Latest news with #BusinessCouncilofAustralia
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Calls for AI to remain ‘unfettered' by Labor for business ‘innovation'
Sky News host Peta Credlin discusses the calls for artificial intelligence to be 'unfettered' by the Albanese government for 'innovation'. 'Something that will be ubiquitous in a couple of years' time, it is already here, it is going grow and grow,' Ms Credlin said. 'Business Council of Australia they are warning the government not to get too heavy-handed … they want artificial intelligence unfettered because they want innovation.'
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Australia risks missing AI boost if it gets rules wrong
Australia could miss out on vital health, entertainment and productivity breakthroughs if it introduces rigid artificial intelligence rules rather than taking a balanced approach like some of its neighbours. Google-Alphabet Senior Vice President James Manyika issued the warning while attending an AI summit in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss the technology's potential uses in Australia. The executive also warned the risks of AI misuse were real and its governance would require careful consideration in each industry. His warnings come a day after the Business Council of Australia called for greater support, rules and innovation in AI to boost the nation's productivity, and as the federal government considers regulations following an inquiry. Rules about the use of AI technology vary across the world, from the more restrictive approach of the European Union to the hands-off style adopted in the US. A "two-sided" balance between the risks and rewards of AI - similar to rules adopted by Singapore - should be Australia's goal, Mr Manyika said. "On the one hand, you want to address the risks and complexities that come with this technology, which are quite real, but on the other side, you want regulation that enables all the beneficial applications and possibilities," he told AAP. "Both are important and I'm hoping Australia takes that approach." Allowing businesses to experiment with AI technology would be crucial to boosting productivity, he said, as well as financially supporting research opportunities, as breakthroughs in health and social issues would not "happen automatically". Restrictions should be applied to individual high-risk uses, the former United Nations AI policy co-chair said, and by focusing on industries with the highest risks. "A sector-based approach is important because often underlying technology applied in one sector may be perfectly fine - but applied in a sector, like financial services or health care, it is absolutely not," he said. Google announced several AI advancements at its annual developers conference in the United States in May, including plans to build a universal AI assistant and make changes to web searches. But the internet giant's video-generating AI tool Veo 3 arguably grabbed the most attention as it created audio that appeared to come from the mouths of AI-crafted characters. The development, like others in AI video creation, had the potential to make traditional filmmakers nervous, Mr Manyika said. But it could also play an important role as a tool in designing productions rather than replacing them. "Many start with fear and concern but often, when they have actually played with the tools and also been part of ... collaborations we've done ... that's generated a lot of excitement," he said. "Scrappier filmmakers have been thrilled because (they) can do previews with a hundred possibilities and then decide which one (they're) actually going to shoot." The federal government issued voluntary AI rules in September but has not created mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI use. A Senate inquiry made 13 recommendations in November, including introducing a dedicated AI law and ensuring general AI services such as Google Gemini and Open AI's ChatGPT fall beneath it. Australia could miss out on vital health, entertainment and productivity breakthroughs if it introduces rigid artificial intelligence rules rather than taking a balanced approach like some of its neighbours. Google-Alphabet Senior Vice President James Manyika issued the warning while attending an AI summit in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss the technology's potential uses in Australia. The executive also warned the risks of AI misuse were real and its governance would require careful consideration in each industry. His warnings come a day after the Business Council of Australia called for greater support, rules and innovation in AI to boost the nation's productivity, and as the federal government considers regulations following an inquiry. Rules about the use of AI technology vary across the world, from the more restrictive approach of the European Union to the hands-off style adopted in the US. A "two-sided" balance between the risks and rewards of AI - similar to rules adopted by Singapore - should be Australia's goal, Mr Manyika said. "On the one hand, you want to address the risks and complexities that come with this technology, which are quite real, but on the other side, you want regulation that enables all the beneficial applications and possibilities," he told AAP. "Both are important and I'm hoping Australia takes that approach." Allowing businesses to experiment with AI technology would be crucial to boosting productivity, he said, as well as financially supporting research opportunities, as breakthroughs in health and social issues would not "happen automatically". Restrictions should be applied to individual high-risk uses, the former United Nations AI policy co-chair said, and by focusing on industries with the highest risks. "A sector-based approach is important because often underlying technology applied in one sector may be perfectly fine - but applied in a sector, like financial services or health care, it is absolutely not," he said. Google announced several AI advancements at its annual developers conference in the United States in May, including plans to build a universal AI assistant and make changes to web searches. But the internet giant's video-generating AI tool Veo 3 arguably grabbed the most attention as it created audio that appeared to come from the mouths of AI-crafted characters. The development, like others in AI video creation, had the potential to make traditional filmmakers nervous, Mr Manyika said. But it could also play an important role as a tool in designing productions rather than replacing them. "Many start with fear and concern but often, when they have actually played with the tools and also been part of ... collaborations we've done ... that's generated a lot of excitement," he said. "Scrappier