There have been mixed reactions to the federal government's plan for a national regulatory framework for the Artificial Intelligence industry, to come into effect in the new year. Environmental advocates have issued warnings over data centres' high use of water and energy, while unions have cautiously welcomed the plan, hoping it will create more local jobs.
Government backs its AI pitch as debate Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
The global shift to use of generative A-I has been rapid and widespread.
For governments around the world, the boom presents challenges and opportunities.
The Prime Minister has told ABC Radio that a suite of new laws will ensure protection and prosperity in the face of both.
"There will be a National Cabinet meeting next month and then legislation early in the new year about the full suite of issues that face Australia and indeed face the world, as a result of the introduction and use of a technology that will transform the way that we work."
Data Centres Australia is an organisation which represents data centre developers and operators.
CEO Belinda Dennett has told ABC 730 program the new legislation will ensure the industry upholds Australian values and she supports the Prime Minister's goal of controlling the booming technology.
"So we welcome that ambition, we agree with his broad principles that data centre operators should invest in the energy they use and the energy infrastructure, the water infrastructure - so we welcome that. And we also have to be very engaged with the communities in which we are building."
Under the new laws, companies that build data centres on shore must supply their own power, and limit energy and water use.
Mr Albanese says the framework also protects the original work of artists, writers and media outlets from theft - with intellectual property not able to be used without control and payment to whoever owns it.
"Codifying that as well, making sure, that that is clear. There are currently of course copyright laws in place. and what we want to avoid is a free for all. This is about our sovereignty, this is about our control."
This provision follows calls by the creative community to protect intellectual property from AI platforms, after original Australian music was used to feed AI models that generate content.
Hoodoo Gurus band member, musician David Faulkner has welcomed the news of compulsory laws, in an interview with ABC's Drive program.
"A sigh of relief. Obviously this has been a very contentious subject recently and we are gratified that sense has prevailed."
But as well as risk, Assistant Science and Digital Economy Minister Andrew Charlton argues enhanced AI capability could bring reward.
He has cited the example of a new medical project which uses A-I to bridge the gap between the need for prompt diagnosis and the lack of specialists to address ear disease in remote and regional Australia.
"Particularly in first nations communities, where young people with some of the highest rates of ear disease in the world, a disease which impacts their education, their social inclusion and their lifetime outcomes, can now be assessed, diagnosed and addressed much more quickly."
The technology is being overseen by Dr Narinder Singh.
"We gathered 10,000 eardrum images from 93 rural and remote communities in Far North Queensland and the Top End. And together with a team of engineers from the Microsoft AI for Good program, we created software - the drumbeat.ai program - which can now diagnose ear just by using a single eardrum image with the same accuracy as an ENT specialist."
But environmental groups have raised significant concerns about the impact of on shore data centres on water supply and energy use.
Greenpeace Australia's Joe Rafalowicz has been among those to call data centres 'water-guzzling energy vampires', while the Climate Council has said industry estimates suggest water demand from the facilities will triple by 2030.
Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres has told Channel Nine the data centres will contribute more energy to the national electricity grid than they use, and will be governed out of Canberra.
"We've set up an Office of Artificial Intelligence in the office of the Prime Minister. In the Prime Minister's department I should say. It is a coordinated effort right across government; it touches every area of government, particularly these data centre questions."
The Australian Council of Trade Unions [[ACTU]] has cautiously welcomed news of the laws to govern AI technology in Australia.
But Secretary Sally McManus says the focus should be on generating secure Australian jobs, and providing the protections workers need as the AI sector evolves.
"At the moment the approach is, is to make sure that our laws are strong enough to protect workers if there are job losses or big job losses. The jury is a bit out on that at the moment. There's different views about the effect of AI. But if the worst comes to worst, there will need to be more to protect Australian workers."
The Prime Minister has confirmed that the rules governing the rollout of data centres will not apply to projects already under construction.
Still, University of New South Wales professor and AI researcher, Toby Walsh, says the new legal standards announced by the government represent a positive pivot.
"They had said previously that they intended no new legislation. It sounds like they've got much more of an appetite, to deal with the public's concern about the impact that AI are having. I think we want to make sure that we don't repeat the mistakes of social media, that, that, this is going to be powerful technology, very disruptive technology, that, will require, new regulation to deal with the fresh harm. So I, I welcome the government backpedaling a little bit there, realising that they need to be a bit more interventionist, uh, to deal with what's coming our way."
Meanwhile, the Greens are calling for more time to consider the potential ramifications of scaling up the AI industry.
The party is calling for a pause on all AI data centre development until new laws come into effect.
Greens' Digital Rights and IT spokesperson, David Shoebridge, says people are right to be worried.
"Australia needs a moratorium, a clear moratorium on new data centres, a clear moratorium on further contracts with foreign tech companies with government, until we have real legislative protections in place."
The National Cabinet will meet to discuss the Federal Government's A-I legislation in August.
