There are about 160 datacentres operating in Australia, with another 90 proposed. There are about 160 datacentres operating in Australia, with another 90 proposed. They're a key part of the digital and AI economy, but they come at a high environmental cost and offer few operational jobs Sun 21 Jun 2026 11.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 21 Jun 2026 11.01 EDT On Mamre Road, in Sydney's outer western suburbs, there are plans to build a "hyperscale" datacentre that will be one of the biggest in the world. If approved, the 52-hectare site will include six four-storey buildings that stretch 40 metres high, alongside 936 cooling units and 852 diesel backup power generators. The Mamre Road project is part of an estimated $155bn investment pipeline over the coming decade, amid a worldwide rush to build the infrastructure enabling the artificial intelligence revolution.

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One of only four teams remaining from more than 130 competitors worldwide, our team AURA Foresight is developing autonomous technology to stop wildfires before they grow out of control. AURA Foresight has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious XPRIZE Wildfire Autonomous Wildfire Response competition, emerging as one of just four teams remaining from more than 130 teams from around the world. XPRIZE Wildfire is a four-year, US$11 million global competition designed to accelerate breakthrough technologies capable of ending destructive wildfires. The Autonomous Wildfire Response track, worth US$5 million, challenges teams to autonomously detect, verify and respond to wildfire ignitions across a 1,000 km landscape within just ten minutes. The finals will take place in Nenana, Alaska, where teams will demonstrate their technologies in realistic wildfire response scenarios.

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FIFA's discrimination monitor at the World Cup has called for a VAR official to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign. When the official broadcast of Germany's opening game against Curacao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Shaun Evans from Australia made an "OK" symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg. Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre. "Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down'OK' hand symbol used as a'white power' symbol in global far-right circles," the Fare network, a long-time partner of FIFA and European football body UEFA to monitor racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international games, said in a statement. "Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup," Fare said in a statement, describing the gesture as "neo-Nazi".

Andrew Hastie has said the education system should be overhauled so'we can unleash Australian hearts and minds on AI'. Andrew Hastie has said the education system should be overhauled so'we can unleash Australian hearts and minds on AI'. Liberal MP says Australia risks sovereignty and strategic independence being'constrained by the AI superpowers reshaping the global order' Liberal MP Andrew Hastie says Australia should dramatically scale up investment in artificial intelligence to preserve strategic independence and warns the country risks being "a supplicant state" tethered to the US in an era of possible hot conflict with China. In a major address to Liberal members in Sydney on Monday night, the shadow minister for industry and sovereign capability likened the development of AI to the nuclear arms race of the cold-war era and proposed Australia position itself as a technology hub in the southern hemisphere. Delivering the annual Tom Hughes Oration, Hastie called for a new AI ambassador to be appointed and said the education system should be overhauled "so we can unleash Australian hearts and minds on AI". He said prime ministers, including Robert Menzies and John Gorton, had wrestled with the question of Australia pursuing nuclear capability, but ultimately aligned our security settings with Washington.

Abi uses AI and machine learning to interact with aged care and assisted living residents. Abi uses AI and machine learning to interact with aged care and assisted living residents. An industry targeting Australia's ageing population is growing, but can AI deliver more humanity in aged care? While companion robots are being introduced and virtual experiences hope to'take loneliness away', one expert agrees tech should never replace the human element "You'll never get rid of humans," Prof Wendy Moyle says, during a discussion about robots and other technology in aged care and residential homes. Then, a beat later, she adds: "Well, I don't we'll get rid of humans."

The US, UK and Australia say they will develop underwater drone technology to protect undersea cables and boost defence, under their military alliance known as Aukus. The uncrewed undersea vehicle (UUV) technology is expected to be ready by next year. While the project's total cost was not stated, British defence secretary John Healey said the UK would contribute £150m ($201m). The announcement, made by the countries' defence ministers at a security summit in Singapore, follows claims of slow progress in Aukus's projects. Acknowledging the criticism, Healey said for too long in Aukus, we talked too much and delivered too little, adding that has now changed under our three governments.

Why the world's banks are so worried about Anthropic's latest AI model The legendary American bank robber Willie Sutton spent 40 years robbing banks because, as he claimed in his autobiography, he loved doing it. And when asked why he chose banks of all places to rob, he allegedly replied "Because that's where the money is." Back in 2017, I wrote a book predicting it wasn't just lovable rogues like Sutton who would soon be robbing banks, but artificial intelligence (AI). That day, it appears, could now be about to arrive. Banks around the world are seriously worried cyber criminals will soon take advantage of the latest advances in AI to try to rob them.