Scientists call for ‘foreign AI’ ban

Australia must ban the use of foreign artificial intelligence to control sensitive data, a network of eminent scientists has warned.

Australian Institute for Machine Learning director Simon Lucey.

Australia must ban the use of foreign artificial intelligence to control sensitive data, a network of eminent scientists has warned.

The Kingston AI Group, comprising 14 of the nation’s leading AI professors from eight universities, wants “sovereign control’’ over AI and more spending on domestic research to avoid “information warfare’’ and cybersecurity threats.

“AI is now a critical tool in managing national security, and it is important that, wherever possible, we retain sovereign control over the systems that protect Australia,’’ the scientists state in an open letter to be published on Wednesday.

“Recent high-profile cyber ­attacks have illustrated the immense costs of not effectively ­defending our digital assets and information. The potential impact of future cyber security attacks is still far worse than what we’ve seen so far.’’

The group, which includes Australian Institute for Machine Learning director Professor Simon Lucey and the chief scientist of the University of NSW Artificial Intelligence Institute, Professor Toby Walsh, says Australia cannot rely on “a few international technology giants’’ to develop AI.

It says Australia needs more local expertise to train AI faster, accurately and ethically to stay “safe and secure’’.

“Countries like Australia may not wish to release nationally sensitive data to overseas companies,’’ the letter states.

“Companies that control AI systems end up learning a lot about the people that use them.

“Imagine if foreign AI companies knew more about Australians and Australian businesses than we did ourselves.

“Imagine if we lost control of our agricultural and mining industries to foreign-controlled software systems. Imagine if foreign software companies knew more about our health than our own doctors and health system.

“In areas where national interests need to be protected, we must insist on Australian-owned AI for the core functioning of related digital systems and datasets.’’

The scientists state Australia does not have enough workers skilled in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) to build a world-class AI sector.

“The field of machine learning and artificial intelligence is advancing at a rate even the experts struggle to keep up with,’’ they state.

They said Australian-­engineered AI was needed to “protect the public from information warfare, our businesses from cybersecurity threats, and our defence forces from AI-enabled weapons systems”.

The group includes ­Professor Joanna Batstone, ­director of the Monash Data ­Futures Institute, Professor Jie Lu, director of the Australian ­Artificial Intelligence Institute, Professor Peter Corke, joint ­director of the Queensland ­University of Technology Centre for Robotics and Robotics Australia Group chair Adjunct Professor Sue Keay.