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Australia to Create AI Office and Require Data Centers to Produce Net Energy
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on July 15 the creation of an Office of AI inside the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The office will coordinate standards across government and introduce legislation requiring large data centers to produce net energy and limit water use.
Jul 15, 5:08 AM·1m read1 source
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Australia will establish an Office of AI within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to develop national standards and coordinate policy across ministries, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on July 15. The office marks a shift from the current issue-by-issue approach, Albanese said during a speech at the University of Sydney.
“This is our time to decide what AI looks like here in Australia.
It is not a question of if or when AI will transform our economy, we are past that,” he stated. Albanese described the framework as a world-first measure intended to give investors clearer approval processes and streamlined compliance. The standards will also set rules on the location, power consumption, and water use of large data centers.
Legislation to enforce those rules will be introduced in Parliament early next year. Data centers will be required to act as net energy producers and face limits on water usage. Australia currently has no specific AI laws and relies instead on existing privacy and consumer protection statutes plus a voluntary ethics framework.
