Clear the funding roadblock, AIIA urges on artificial intelligence

More than $124 million in new funding for artificial intelligence research and industry development support allocated in the federal budget in May is still locked up inside the Industry department, with no clear signal on how and when it will be rolled out. The Australian Information Industry Association says Australia can't afford to sit on its hands in relation to the AI research and commercialisation – the industry is moving too fast, and the nation can't afford to fall behind. AIIA chief executive Ron Gauci says national capability in artificial intelligence is critical, because of the transformational impact that AI-based products and services are having across all industries. The AIIA has been pressing government for a funding allocation to drive commercialisation outcomes in the sector. The industry association had been told its "modest" proposal to bring together industry partners and state governments in a dollar-for-dollar funding arrangement with the Commonwealth had been agreed to.