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‘Left behind’: regions at risk on rush for AI uptake

From FBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • An Australian educator warns that regions risk falling behind in AI adoption if not included in the national regulatory framework.
  • Government plans include an AI office and compensation for creatives whose work trains algorithms, but regional inclusion is missing.
  • Research shows regional businesses lag in AI uptake, with many unaware of its potential applications.

Regions in Australia risk being left behind in the adoption of artificial intelligence unless they are explicitly included in the nation's new regulatory framework, an educator has warned. While artificial intelligence educator Jess Tresidder welcomed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's national AI framework, she noted a significant omission: a lack of detail on how the rollout would support regional communities in integrating this emerging technology.

"We cannot build trust as a society around AI if those already being left behind aren’t part of the foundation from the very start," Ms Tresidder told AAP. The government's plans include requiring data centre operators to fund new energy generation and establishing an AI office within the Prime Minister's department. Creatives will also be compensated for the use of their work in training AI algorithms.

We cannot build trust as a society around AI if those already being left behind aren’t part of the foundation from the very start.

— Jess TresidderExpressing concern about the exclusion of regional communities from the national AI framework.

However, Ms Tresidder pointed out the absence of a commitment to ensure regional businesses receive training to incorporate AI. According to the federal government's 2025 National AI Plan, regional businesses are already trailing their metropolitan counterparts in AI adoption. Research cited in the plan found only 29 percent of regional organizations were using AI, compared to 40 percent in urban areas. More than a quarter of regional small to medium enterprises were unaware of AI's potential applications, versus 19 percent in cities.

Ms Tresidder, who advises governments and organizations on AI integration, believes the plan must directly address regional uptake. She highlighted the extensive applications for businesses in rural and regional areas, ranging from marketing to automating non-core activities. Having grown up in the Mount Gambier area, Ms Tresidder has firsthand experience with how new technologies can bypass regional communities. "A lot of regional community members feel as though they are the last to get access," she said. "The last to get trained, but the first to feel the disruption."

A lot of regional community members feel as though they are the last to get access. The last to get trained, but the first to feel the disruption.

— Jess TresidderDescribing the feeling of being overlooked and negatively impacted by technological advancements in regional Australia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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