Australia’s leading artificial intelligence capabilities should allow it to help other countries resist pressure from the US over online regulation, technology policy expert Zoe Jay Hawkins has said.
Research by the Tech Policy Design Institute found that Australia ranked first globally in eight of 103 AI capabilities, including medical and geospatial datasets, infrastructure data and computer model development.
The country also ranked second among 89 nations for handling the AI-fuelled digital revolution in a QS World study published in June, behind only the US.
Ms Hawkins, co-founder of the institute, said those credentials gave Australia an opportunity to exert international influence and encourage other nations to stand firm amid competing demands from the US and China.
Her comments came after leaders from 20 countries issued a statement calling for greater oversight of AI systems. The US, China and the UK were not among the signatories, with the declaration released a day before a United Nations General Assembly meeting began in New York.
Australia’s digital duty of care legislation
The institute has urged the Australian Government to take a firm approach to proposed digital duty of care legislation. It wants ministers to maintain funding that would allow users to seek direct redress, while giving a competitive advantage to platforms that take steps to protect users.
The US raised “serious concerns” about the plan in a statement released on Tuesday, arguing that it could amount to facilitating censorship.
Ms Hawkins said a strong policy would not only improve safety for Australians but could also simplify online spaces over time and establish the country as a leader in technology regulation.
“Australia has a track record as a trusted broker and leader in tech diplomacy to step up,” she said.
“It’s really a delicate dance for Australia, like many middle powers right now trying to secure their agency and regulate their citizens at home.”
She said Australia had “strength in numbers” when working with other middle powers to withstand opposition.
“We have some really strong cards to play,” Ms Hawkins said. “This isn’t the first time Australia has taken a firm stance against resistance from the US – in some ways, this is a path we have quite boldly paved already.”
