Australia will not fully harness the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies unless it urgently focuses on the digital infrastructure underpinning them, according to Telstra CEO Vicki Brady.

In a National Press Club address on Wednesday, Brady issued a clarion call for connectivity and digital infrastructure to not be forgotten in any discussions on Australia’s digital future, and pushed for deregulation and a national vision.

Pointing to key priorities from the federal government’s recent Productivity Roundtable, she said Australia won’t achieve efficiency gains from AI, or be able to upskill its workforce and modernise government services, without getting connectivity right.

“As a country, we have a small window of opportunity now to position ourselves for the future as technology evolves,” Brady said.

“That window is closing fast. The longer we delay, the more the opportunity starts to pass us by.

“Connectivity is a foundational piece we have to get right to lift living standards for the next generation, grow our economy and deliver benefits to all Australians.

“But it is far from a given. There is work to be done to get it right.”

No AI without the infrastructure beneath it

A key requirement for harnessing the huge potential of AI is having the necessary digital infrastructure in place, including data centres.

“We’re in a period of rapid technological advancement, digital transformation of industries and shifting global dynamics that make secure and sovereign national assets even more important,” Brady said.

“I see amazing opportunities for Australia to be a leader in deploying AI, because we have many of the right ingredients.

“We also have the opportunity to serve Asia-Pacific from data centres located in Australia.”

Brady cited research that Australia’s data consumption has grown 16-fold in the last decade, and that global network traffic is expected to grow by up to 30 per cent annually to 2030.

To ensure this massive demand can be met, there needs to be a national focus on digital infrastructure, the Telstra boss said.

“We’ve got to get aligned and we’ve got to move fast if we’re going to remain competitive as a country,” Brady said.

“We need a shared vision and roadmap…so we have the right digital infrastructure – in the air, in the ground and under sea.”

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady believes the window for Australia to position itself as an AI leader is closing fast. Photo: Shutterstock

Brady urged the government to work with industry to formulate a digital infrastructure plan, based on efforts to accelerate the rollout of digital infrastructure and make it easier to build.

A deregulation push

Pointing to the 500 pieces of legislation and regulation that the telecommunications sector is subject to, she urged the government to include the sector as a priority in its deregulation efforts.

Current regulations are “incredibly inefficient and costly” to navigate for local telecommunications companies, Brady said.

“The volume of legislation, regulation and different requirements across states and territories has added significant cost and complexity,” she said.

“We need to find a better way that encourages investment and keeps our national vision in mind, and we’re keen to work with governments and regulators on that.

“We need to look closely at how we get the balance right between providing necessary guardrails and encouraging innovation and growth that would benefit Australians.”

Doing so would mean “linking regulatory settings with the overarching vision for Australia’s digital future”, Brady said.

Telstra itself has increased its usage of artificial intelligence.

After announcing 550 job cuts in July, the company said these were “not a result” of AI.

The cuts amounted to two per cent of Telstra’s full-time workforce, and came after an announcement in May that 2,800 jobs would be lost as part of an overhaul of its enterprise division.