filmmakers have been thrilled because (they) can do previews with a hundred possibilities and then decide which one (they're) actually going to shoot." The federal government issued voluntary AI rules in September but has not created mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI use. A Senate inquiry made 13 recommendations in November, including introducing a dedicated AI law and ensuring general AI services such as Google Gemini and Open AI's ChatGPT fall beneath it. Australia could miss out on vital health, entertainment and productivity breakthroughs if it introduces rigid artificial intelligence rules rather than taking a balanced approach like some of its neighbours. Google-Alphabet Senior Vice President James Manyika issued the warning while attending an AI summit in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss the technology's potential uses in Australia. The executive also warned the risks of AI misuse were real and its governance would require careful consideration in each industry. His warnings come a day after the Business Council of Australia called for greater support, rules and innovation in AI to boost the nation's productivity, and as the federal government considers regulations following an inquiry. Rules about the use of AI technology vary across the world, from the more restrictive approach of the European Union to the hands-off style adopted in the US. A "two-sided" balance between the risks and rewards of AI - similar to rules adopted by Singapore - should be Australia's goal, Mr Manyika said. "On the one hand, you want to address the risks and complexities that come with this technology, which are quite real, but on the other side, you want regulation that enables all the beneficial applications and possibilities," he told AAP. "Both are important and I'm hoping Australia takes that approach." Allowing businesses to experiment with AI technology would be crucial to boosting productivity, he said, as well as financially supporting research opportunities, as breakthroughs in health and social issues would not "happen automatically". Restrictions should be applied to individual high-risk uses, the former United Nations AI policy co-chair said, and by focusing on industries with the highest risks. "A sector-based approach is important because often underlying technology applied in one sector may be perfectly fine - but applied in a sector, like financial services or health care, it is absolutely not," he said. Google announced several AI advancements at its annual developers conference in the United States in May, including plans to build a universal AI assistant and make changes to web searches. But the internet giant's video-generating AI tool Veo 3 arguably grabbed the most attention as it created audio that appeared to come from the mouths of AI-crafted characters. The development, like others in AI video creation, had the potential to make traditional filmmakers nervous, Mr Manyika said. But it could also play an important role as a tool in designing productions rather than replacing them. "Many start with fear and concern but often, when they have actually played with the tools and also been part of ... collaborations we've done ... that's generated a lot of excitement," he said. "Scrappier filmmakers have been thrilled because (they) can do previews with a hundred possibilities and then decide which one (they're) actually going to shoot." The federal government issued voluntary AI rules in September but has not created mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI use. A Senate inquiry made 13 recommendations in November, including introducing a dedicated AI law and ensuring general AI services such as Google Gemini and Open AI's ChatGPT fall beneath it. Australia could miss out on vital health, entertainment and productivity breakthroughs if it introduces rigid artificial intelligence rules rather than taking a balanced approach like some of its neighbours. Google-Alphabet Senior Vice President James Manyika issued the warning while attending an AI summit in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss the technology's potential uses in Australia. The executive also warned the risks of AI misuse were real and its governance would require careful consideration in each industry. His warnings come a day after the Business Council of Australia called for greater support, rules and innovation in AI to boost the nation's productivity, and as the federal government considers regulations following an inquiry. Rules about the use of AI technology vary across the world, from the more restrictive approach of the European Union to the hands-off style adopted in the US. A "two-sided" balance between the risks and rewards of AI - similar to rules adopted by Singapore - should be Australia's goal, Mr Manyika said. "On the one hand, you want to address the risks and complexities that come with this technology, which are quite real, but on the other side, you want regulation that enables all the beneficial applications and possibilities," he told AAP. "Both are important and I'm hoping Australia takes that approach." Allowing businesses to experiment with AI technology would be crucial to boosting productivity, he said, as well as financially supporting research opportunities, as breakthroughs in health and social issues would not "happen automatically". Restrictions should be applied to individual high-risk uses, the former United Nations AI policy co-chair said, and by focusing on industries with the highest risks. "A sector-based approach is important because often underlying technology applied in one sector may be perfectly fine - but applied in a sector, like financial services or health care, it is absolutely not," he said. Google announced several AI advancements at its annual developers conference in the United States in May, including plans to build a universal AI assistant and make changes to web searches. But the internet giant's video-generating AI tool Veo 3 arguably grabbed the most attention as it created audio that appeared to come from the mouths of AI-crafted characters. The development, like others in AI video creation, had the potential to make traditional filmmakers nervous, Mr Manyika said. But it could also play an important role as a tool in designing productions rather than replacing them. "Many start with fear and concern but often, when they have actually played with the tools and also been part of ... collaborations we've done ... that's generated a lot of excitement," he said. "Scrappier filmmakers have been thrilled because (they) can do previews with a hundred possibilities and then decide which one (they're) actually going to shoot." The federal government issued voluntary AI rules in September but has not created mandatory guardrails for high-risk AI use. A Senate inquiry made 13 recommendations in November, including introducing a dedicated AI law and ensuring general AI services such as Google Gemini and Open AI's ChatGPT fall beneath it.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Telco partnership opens AI-powered search to the masses
