Oz Government OK's use of Chinese AI

Without exposing the underlying politics, Charlton has introduced a significant policy shift in Australia's foreign relations.

This creates fertile ground for conflict with US hawks in the future as the Australian Assistant Technology Minister endorses the use of Chinese sourced open-weight AI models by Australian corporates (large and small), and the government is saying that it will regulate to ensure that US based AI giants such as Microsoft, Google and Anthropic will be required to supply the compute required to allow it to happen.

Straddling the fierce competition for dominance in AI between China and the US is what some might call a brave move. AI is viewed by the US as critically strategic. That a key ally such as Australia is prepared to go off the reservation will not be viewed as the right look.

Prevalent concerns on data security, back doors and the like seem to have been discarded in the undignified rush to grab a slice of the pie. Opening the gate to engagement with Chinese Tech will put Australia into a strangely competitive position.

Labor to force AI giants to supply computing power to Australian firms

Assistant Technology Minister Andrew Charlton will outline a plan to capture 80 per cent of the AI value chain and say open-weight models have changed the game.

Australian Financial ReviewRonald Mizen