Parliamentarians do not need to know how to build a large language model. But they need to understand enough to ask the right questions – and recognise when they are not getting a complete answer.
This is the premise behind the AI Parliamentary Showcase, which will bring technology developers and policymakers together at Parliament House on Thursday 17 September, as Australia considers how to govern a technology reshaping its economy. You can reserve your place at the showcase here.
Precision Public Affairs managing director Sarah Cullens says the showcase emerged from her company’s daily conversations with parliamentarians, advisers, government officials and industry, which revealed a disconnect between accelerating policy discussions and opportunities to understand the technology firsthand.
“Parliament was increasingly being asked to make decisions about AI, while the opportunities to engage directly with the companies developing and deploying the technology were quite limited,” she says.
Technology clients were also seeking a more constructive way to engage with Parliament by explaining what their systems do, how adoption works and where opportunities and constraints lie.
Precision Public Affairs developed the concept of bringing the AI ecosystem into the Great Hall within a bipartisan parliamentary platform. Elastic backed the idea early, Ms Cullens says, helping it gather broader industry support.
“For me, the purpose is very simple: if Parliament is going to make consequential decisions about AI, then parliamentarians should have direct access to the technology, the businesses investing in it, the workers affected by it and the officials who will ultimately have to implement those decisions.”
For attendees, this means opportunities to see applications in action, question developers and examine limitations alongside potential benefits.
Elastic, a founding industry partner alongside Amazon Web Services, will demonstrate how its technology searches across large, disparate datasets to help government users find relevant information.
“Australia has a genuine opportunity to lead in AI. However, the real opportunity isn’t simply building bigger models, it’s winning the race to deploy AI exceptionally well, safely, and at scale,” says Sean MacKirdy, Elastic’s Area Vice-President of National Security.
“Elastic joined the AI Parliamentary Showcase as a Founding Partner because fast, effective AI adoption is fundamentally a data challenge. You cannot secure or govern what you cannot see.
“If Australia is going to turn its AI ambition into practical reality, we need to treat trusted, searchable, auditable data as critical infrastructure.”
Louise Stigwood, Managing Director, AWS Public Sector, Australia and New Zealand, says “We’re proud to be a Founding Industry Partner of the Showcase, spotlighting what AI can do for the Australian Parliament.
“AWS is here to help government seize the productivity and citizen-service opportunities of AI – with choice, transparency and security at the core. We’re already working hand-in-hand with government customers across Australia to deliver better services for citizens today, and it’s still Day 1 for what’s possible.”
Thomson Reuters will showcase applications supporting legal work, including tools that help users cross-check and verify legislation.
Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Andrew Charlton will provide the government’s policy perspective. Aaron Violi, Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy and for Science, Technology and Innovation, will also address the event. Former NSW digital minister Victor Dominello will facilitate a discussion spanning productivity, investment, workforce transformation and responsible AI adoption.
Jo Briskey, chair of the new Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, will bring the parliamentary inquiry into the conversation, alongside deputy chair Senator Jonathon Duniam in a discussion facilitated by Ms Cullens.
The timing matters because policymakers are making consequential choices while the technology itself continues to evolve rapidly.
“You don’t need every MP to understand how a large language model is built, for example, but they do need to understand enough to ask the right questions,” Ms Cullens says.
InnovationAus.com is a media partner of the AI Parliamentary Showcase, with publisher Corrie McLeod moderating a panel that will bring together parliamentary cyber security committee chair Sally Sitou, deputy chair Melissa Price and industry representatives to discuss AI adoption, digital capability and cyber resilience for smaller organisations.
Beyond individual sessions, Ms Cullens hopes the showcase will establish relationships that sustain informed exchanges between industry and Parliament, drawing on both major international businesses and Australian companies.
The longer-term ambition is an ongoing bipartisan forum through a parliamentary friendship group, extending the conversation beyond the exhibition floor.
“Ultimately, the showcase is one day and this is going to be a policy issue for decades to come,” Ms Cullens says.
The AI Parliamentary Showcase runs from 9.30am to midday on Thursday 17 September in the Great Hall at Parliament House, Canberra, combining technology demonstrations, panel discussions and opportunities to engage with participating organisations.
Secure your seat at the AI Industry Showcase here.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.