Australia must act now or risk falling behind in AI development and adoption: Tech Council of Australia

By Damian Kassabgi, CEO of Tech Council of Australia

The Tech Council of Australia is urging the Australian Government to act now on Artificial Intelligence (AI) or risk Australia falling behind in AI development and adoption.

DeepSeek’s reported breakthrough shows that the AI landscape is highly competitive and rapidly evolving. To ensure Australia can keep up, we need coordinated action supported by a national plan.

We support the Government’s National AI Capability Plan, which we began calling for in August 2023, but this work needs to be brought forward. Australia cannot wait for the plan to be finalised by the end of 2025.

Development and adoption of AI in Australia could create up to $115 billion in economic value annually and 200,000 jobs by 2030, according to Tech Council research. But realising these benefits will require the right policy settings and coordination with industry to ensure Australia is a competitive place to make and deliver technology products.

TCA recommends six capabilities to include in a National AI plan:

1. Uplift workforce, education and training
2. Invest in critical infrastructure and assets
3. Catalyse AI investment and adoption
4. Attract and support breakthrough AI research
5. Enable pro-innovation regulatory environment
6. Enhance international engagement