Skip navigation
Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

    News

    15th May 2024
    View All
    Critical TechnologiesIndustrial transformation

    Helping industry harness the benefits of AI

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most transformative and productivity-boosting technologies and has been identified as a critical technology in Australia’s national interest.

    According to PwC, global GDP is poised to increase by up to 14 per cent by 2030 due to the rapid development and adoption of AI, representing $15.7 trillion in economic growth.

    Furthermore, the Australian Productivity Commission’s recent five-year Product Inquiry: Advancing Prosperity report estimated that automation, including AI, could cumulatively add between $1.1 trillion and $4 trillion to the Australian economy by the 2030s.

    South Australia is in a strong position to harness this enormous opportunity presented by AI.

    According to CSIRO’s data on Australia’s AI ecosystem, South Australia contributed more than 20 per cent of AI research in 2021, despite making up only seven per cent of Australia’s population.

    The world-renowned Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), at the University of Adelaide, is central to this success.

    Established in 2017 with $7.1 million foundational investment from the South Australian Government, AIML has since grown to become the largest university machine learning research group in Australia and is recognised internationally for its expertise in AI, machine learning and computer vision.

    Its presence has incentivised global tech companies like Google, Amazon, MTX and Accenture to establish offices in Adelaide.

    AIML has partnered and engaged with more than 30 businesses and South Australian Government agencies to create new AI-enabled products and process automations to improve productivity and services.

    Aiml launch

    Building on this growth, the South Australian Government has invested a further $6 million, matched by the University of Adelaide, to expand AIML’s core work and scale the institute to remain globally competitive.

    This additional funding includes support for AIML’s research and engineering team to help government and industry develop AI-enabled products and services, automate processes and improve productivity. This is expected to support a further five South Australian Government projects and up to 50 industry projects.

    This type of AI – ‘industrial AI’ – will accelerate the use of AI technologies in industrial settings, such as manufacturing, logistics, supply chain management, and other sectors.

    The funding will also contribute to establishing four international exchange PhD scholarships, prioritised to AUKUS partner universities, and 16 honours/masters degree scholarships to provide opportunities for South Australian students.

    An important element of the funding will include recruiting leadership and top AI research talent into South Australia so the state can reinforce its position as a leader in this transformational technology.

    Up Next

    15th May 2024
    Critical Technologies

    Machine learning collaboration in action

    Read More