Independent ACT senator David Pocock has called for stronger regulation of artificial intelligence infrastructure, arguing Australia should take a firmer approach with companies seeking to build datacentres in the country.
Speaking on ABC’s Background Briefing, Pocock said Australia was “sleepwalking” into the impact artificial intelligence could have on jobs, society and the economy, while major policy questions remained unanswered.
“I think we are sleepwalking into this as a country,” Pocock said.
“We’re not talking about the potential job losses, the plan for that, what AI means for the very fabric of our society when it comes to datacentres, which are clearly going to fuel that.”
Questions over government expectations
Pocock said he remained concerned about the federal government’s approach to companies investing in AI-related infrastructure.
“There’s some real unanswered questions in terms of the government’s statement of expectations,” he said.
“Just expecting companies to do something doesn’t cut it, and my bigger concern is once these things are built, how do we actually benefit?”
He also questioned whether Australia would secure adequate economic returns from technology companies involved in the sector.
“These are all companies that have a track record of minimising their tax to an extraordinary degree,” Pocock said.
‘Australia is the target’
Asked whether tighter regulation could discourage investment, Pocock argued Australia remained an attractive destination for AI companies.
“Every AI company that my team has met with has said we desperately want to come to Australia. Australia is the target, and so we have a lot of power here,” he said.
Pocock said policymakers should not accept arguments that stricter requirements would drive companies elsewhere.
“Let’s not buy the same lines that the gas industry and others say, and say, ‘well, if you actually make us pay tax, then we’re not going to come, we’ll go elsewhere’.”
Call for binding rules
The senator said Australia should establish enforceable rules rather than relying on voluntary commitments from companies.
“I think we need to stare them down and actually say, ‘you can come here, but these are the not voluntary expectations, these are the actual laws, and this is how we’re going to get a return’,” he said.
Pocock argued governments should focus on the long-term national impact of AI investment rather than short-term economic gains.
“Because we’ve got to be thinking, what is good over the next decade, two decades, not just what’s going to prop up GDP for the next few years.”