Rapidly maturing technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing will "shift fundamentally the global balance of power", according to Dr Tobias Feakin, Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs. "Those [nations] that really are at the forefront of AI and the way that it works will genuinely be at the forefront of the emerging 21st century economy," he told the Australian Cybersecurity Conference, or CyberCon, in Melbourne on Wednesday. Some nations are already positioning themselves to take advantage of these technologies. "Geopolitics now is being shaped and harnessed in a way that we probably didn't think conceivable a decade ago," Feakin said. "We need to be thinking about grand strategy in technology. How do we ensure that we're plugging into this conversation and the kinds of areas that are shaping technology, not only the technology development itself, but the kinds of legislation that shape the absorption of that technology into the global environment," he said.