All eyes were on National Cabinet during the week as the Prime Minister agreed to relax energy rules for data centres that would let states with publicly-owned electricity networks to tap surplus fossil fuel power.
It seemed a clever fix after an ongoing backlash from the Queensland and Northern Territory governments, which had rejected the proposal to force data centres to underwrite 100 per cent of their power needs using new renewable capacity.
Even if the Prime Minister was being portrayed as having been rolled at the first hurdle to his data centre plan, the compromise seemed to satisfy the political requirements of the situation.
That is, of course, until Energy minister Chris Bowen appeared on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing under the influence of angry pills.
In this episode of NewsWrap, InnovationAus.com editor Justin Hendry steps through the National Cabinet timeline, and maps the progress of the government’s data centre expectations, and the legislative frameworks that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is headed towards.
Data centres are the focus point right now of a broadening community discussion about artificial intelligence. The government is spooked by the intensity of the backlash in the US, and sees a window to get Australian policy in order to ensure that it does not get replicated here.
Veteran press gallery journalist Karen Middleton took a deep dive into the political forces at work in the AI and data centre sectors in an excellent piece for Inside Story.
The other big news story this week – and it relates directly to the government’s AI regulatory planning – was Andrew Charlton launching the Buy Australian AI Partnership.
This initiative, run by Stone & Chalk in partnership with the major banks and other financial institutions, aims to give local startups a better chance of selling into these large institutions, and thereby giving them a revenue runway to success.
Dr Charlton has been on the front foot all year, pushing programs to improve take-up of Australian-developed AI products and services. If Australia is going to maximise the wealth creation and productivity benefits of AI, we must be building product here, he says.
Finally, a couple of podcast through the week are must-listens. First, the Department of Home Affairs’ head of national security Hamish Hansford talking AI, security and our strategic technology partnerships.
Second is a rare podcast interview with University of NSW vice-chancellor Attila Brungs on science and innovation policy, and the outsized role that universities play in Australia’s system.
Stories of the week:
Hamish Hansford on AI, US tech and national security
States back AI laws as PM agrees to relax energy rules
Qld blocks data centres from planning fast track
Outsized role of universities is the symptom, not the strength
Queensland quietly scraps quantum advisory council
Meta’s US settlement raises new questions in Australia
Banks open up to AI startups as lock-in window closes
“We are walking and chewing gum at the same time” – Karen Middleton, Inside Story
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