Federal government signs AI MOU with Microsoft

The Australian Government has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Microsoft.

In a media release from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the government says it is the second collaborative arrangement under the National AI Plan to help strengthen national AI capabilities and ensure responsible, innovative AI development.

The National AI Plan sets out the government’s ambition to capture the opportunities of AI, spread the benefits and keep Australians safe. One of the commitments under that plan is to enter collaborative arrangements with leading AI and tech companies to build Australia’s AI capabilities.

These arrangements aim to encourage responsible development of AI, attract investment and improve safety. They are high-level, non-legally-binding arrangements that set expectations aligned with Australia’s national interest. They signal the government’s intent to collaborate with industry leaders, build relationships and progress actions under the plan.

The government is open to exploring similar arrangements with other leading AI and technology companies.

The government says that collaborating with Microsoft supports delivery of the National AI Plan by strengthening Australia’s AI capability, safety and security settings, and domestic ecosystem.

In 2023, Microsoft announced an investment of $5 billion over two years to expand its data centre footprint in Australia from 20 to 29 sites, increasing national compute capacity. It has also partnered with Australian organisations to boost digital skills through the Microsoft Datacentre Academy.

The MOU outlines that Microsoft intends to:

• continue investment in Australian AI capability and cloud computing
• align with the government’s Expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure developers
• help the government understand future infrastructure needs to support Australia as a trusted regional hub
• collaborate with government on AI safety and workforce capability
• support delivery of the APS AI Plan and explore future APS collaboration.
   

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