The National AI Centre and Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, in collaboration with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, unveiled the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Network today, Thursday.
The network is a world-first cross-ecosystem program supporting Australian companies in using and creating AI ethically and safely. It will also serve as the gateway for Australia’s industries to promote the practice of responsible AI.
The network will establish a national community of practice guided by world-leading expert partners to equip Australian businesses with best-practice guidance, tools, and learning modules.
In a media release, CSIRO said the new network would focus on six core pillars: law, standards, principles, governance, and technology.
The network’s establishment comes amid global efforts to build guardrails for AI development and deployment in order to ensure that responsible AI practices are developed in parallel with a rapidly accelerating AI landscape.
The network will mitigate poorly developed AI solutions that can have serious consequences, ranging from data and privacy breaches to ethical issues.
The AI industry is expected to be worth more than $22.17 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
Stela Solar, director of the National AI Centre, said the Responsible AI Network would help Australian businesses tap to maximise the opportunities presented by AI technologies.
“We know from speaking to hundreds of organisations that data quality, privacy and security are among the top challenges that organisations face in adopting AI, and many have difficulty navigating international standards and procedures when producing or implementing AI systems,” Solar said.
“As first movers on AI ethics principles and with our world-leading research capability in responsible AI, Australia has a natural advantage,” Solar added. “AI will only be as good as we lead it, and through the Responsible AI Network we will empower industry leaders with the expert guidance and content to navigate their organisations through the evolving AI landscape.”
