The Final Report also makes specific recommendations for the introduction of legislation which regulates the use of facial recognition and other biometric technology, and for a moratorium on the use of this technology in AI-informed decision-making until such legislation is enacted. The recommendations of the AHRC have been submitted to the Australian Government. The Australian Government has the ability to determine whether to adopt the recommendations of the Report or not. The adoption of the AHRC's recommendations for the introduction of specific legislation governing the use of AI would signal a change in the approach to the regulation of AI and other emerging technologies that has been adopted in Australia to date. Free data access is an issue in the use of AI tools in the provision of legal services in Australia. The success of an AI tool will be determined by the size and diversity of the sample data which is used to train that tool. There are a number of factors that contribute to free data access in Australia and generally these factors apply across the spectrum of different categories of AI tools discussed in question 2 (being litigation, transactional and knowledge management tools).

Some of the biggest businesses in Australia will trial a series of eight principles around artificial intelligence, developed as part of the Morrison Government's AI Ethics Framework. NAB, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Microsoft and Flamingo AI have signed up to test the principles to ensure they deliver practical benefits and translate into real world solutions. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said AI is a powerful technology that can create jobs, boost the economy and improve our quality of life and is an important part of the Government's economic plan. "The Morrison Government is determined to create an environment where AI helps the economy and everyday Australians to thrive. The eight AI ethics principles are just one part of this vision," Minister Andrews said.

The Australian government's 2018-19 Budget has earmarked a massive AU$2.4 billion for technology and science over the next 12 years in a bid to support "a stronger and smarter economy". "The government will invest more than AU$2.4 billion in Australia's public technology infrastructure," Treasurer Scott Morrison said in his Budget speech on Tuesday night. "This includes supercomputers, world-class satellite imagery, more accurate GPS across Australia, upgrading the Bureau of Meteorology's technology platform, a national space agency, and leading research in artificial intelligence." The government will invest AU$29.9 million over four years in AI and machine learning, which it said would support business innovation across digital health, digital agriculture, cybersecurity, energy, and mining. "This measure will also support Cooperative Research Centre projects, PhD scholarships, and school-related learning to increase knowledge and develop the skills needed for AI and machine learning."