The Business Council of Australia’s (BCA) submission to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence sets out a practical framework to support AI investment and adoption, build Australian capability and protect critical national interests.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already part of everyday life and work in Australia. Across the economy, Australian businesses are using AI to improve service delivery, strengthen cyber security, protect consumers from fraud and scams, support safer workplaces, manage complex operations and improve healthcare. As Australia experiences weak productivity growth, persistent workforce shortages and increasing pressure on public and private service delivery, AI presents an opportunity to lift productivity, strengthen competitiveness and improve living standards.
The Business Council of Australia (BCA) supports a national direction for AI that allows Australia to harness these opportunities while maintaining public confidence and protecting against genuine harms. Many BCA members are leading Australia’s AI investment and adopting AI across their businesses. To continue attracting investment and supporting responsible adoption, Australia needs a coherent policy framework that gives businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and build workforce capability.
This submission outlines the policy settings needed to support business-led AI adoption, investment and capability building across the Australian economy. It also demonstrates how Australian businesses are already using AI to improve safety, strengthen critical infrastructure, support healthcare, detect fraud and scams, improve customer service and increase productivity across a broad range of industries.
Key recommendations
- Build sovereign AI capability through trusted global access, strong domestic capability and Australian control where required
- Keep AI regulation coherent, proportionate and internationally competitive
- Establish clear, workable copyright rules for AI model training
- Enable workplace AI adoption within existing workplace laws
- Build the workforce capability needed to adopt AI at scale
- Turn Australian research and sector expertise in AI into scalable products, businesses and exports
- Adopt a single national framework that accelerates responsible investment in AI infrastructure
- Build a credible public evidence base on the benefits and impacts of AI across the economy, drawing on existing data, evaluated case studies and aggregate sector-level information.
The submission also includes case studies highlighting how BCA member companies are applying AI across the economy today, demonstrating the practical benefits AI is already delivering for customers, workers and communities.
Australia should maintain access to the world’s leading AI technologies while building stronger capability in areas of national strength. Clear, coordinated policy settings for regulation, copyright, skills and infrastructure will help Australia attract investment, accelerate responsible AI adoption, strengthen national resilience and capture more of the economic value created by AI while maintaining public confidence.