Securing the digital age
Ethical AI and cybersecurity for a safe future
Protecting Australians in a digital world
Whether it’s digital banking, social media or AI – Australians have a lot to gain, and lose, in the digital realm. As we increasingly move more of our lives online in exchange for convenience, we increasingly leave ourselves open to threat actors and new risks that threaten our individual liberties and Australia at large.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity are just two of many trends in the digital world – creating enormous opportunities, but also novel and complex challenges. To secure our infrastructure and protect our people, Australia must own our digital domain and lead from a position of strength.
Why should we care about AI and cybersecurity?
1. Protecting Australians: Cyberattacks threaten our economy, infrastructure, and personal data, leaving Australians vulnerable to financial loss and privacy breaches.
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2. Ensuring ethical AI: Without strong regulations, AI risks bias, exploitation, and misuse, which could harm communities and undermine trust in our technology systems we use everyday.
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3. Global leadership opportunity: By leading in AI safety and cybersecurity, Australia can attract talent and investment while helping to shape international standards.
My action plan
Strengthen cybersecurity protections
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Boost resilience: Expand investment in national cybersecurity infrastructure—such as advanced threat detection systems, real-time monitoring networks, and secure data encryption protocols—to protect critical national systems like healthcare, energy, and transportation from cyberattacks.
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Unified cyber command: Establish a national cyber command integrating intelligence from ASIO, ASD, and ASIS to protect critical national infrastructure like healthcare, energy, and transportation. This command will proactively monitor Australian cyberspace for threats, provide real-time incident response, and maintain a dedicated offensive cyber capability to deter adversaries.
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Cyber literacy for all: Expand existing national campaign efforts (such as the ACSC’s ‘Cyber Security Awareness Month) to educate Australians across all aspects of society (industry, academia, health, transport, government, students etc) about relevant cybersecurity best practices / cyber literacy / cyber safety.
Ethical AI development and innovation
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National AI safety standards: Develop a clear, adaptive AI regulatory framework modelled after the EU AI Act to manage risks from high-impact AI applications like autonomous systems and misinformation tools. To balance regulation while still fostering innovation without holding back Australian AI development.
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Independent AI ethics/safety council: Establish an independent council comprising experts from technology, ethics, and law to oversee AI development, test critical systems, and recommend policy adjustments as the digital space continues to evolve.
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AI skills for the future: Expand funding for AI education and training programs to prepare Australians for jobs in the growing AI industry. Foster academic and commercial partnerships to drive innovation, with dedicated AI research hubs at major universities and collaborative hackathons to solve real-world challenges. Establish a national AI talent pipeline by integrating AI literacy into school curricula, providing scholarships for advanced AI studies, and implementing streamlined visa programs to attract top-tier international experts.
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Build global digital partnerships
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International cybersecurity collaboration: Work with global partners to combat cybercrime, share intelligence, and set international cybersecurity standards.
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Global AI governance: Advocate for international agreements on AI safety and ethical use, ensuring AI development benefits humanity as a whole. Explore digital Geneva Conventions international agreements to protect (critical) civilian infrastructure from cyberwarfare attacks.
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Australia as a digital leader: Position Australia as a global hub for ethical AI research and development, attracting talent and investment from around the world.
Australia can lead in building a safe and inclusive digital age.
Let’s work together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
