The Australian government has allocated a sum of $17 million (US$11.1 million) to support small and medium businesses in their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative will see the establishment of five new “AI Adopt” centers across the nation. Led by Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic, the program aims to facilitate the safe integration of AI into businesses’ work practices. Each center will receive funding ranging from $3 million (US$2 million) to $5 million (US$3.3 million), and companies or research organizations can apply to develop them. The centers will provide specialist training to small and medium-sized enterprises to help them acquire the skills to manage AI. Once established, the services of these centers will be available to businesses free of charge.
Minister Husic highlighted that these centers will provide businesses with clear and direct advice on integrating AI into their work systems. Husic believes that AI holds enormous potential for supporting Australian businesses in gaining a competitive edge in global markets and enhancing productivity, thereby addressing one of Australia’s biggest challenges.
In a related development in October, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Microsoft would invest $5 billion (US$3.3 billion) in Australia to help make the country a world-leading digital economy. This investment includes funding for cloud computing and AI infrastructure. Microsoft vice-chair and president Brad Smith described this as the “largest investment in Microsoft’s 40-year history in Australia.”
The European Union (EU) parliament and council negotiators have reached a groundbreaking provisional deal on an Artificial Intelligence Act aimed at safeguarding democracy, the rule of law, and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while positioning Europe as a leader in AI. This act includes regulations on general-purpose artificial intelligence, biometric identification limits, and bans on social scoring. Fines for non-compliance range from 35 million euros (US$38 million) or 7 percent of global turnover to 7.5 million euros (US$8 million) or 1.5 percent of global turnover. The European Parliament’s rapporteur from Italy hailed the deal as the world’s first horizontal legislation on artificial intelligence, emphasizing that it ensures that rights and freedoms remain at the center of the technology’s development.