James Riley

Sydney, Ultimo

Editorial Director at InnovationAus, providing news and commentary on public policy in the tech and innovation sectors. Cycles for sanity :)

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Articles

Dave Sharma sounds alarm on restrictive AI regulation

2 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Senator Dave Sharma has warned against Australia adopting a risk-averse approach to the regulation of artificial intelligence, which would stymie business take up of a technology that is evolving much faster than people in this country realise. The newly appointed shadow assistant minister for Competition, Charities and the Treasury said his focus in the current parliament would be to press for policy action on improving Australia’s lagging productivity.
EU launches new strategy, seeks global digital alliances

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

The European Union has launched a new International Digital Strategy with a commitment to promoting a rules-based global digital order and working with like-minded partners to offset a period of turbulence in trade relations with the US. The European Commission’s vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen launched the International Digital Strategy on Thursday.
News Wrap: AI, the workplace, and unions want their say

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Industry and Innovation minister Tim Ayres gave the opening address at the AFR AI Summit in Sydney this week, telling the business audience that Australia must “lean in” to the opportunities of artificial intelligence. The presentation included a commitment from the government to work with the union movement to give them more of a voice in discussions about the impact of AI in the workplace.
Unions call for federal procurement boycott of Big Tech

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

On a day when newly appointed Industry minister Tim Ayres said Australia’s trade unions needed a stronger voice in managing the impact of technology in the workplace, the union movement has called for a federal boycott of Big Tech in government procurement.
Data centres as grid partners in Australia's digital future

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Australia has the opportunity to create a new frontier of competitive advantage in sustainable digital infrastructure by aligning the rapid growth of data centres with the expansion of renewable energy and grid integration.
Apple fights 'unreasonable' EU order to open up to rivals

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Apple has submitted a legal challenge to an EU order to open up its closed ecosystem to rivals such as Meta and Alphabet’s Google, saying the demands are unreasonable and hamper innovation. The European Commission had in March detailed how Apple must comply with the Digital Markets Act, which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech. Apple said the EU’s interoperability requirements create “a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation”.
No quick fix for our broken system of research funding

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

It is worth digging a little deeper into the important contribution that Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt and UNSW Scientia Professor of Economic Richard Holden made in their National Press Club appearance last week. The joint address, on the subject of ‘Securing Australia’s sovereign research capability’, was not carried live on any of the broadcast channels (which itself says a lot about Australia’s perceived interest) but is available to watch here.
Business Council calls for action to accelerate AI adoption

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Australia’s peak business lobby has called on government to accelerate national efforts to bake productivity-enhancing artificial intelligence systems into the economy. The Business Council of Australia has released a landmark report offering 16 recommendations that it says can turn the nation into “a global leader” in just three years.
A 'sledgehammer' for US to retaliate against foreign digital taxes

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

US President Donald Trump would have the power to retaliate against countries that impose special digital service taxes on large US technology companies like Amazon and Alphabet, under a provision in the sweeping tax bill that Congress is considering. “If foreign countries want to come in the United States and tax US businesses, then those foreign-based businesses ought to be taxed as well,” said Representative Ron Estes, a Kansas Republican who helped craft the provision.
Google says it will appeal online search antitrust decision

3 weeks ago | innovationaus.com | James Riley

Alphabet’s Google on Saturday said it will appeal an antitrust decision under which a federal judge proposed less aggressive ways to restore online search competition than the 10-year regime suggested by antitrust enforcers“We will wait for the Court’s opinion. And we still strongly believe the Court’s original decision was wrong, and look forward to our eventual appeal,” Google said in a post on X.