An AI expert says Australia’s move to set up an office of artificial intelligence at the top of government is a “kick up the bum” for New Zealand’s leaders.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is promising legislation early next year to set clear rules for large data centres about the power and water they use.<\/p>\n
Dr Andrew Lensen of Victoria University said the move showed up the lack of leadership this side of the Tasman from all political parties.<\/p>\n
“It’s frustrating,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We definitely are being slow.<\/p>\n
“I would hope that we can look at Australia … and the way they’re taking it and use that sort of as a bit of a kick up the bum.”<\/p>\n
Putting the AI office right under Albanese who had a wider mandate than this or that minister was a really good sign they understood just how wide an impact AI could have, Lensen told Midday Report on Thursday.<\/p>\n
“Then hopefully they can have a better sort of handle over how it might be deployed.”<\/p>\n
The government here has adopted a lighthanded approach to AI while also aiming to rapidly spread its use in public agencies and businesses.<\/p>\n
But Lensen said lawmakers elsewhere were now waking up to the risks in AI making cost of living, jobs and other issues worse.<\/p>\n
These had to be addressed to realise the inarguable benefits of AI to say, healthcare or business, and to spread them to regular people and not just tech companies.<\/p>\n
He questioned the lack of “dedicated” AI policy and hoped voters would make it an election issue for politicians.<\/p>\n
“It’s really hard to understand why they’re not taking it more seriously.<\/p>\n
“We really need to just make them uncomfortable and make them sort of come up with some policy and ways to deal with it.”<\/p>\n