Hours before PM's AI announcement, Illawarra leaders heard why waiting isn't an option
Gradient Institute co-founder Bill Simpson-Young urged organisations to start building the governance and capability now
Artificial intelligence has become a national priority, with the Albanese Government unveiling plans for a new AI framework just hours after one of the country’s leading experts urged Illawarra leaders to prepare for a technology evolving at extraordinary speed.
Gradient Institute co-founder Bill Simpson-Young addressed The Pulse Illawarra and Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven AI Breakfast Briefing at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus on Wednesday morning before travelling to Sydney to attend the Prime Minister’s announcement.
The Federal Government’s package includes a new Office of AI within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, national AI standards and stronger protections for Australian creators.
While the Government focuses on the national framework, Simpson-Young’s message was that organisations must act now.
He said leading technology companies are already using AI to write most of their software. AI can identify cyber vulnerabilities faster than many humans, while a new generation of AI “agents” can complete increasingly complex tasks with little supervision.
“The capabilities will change,” he said.
“It’s not that they may change. They will change.”
His warning was that too many organisations still see AI as an IT issue rather than a leadership issue.
“If you don’t have someone accountable, nothing will happen,” he said.
He urged organisations to get the fundamentals right: accountability, governance and cyber security.
What does this mean for data centres?
The Government’s framework will also include new standards for major AI data centres, covering energy use, water use, and planning, alongside stronger protections for Australian creators.
The Commonwealth will also work with states and territories to steer major facilities towards appropriate locations with community input.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the framework was about “protecting our national interests and ensuring certainty for growth, jobs and investment”.
Simpson-Young said the discussion around data centres went well beyond electricity and planning approvals.
“If the data centres aren’t here, then they’re going to be in the US. And is that better?” he asked.
“How much dependency do we want to have? It’s just one more dependency we have over the US. It’s bad enough that all the AI models are owned by US companies, but if the data centres are in some other country, that’s even more dependent.”
Simpson-Young’s checklist for organisations:
Put someone in charge of AI. If nobody owns it, nobody manages it.
Develop a simple AI policy so staff know what is and isn’t acceptable.
Strengthen cyber security, as AI is making sophisticated attacks easier to launch.
Know where AI is already being used across the organisation.
Don’t upload confidential business information into public AI platforms.
Give AI clear, narrow tasks rather than broad authority.
Keep people involved in important decisions instead of handing them entirely to AI.
Invest in AI capability because the technology won’t stop evolving.