SARAH ABO, HOST: Well, this morning the Federal Government is releasing a national AI plan, a blueprint for dealing with rapidly evolving artificial intelligence.

DAVID CAMPBELL, HOST: Well, we're joined by the Minister for Innovation, Tim Ayres. Tim, it's great to have you. This plan has three goals. What are they?

SENATOR TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE: They are to make sure that we capture the economic opportunity here in Australia; that we share the benefits, from the central business districts and the tech sector all the way through the suburbs and the regions; and that we keep Australians safe from some of the risks and harms that exist in this new wave of technology.

ABO: Practically, Tim, how does it work? For example, the parents watching at home right now, how will they benefit? What will they learn?

AYRES: Well, we've set up a new Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute right at the heart of government, to make sure that we analyse the new models that come on stream, that we identify the risks, work across government, whether it's the eSafety Commissioner, our intelligence agencies, our police, right through to our financial regulators, to make sure that government's got the capability to deal with challenges, to deal with risks, to communicate with Australians and to give government the best advice that we can to make sure that we're mobile and effective. As this new technology develops – it is changing every month, it is evolving as we speak and we need to make sure that the government’s got the capacity to keep Australians safe, but also to capture the enormous benefits here in Australia.

CAMPBELL: I think I was questioning the fact that this needs to happen because of AI and the government needs to be involved in how it sort of monitors it, but it moves at such a rapid pace, it's updating all the time. How are you going to be able to keep up to date with it when you're only just putting this in plan now?

AYRES: Well, that's why we've opted for this kind of capability. Experts at the heart of government every day analysing these models as they emerge, working with the tech sector, working across government to make sure that our approach is agile and effective in the interests of Australians. 

You know, you've seen us, the Albanese government – we don't hesitate to crack down hard, whether it's some of these harms in social media, working to protect kids, working to act on deep-fake pornography and some of the dreadful consent issues that evolve there. We've not hesitated to crack down hard in those areas. 

I want to make sure, and the government wants to make sure, that we've got the capacity to do that every day of the week, if it's required, around artificial intelligence. There's enormous benefits here, David, for Australians and enormous benefits for Australia itself in the broadest possible sense. But we want to make sure that we're keeping Australians safe.

ABO: You know, I guess from scams to deep fakes, it's a bit of a game of whack-a-mole at the moment, just trying to eradicate it as it keeps evolving. Tim, thanks so much for joining us this morning and giving us some of the insight on that, hopefully it works out and keeps Aussies safe.

AYRES: Thanks very much.