Skip navigation
Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

    News

    30th Jun 2025
    View All
    Critical TechnologiesInnovationResearch and Innovation

    Making AI accessible to more SA businesses

    A unique opportunity to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is now open to South Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

    The South Australian Government has partnered with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) to deliver the Industrial AI SME Grant Program which aims to make AI accessible to more SA businesses.

    Through the program, eligible SMEs can connect with AIML’s expert engineers to explore how AI and associated technologies may help solve their business challenges.

    As the benefits of are becoming increasingly understood and harnessed, the program comes at a key time for South Australian SMEs to keep pace and remain competitive.

    This was noted at the recent program launch by Michael Brown MP, Assistant Minister for AI and the Digital Economy.

    “AI is no longer a technology of the future, it is the technology of today,” stated Minister Brown. “South Australia already leads the nation in AI research and capability. AIML is home to deep expertise across many areas of AI.”

    Assistant Minister Brown went on to explain how all South Australian businesses can benefit from adopting AI to increase productivity and competitiveness.

    “Our goal is to make AI more accessible to a broader range of businesses, not just those in the tech sector. AI may be considered high-tech, but its benefits aren’t limited to high-tech businesses. Every business, no matter the size or sector, can improve operations using AI.”

    Jonathon Read, Engineering Manager at AIML, further elaborated on the importance of AI to all businesses and how they can benefit from its adoption. “Most of the businesses that adopt AI and start using it within their processes see an increase in earnings and productivity,” explained Jonathon. “In some cases, these increases can be up to 40% in productivity gains.”

    “The South Australian Government is making AI more accessible to a broader range of businesses – not just in the tech sector, and this is an amazing opportunity.”

    This program is supported through the Department of State Development’s Research and Innovation Fund.