ATSE Lecture – Why Foundational AI Matters!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the defining technologies of the 21st century, promising significant benefits for economies and societies. Deep neural networks, like those in Open AI’s ChatGPT, now form the backbone of all modern AI. However, despite AI becoming more common, its core principles are still poorly understood; it remains prone to bias and hallucinations; and it demands enormous amounts of energy, data, and computational power.

In this talk, I will argue that gaining a better understanding of the foundational aspects of modern AI offers a cost-effective way for Australia to take a leading role. The study of Foundational AI aims to develop methods that are less reliant on big data and high power consumption. The advancements expected from this research are crucial, as companies and governments worldwide race to reduce emissions while expanding the capabilities of next-generation AI.

Investing strategically in Foundational AI will also strengthen Australia’s capacity for unique sovereign AI capabilities—an essential factor as our country approaches the mid-21st century.