CSIRO says Australia is in a perfect position to harness AI for its technological future. 

CSIRO has mapped the sovereign capability to build ‘foundational’ AI tech.

Foundation AI models, underpinning products like ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, and Google's Gemini, offer a promising pathway to enhancing Australia's productivity, economy, and industry landscape.

These models, trained on vast data sets, excel at a broad array of complex and general tasks, making them integral to the development of generative AI technologies. 

While there have been about 125 foundation models developed globally - predominantly in the United States, China, and Europe - CSIRO says Australia holds some sovereign capability in this groundbreaking field.

Professor Elanor Huntington, CSIRO’s Executive Director of Digital, National Facilities & Collections, says it is important to develop Australia's sovereign capabilities. 

She says the nation should avoid overreliance on foreign models, which could pose security risks and might not align with Australia's cultural context or economic aspirations. 

Prof Huntington has proposed a multifaceted approach involving public sector AI model development, democratisation of high-performance computing, and international collaborations to maximise the benefits of foundation models for Australians.

“Australia needs to be alert to the risks and opportunities presented by this game-changing technology, and we hope this report will help make foundation models more accessible, start conversations and inspire further growth in our nation’s foundation model capabilities,” she said.

The full report is accessible here.