Millions of Australians will be offered unlimited access to an AI-powered search engine in a move that could spark fresh competition among artificial intelligence platforms. Optus launched the deal with US firm Perplexity on Monday, becoming the first local telecommunications provider to package premium AI subscriptions with its plans. The move mirrors deals in other countries but also comes after the Business Council of Australia called for action to boost the development of AI regulation, support and training to turn the nation into a global AI leader by 2028. Optus will give small business and individual customers access to Perplexity Pro for 12 months under the deal, which chief customer officer Anthony Shiner said could boost the number of Australians using the technology. "AI take-up in Australia is quite low," he told AAP. "Knowing that AI, in some parts of the world, is being offered free to all citizens ... the time is right here in Australia for us to partner with a high-quality product and start the journey of revolution that we think AI will bring into everyday lives." More than half of Australians have used generative AI services (54 per cent), according to a survey by Deloitte Insights, but its reach is significantly higher in the Asia Pacific region (67 per cent). Rather than offer a chatbot service like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Perplexity will deliver a web search engine that can tap into other AI models for answers. Users will be able to ask the service complex queries with follow-up questions, Perplexity business vice-president Ryan Foutty said, or set it tasks such as creating a travel itinerary or coding a basic game. Search results appear alongside their sources of information, he said, but were not presented with advertisements and links, offering users a different type of online experience. "People want a simple, easy-to-use experience that's not cluttered like traditional search has been but also is not influenced by who is willing to pay the most amount of money to get in front of you," he said. "We're excited about Australia because historically we've seen Australia be very early to adopt new technology." Perplexity AI launched a similar deal through a partnership with Optus' parent company Singtel in Singapore and with German provider Deutsche Telekom in January. Rival AI provider Google has offered subscriptions to its Gemini chatbot through Samsung and its own smartphones in the past, while Apple teamed with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into its AI platform. Optus' announcement comes after the Business Council of Australia called for the nation to seize the opportunity presented by artificial intelligence technology and introduce support, training and regulations to encourage its use.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Telco partnership opens AI-powered search to the masses
Millions of Australians will be offered unlimited access to an AI-powered search engine in a move that could spark fresh competition among artificial intelligence platforms. Optus launched the deal with US firm Perplexity on Monday, becoming the first local telecommunications provider to package premium AI subscriptions with its plans. The move mirrors deals in other countries but also comes after the Business Council of Australia called for action to boost the development of AI regulation, support and training to turn the nation into a global AI leader by 2028. Optus will give small business and individual customers access to Perplexity Pro for 12 months under the deal, which chief customer officer Anthony Shiner said could boost the number of Australians using the technology. "AI take-up in Australia is quite low," he told AAP. "Knowing that AI, in some parts of the world, is being offered free to all citizens ... the time is right here in Australia for us to partner with a high-quality product and start the journey of revolution that we think AI will bring into everyday lives." More than half of Australians have used generative AI services (54 per cent), according to a survey by Deloitte Insights, but its reach is significantly higher in the Asia Pacific region (67 per cent). Rather than offer a chatbot service like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Perplexity will deliver a web search engine that can tap into other AI models for answers. Users will be able to ask the service complex queries with follow-up questions, Perplexity business vice-president Ryan Foutty said, or set it tasks such as creating a travel itinerary or coding a basic game. Search results appear alongside their sources of information, he said, but were not presented with advertisements and links, offering users a different type of online experience. "People want a simple, easy-to-use experience that's not cluttered like traditional search has been but also is not influenced by who is willing to pay the most amount of money to get in front of you," he said. "We're excited about Australia because historically we've seen Australia be very early to adopt new technology." Perplexity AI launched a similar deal through a partnership with Optus' parent company Singtel in Singapore and with German provider Deutsche Telekom in January. Rival AI provider Google has offered subscriptions to its Gemini chatbot through Samsung and its own smartphones in the past, while Apple teamed with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into its AI platform. Optus' announcement comes after the Business Council of Australia called for the nation to seize the opportunity presented by artificial intelligence technology and introduce support, training and regulations to encourage its use.
AU Financial Review
3 days ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Business Council says government must step up on big AI questions
The Business Council of Australia has warned the country risks being left behind without a clear, government-led national artificial intelligence strategy that includes faster approvals for new data centres, plans for a skills transition and globally significant moonshot missions. In a report, Accelerating Australia's AI Agenda, to be published on Monday, the peak industry group highlights six key areas, including AI adoption, skills, regulation, infrastructure, data, and research and development, in which it says Australia needs a clearer vision in a bid to become a global leader by 2028.
