Artificial Intelligence is no longer simply a technology conversation. It is becoming a conversation about infrastructure, governance, Country and who holds the authority to shape Australia’s future.
Over the past twelve months I’ve found myself immersed in conversations about Aboriginal Data Sovereignty, artificial intelligence and what both might mean for the future of Aboriginal communities in Australia.
Earlier this year I had the privilege of facilitating a workshop with the Australian Public Service Academy exploring the practical application of Aboriginal Data Sovereignty across government. More recently, the release of the Buledya Dinner Series Report captured conversations between Aboriginal leaders, community organisations and government representatives on the future of data, governance and decision-making.
Those conversations were already challenging the way I thought about data.
Then, a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of leading a small First Nations delegation to LEAP East in Hong Kong—one of Asia’s largest technology conferences.
Like many people, I expected to spend a week seeing demonstrations of the latest AI technologies. What I didn’t expect was to see how fundamentally AI is already reshaping organisations, governments and economies.
Whether the conversations were about software engineering, healthcare, logistics, finance, education or government, AI wasn’t presented as another digital tool. It had become part of the operating model. Countries are competing for investment. Organisations are redesigning workflows.
Technology leaders were asking not whether they should adopt AI, but how quickly they could responsibly integrate it across every part of their organisations.
I returned to Australia with far more questions than answers.
Within days of arriving back two government announcements landed.
The Australian Government announced the establishment of the new Office of AI, while the NSW Government released its Shared Access to Data for Aboriginal Communities Policy.
At first glance, they appear to be unrelated.
One focuses on improving access to government-held data for Aboriginal communities.
The other outlines Australia’s ambition to lead in the development, adoption and governance of artificial intelligence.
Yet because of the conversations I’d just been immersed in, I couldn’t help but read one while reflecting on the other.
As I tend to do, I immediately started asking what this might mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities across Australia.
As I read these announcements together, I couldn’t shake the feeling that several important conversations are rapidly converging. Data. Artificial intelligence. Infrastructure. Energy. Governance. Self-determination.
My concern isn’t that Aboriginal people are absent from these conversations. There are many people doing important work across the country. My concern is whether the pace of technological change is beginning to outstrip the pace of our collective engagement with it.
Access is Part of the Conversation
The NSW Government’s Shared Access to Data for Aboriginal Communities Policy represents an important step towards improving how Aboriginal organisations and communities access government-held information.
At first reading, what stood out to me was its practical nature. It establishes clearer pathways for requesting data, introduces a stronger expectation that agencies will share information wherever appropriate and seeks greater consistency across government.
It reinforces something many people working in this space have long recognised.
It is the Government’s responsibility to improve access, improve processes and remove barriers. Those are necessary responsibilities. They are not, however, the same as delivering Aboriginal Data Sovereignty.
Aboriginal Data Sovereignty itself cannot simply be delivered through government policy.
Genuine authority over Aboriginal data ultimately rests with Aboriginal peoples and communities.
Without access to collected information, individuals and communities are unable to fully exercise their right to self-determination.
For many years, conversations around Aboriginal Data Sovereignty have centred on ownership, governance, consent and access. Those remain fundamental principles. The NSW policy contributes to that ongoing journey.
I should note that Aboriginal-led work is emerging across New South Wales that is exploring practical approaches to Aboriginal Data Sovereignty and Governance. While there is still much to do, these efforts represent an important step towards embedding self-determination within the systems that collect, manage, and use Aboriginal data.
The AI Conversation is Moving at Breakneck Speed
While reflecting on the NSW policy, I also found myself returning to the Prime Minister’s announcement establishing the new Office of AI.
Australia has recognised that artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming national infrastructure.
Countries are actively competing to establish the infrastructure that will underpin the next generation of economic growth.
That reality was impossible to ignore at LEAP East. Across government, industry and investment circles, the conversation has already shifted. The conversation is no longer about whether AI will change our organisations, businesses, governments and communities. It is about who will build the infrastructure needed to support it.
The establishment of the Office of AI signals Australia’s intent to participate seriously in this global transition. How that actually plays out is yet to be seen.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly a conversation about national capability. It is a conversation about infrastructure, resources, energy security and economic competitiveness.
Think about a new data centre. A data centre requires land, energy, water, planning approvals and ultimately community support. Now consider the scale at which this will need to occur.
It is difficult to imagine these projects not intersecting with Traditional Owners, Native Title Lands and First Nations communities.
The conversation about artificial intelligence is therefore a conversation about Country. This is a conversation about environmental stewardship, energy transition, consent, who benefits and ultimately, about who holds decision-making authority as this new infrastructure is developed.
My concern isn’t that Aboriginal people have no voice in these conversations. It is that the speed at which this transition is occurring may outpace our ability to meaningfully shape it.
Beyond Intellectual Property
One aspect of the Prime Minister’s announcement particularly caught my attention.
The Government rightly recognised the importance of protecting Australian artists and creators as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the creative economy.
That is an important commitment. Artificial intelligence has the potential to fundamentally change how creative works are generated, shared and commercialised. Ensuring artists are appropriately recognised and protected must form part of Australia’s AI future.
It also prompted another question.
If Australia is now considering how AI should protect the intellectual property of individual creators, how should we also think about protecting the world’s oldest continuing cultures?
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, knowledge extends well beyond conventional intellectual property frameworks.
It includes stories, Language, Ceremony, Ecological knowledge, Cultural practices and Collective authority. Knowledge that has been developed, protected and passed between generations over tens of thousands of years.
As Australia develops its legislative and policy response to artificial intelligence, ensuring Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property is recognised and protected must form part of Australia’s AI governance framework from the outset, rather than being considered after the fact.
From Data to Intelligence
As I continue to reflect on these two announcements, I become increasingly convinced that neither should be viewed in isolation.
The NSW Government’s Shared Access to Data for Aboriginal Communities Policy is about improving access to government-held information.
The Australian Government’s establishment of the Office of AI is about preparing Australia for an AI-enabled future.
Individually, they address different policy priorities.
Together, they point towards a future where the real question is no longer simply who collects data, but how that data is transformed into decisions.
They are both part of a broader technological transition that is already reshaping governments, industries, communities and economies around the world.
The pace of that change is extraordinary. Artificial intelligence. Data infrastructure. Energy. Digital capability. Automation. These are no longer separate conversations.
They are part of a single national conversation about how Australia will compete, govern and make decisions in the decades ahead.
As Australia enters this next phase of technological change, I don’t believe our role is simply to catch up or respond to new technologies. Our opportunity is to actively shape them so they reflect our knowledge systems, our governance, our relationship with Country and, ultimately, create better futures for our People.
