“AI has come with what feels like an extraordinary rapidity … it’s incredibly broad,and even the people who study it and do think deeply about it are in a constant game of catch up,trying to make sense of a new iteration.”

She believes there should be a blanket ban on AI decisions about welfare and criminal justice cases due to algorithmic bias affecting outcomes for vulnerable people.

Aglobal study looking into trust in AI released by KPMG in February found just 24 per cent of Australians said AI was used at their organisation,while 73 per cent of survey respondents across the globe said they were concerned about the potential risks of AI.

Mandala managing partner Amit Singh said many impacted industries were falling behind in responding to AI advances.

“It’s clear that some of the industries that are most affected by this in Australia are not ready to integrate this in a way that will enable them to take advantage of the opportunities that come from greater productivity,” he said.

“The companies that are a bit further behind international standards will find this disruption particularly challenging not just in terms of their workforce,but in terms of their firm value.”

National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes said while the union welcomed the opportunity to make a submission on the regulations,it was still working through implications for staff and the sector due to the “highly complex and dynamic policy area”.

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said universities were focusing on making sure students and staff using the technology aren’t doing so “at the expense of their education or academic integrity”.

“A lot of research on artificial intelligence is done by our universities,so we’re in a strong position to think deeply about what the implications are and how best to respond,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Australian Banking Association said AI technology and its use cases were “quickly evolving”,adding banks would continue to apply strong governance frameworks to the use of new technologies.

Law Council of Australia President Luke Murphy said there were clear opportunities for AI to help improve efficiency and reduce administrative costs,but stressed lawyers should take extreme care.

“Lawyers must always keep front of mind their professional and ethical obligations to the court and to their clients. How these tools interact with our overarching duties as lawyers remains an important issue with which the profession is currently grappling,” he said.

Spokespeople for the Community and Public Sector Union,Australian Construction Association,and Construction,Forestry,Maritime,Mining and Energy Union declined to comment,while those from the Public Sector Association and Australian Services Union didn’t respond by deadline.

Submissions to the Department of Industry,Science and Resources on responsible AI in Australia close on July 26.

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