A non-partisan strategy to direct AI deployment in Australia

Posted by Christina. Last modified: 11 Jun 2026.

"The AI Doc" is a thought-provoking documentary about the possibilities and dangers of AI. It was screened as one of the items in the 2026 Gold Coast Film Festival.

In April, I extended a (light-hearted) invitation to Angie Bell (Member for Moncrieff) to attend the movie. She wasn't able to come because of other commitments, but she invited me to talk with her about AI.

After meeting with her on the 29th April, I agreed to provide a summary of my concerns to her office, and she agreed to relay my summary to the ministries of Industry/Science and Home Affairs.

Following is the report I provided.

Context and Summary of Concerns

• Australia needs an urgent non-partisan strategy to direct AI deployment in Australia.
• AI is a technology which will accelerate all other technologies at the same time.
• The same AI delivering innovation and productivity also delivers potential misuse and harm.
• AI complexity and pace of change hinder the ability to assess the potential future impacts.
• Emphasis on short-term productivity gains risks disruption to job markets and inequity.
• Focusing overly on high-risk threats polarises debate and distracts from immediate risks.

I consider that such a strategy should importantly include:

1) Educating the public

• Understand what AI is/is not – reinforcing AI as a tool that may simulate sentinence.
• Recognise AI-generated mis- and dis-information, especially in social media.
• Identify where AI is being used in digital interactions e.g. online recruitment.
• Balance AI use for productivity against the potential risk of devaluing human labour.

2) Manage short- to mid-term unemployment impacts

• Monitor AI productivity-related job losses and AI-washing layoffs.
• Protect against loss of entry level jobs for short-term wage savings vs the impact on future work prospects of young people.
• Guard against gender bias in employment and health assessment algorithms.
• Protect against AI-enabled exploitative practice e.g. algorithmic wage discrimination.

3) Support an independent and comprehensive AI advisory body

• Delegating AI responsibility to multiple portfolios risks duplicating effort, fracturing knowledge and inconsistent messaging and application.
• Representation from science, academia, industry and government are all required.
• Enforce universal safety standards for AI deployment e.g. regarding autonomous decision making, limit of legal status of AI agents, liability for damages resulting from AI use.
• Represent Australia in global organisations dealing with AI Safety, Security & Ethics

> Specific Objection

I strongly object to the current implementation of the Aged Care Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) which uses algorithmic means to arrive at an assessment for care eligibility with no human override allowable.

AI is not infallible and we must retain human control.

4) Protect Australia from exploitation by foreign private technology corporations

• A few major technology corporations are currently wielding disproportionate influence on the future of global society through exploitative use of technology and huge investment power. They are fueling a geopolitical race for AI supremacy.
• Tech companies seeking to invest in data centres in Australia must be accountable for the massive energy and water use inherent in the current operation model.
• Palantir has an openly anti-democratic corporate philosophy and commercialises the compilation of digital dossiers of personal data and mass surveillance. Palantir is already operating in spheres of influence in Australia.

> Specific Objection

I strongly object to the current Government consideration of a request to provide biometric data of Australians to the United States Department of Homeland Security. It cannot be guaranteed that our data will not be accessible to Palantir.

I do not permit the Government to disclose my personal data.

Update (June 2026)

1) Angie bell's office followed up as promised and delivered my summary to the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator Tim Ayres.

2) Tim Ayres responded to Angie Bell assuring her that everything mentioned in my summary is already in place, or is being considered.

In summary, contacting your local member to express concerns about AI governance is worthwhile, especially now that David Pocock has recently released media statements expressing his concerns about the social impacts of AI and the environmental impaces of data centres.