approvals and streamlining compliance.

The move comes as Australia seeks to become a leader in artificial intelligence and a global hub for data centers amid growing calls for tighter regulation.

Critics warn that AI could cause job losses and higher energy costs, threaten safety, security and intellectual property and harm the environment through the expansion of water-intensive data centers.

Australia has no specific AI laws and instead relies on privacy and consumer protection legislation as well as a voluntary ethical framework for the technology.

(Reuters, Lud)