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Australian AI: Why local businesses are lagging behind global competitors

The Australian Financial Review

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Australia starts from a position of strength. But the truth is that we have some catching up to do to reach peak performance on the global stage.

Summary

This analysis argues that Australia's economic competitiveness is at risk due to slow adoption of artificial intelligence within the local business sector compared to global peers. It highlights a disconnect between government rhetoric encouraging 'local AI' and fiscal policies, such as capital gains tax structures, that may inhibit the growth of the domestic startup ecosystem. While focusing primarily on economic productivity and industry investment, the piece underscores the urgency of establishing a robust domestic AI infrastructure to maintain sovereign capability. The content focuses more on commercial and economic competition than on specific technical safety protocols or catastrophic risk mitigation.

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