Standards Australia is leading the charge in the deployment of ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a series of innovative standards, workshops and strategic partnerships.
AI technologies poised to boost global GDP growth:
The soon-to-be-published APEC AI report underscores the transformative potential of AI, projecting USD 15 trillion growth to the global economy and boosting global GDP by 14 per cent.
Scaling AI in the APEC region poses transformative challenges beyond Big Tech. The success of AI in developing COVID-19 vaccines reveals its potential, but integrating AI into organisations faces persistent barriers. Challenges include technical limitations, governance issues, and the need for significant organisational transformations. Deploying AI across entire enterprises demands comprehensive digital overhauls, emphasising the importance of responsible AI practices to address issues like data breaches and biased data. Data quality issues and ethical considerations are also key components that will influence widespread adoption.
Governments are actively developing regulatory settings for AI, but Standards Australia emphasises the need for standardised frameworks to ensure robust, safe, fair, and trustworthy AI systems. Consistency is the linchpin for businesses across sectors to maximise the unparalleled benefits of AI.
Standards Australia is now championing some initiatives to support the emergence of AI technologies, including:
CSIRO National AI Centre partnership
Over 2023, Standards Australia partnered with CSIRO’s National AI Centre’s Responsible AI Network to host and deliver several cutting-edge data-centric AI workshops. The sessions showcased prominent experts in the field who discussed various aspects of data-centric AI, data management for AI applications, and the role of standards.
This partnership is continuing into 2024 and the next workshop will be held on 29th February. Details will be announced soon.
World first AI Management System Standard
In December 2023 ISO released ISO/IEC 42001:2023- Artificial Intelligence Management Systems Standard. This groundbreaking standard is the first of its kind and is designed to support AI management systems, and addresses challenges related to ethics, transparency, internal governance and risk management.
Set to become a global benchmark, ISO/IEC 42001 emphasises responsible AI deployment, making it applicable across diverse business sectors. Standards Australia is committed to the development of AI as it becomes an integral part of businesses and organisations around the country.
AI in Customer Experience
Standards Australia has introduced Generative AI to transition towards a ‘Content-as-a-Service’ model. This approach simplifies customer experiences, offering a streamlined way to access critical information from Australian standards.
The organisation is working with advanced AI tools like Microsoft Copilot to enhance operational efficiency, allowing staff to focus on strategic initiatives that add significant value.
Applying AI tools to its own operations will help keep Standards Australia at the forefront of emerging technologies, helping to shape new standards in the space and setting new benchmarks for responsible and transformative AI deployment.
AI and standards
The AI revolution promises a future of innovation, unparalleled opportunities and also ethical and regulatory challenges.
As opportunities have emerged with AI so, too, have gaps in current laws. The Australian government is already moving to regulate AI, addressing these gaps; recognising the need for “safeguards” to protect society.
These safeguards could be specific laws or standards tailored to individual sectors.
Learn more about Standards Australia’s work in the AI space at the upcoming NATA Accreditation Matters Conference 2024.
