Australia to create AI advisory body

The Australian government has announced its intention to establish an advisory body dedicated to addressing the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

The move positions Australia among the growing number of countries taking proactive steps to enhance their oversight of the rapidly advancing technology.

The government also said it planned to work with industry bodies to introduce a range of guidelines, including encouraging technology companies to label and watermark content generated by AI.

Through this initiative, Australia aims to address a range of AI-related concerns, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, ethical considerations, and the impact of AI on the workforce.

Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic said AI was forecast to grow the economy, but its use in business was patchy.

“There’s also a trust issue around the technology itself and that low trust is becoming a handbrake against the uptake of technology and that’s something we’ve got to confront,” he told reporters.

Australia established the world’s first eSafety Commissioner in 2015, but has lagged some other nations in the regulation of AI.

The initial guidelines will be voluntary, in contrast to other jurisdictions including the European Union, whose rules on AI for technology companies are mandatory.

Australia opened a consultation into AI last year that received more than 500 responses.

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In its interim response, the government has expressed its intention to establish a clear distinction between what it deems as “low-risk” and “high-risk” applications of artificial intelligence (AI).

The objective is to differentiate between benign uses of AI, such as spam email filtering, and more concerning examples that fall under the category of “high-risk,” including the creation and dissemination of manipulated content known as “deep fakes.”

By acknowledging the need to differentiate between these categories, the government demonstrates its recognition of the nuanced challenges posed by AI technology. The government intends to provide a comprehensive response to the consultation later this year.