Backpacks to track bees, bushfire modelling and sensors to detect broken water pipes are some of the technologies being developed in Australia as part of an artificial intelligence boom. Digital Economy Minister Jane Hume says artificial intelligence has the capacity to improve the lives of all Australians. Senator Hume will tell a Committee for Economic Development of Australia event on Tuesday the government had two roles to play in terms of AI: an enabler and a standards setter, especially in terms of ethics. Earlier this year the government announced a $1.2 billion digital economic strategy which included an additional $124 million commitment to the AI initiatives. The CSIRO estimates AI technology will contribute $22 trillion into the global economy by 2030.