James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For some time the coalition has sought to establish a select committee on opportunities and threats arising from artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence will see the greatest change to our economy since the steam engine. With the potential to revolutionise our technological, farming, manufacturing, banking, healthcare and education sectors, AI presents unique and significant opportunities for the Australian economy through job creation and boosting productivity and growth. However, AI also poses a severe threat to our sovereignty and our national security, with risks to our privacy, financial sector, cybersecurity and democratic institutions. AI also presents an unprecedented threat to our job market through risks of workforce deskilling and job displacement. Everything will change: how we work, how we live, how we play.

Last week, Labor along with the Greens voted against the establishment of an inquiry into artificial intelligence. The coalition will continue to push for an inquiry into artificial intelligence, but any inquiry must consider the severe risks that AI poses to our national security. With the Labor government touting their national security prowess with the continuation of the coalition's AUKUS program, it will be interesting to see if Labor agrees to investigate the risks that AI poses to our sovereignty and our national security. It is sad and a sign of bad faith that Labor, the Greens and Senator Pocock have played such petty, petulant, partisan politics on such an important issue.