Increased Funding for Australia’s National AI Centre to mitigate risks associated with advanced AI technology
The agency’s goal is to standardize restrictions on AI to counteract malicious actors that pose a threat to national security.
The federal budget on May 14 allocated a $39 million (US$26 million) funding package under the Future Made in Australia plan to safeguard against the risks of AI technology in Australia’s business and infrastructure. As AI becomes more prevalent in society, it exposes governments to national security risks.
For the past two years, the government has focused on AI’s potential in the tech sector, allocating $102 million in the 2023/24 budget for integrating quantum technologies and adopting AI. Additionally, over $21 million has been set aside to enhance the National AI Centre, transitioning it from CSIRO to the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources (DISR).
This funding will support the National AI advisory group over the next four years. The group, consisting of 12 experts under the DISR portfolio, has been appointed to identify high-risk uses of AI and recommend restrictions. It will also develop new standards for watermarking to enhance creator transparency by embedding a unique signal into AI model outputs.
Around $15 million has been allocated to remove restrictions on AI use in healthcare, consumer law, and copyright issues. Furthermore, $2.6 million will be dedicated to combatting national security risks posed by AI over the next three years.
AVEVA Pacific vice-president Alexey Lebedev emphasized the importance of clear rules set by the National AI Centre for the tech industry. He stated, “Digital technologies, including AI, could contribute $315 billion to the Australian economy by 2028. Australia’s budget can offer clarity and direction on AI, fostering a robust industry.”
Related Stories
The safety amid rapid growth in AI is crucial. The DSIR, in its budget announcement, mentioned that the funding commitment aims to address AI’s potential to cause harm without proper regulation, ensuring that AI usage is safe, responsible, secure, fair, accessible, and non-discriminatory.
Australia’s AI sector has shown steady growth in various fields like healthcare, finance, agriculture, and defense. Transparency, fairness, non-bias, and data privacy and security are essential considerations in AI development to protect against unauthorized access and misuse of data.
