By Tom McIlroy
Publication Date: 2026-06-15 08:30:00
Liberal Andrew Hastie says Australia should dramatically increase investment in artificial intelligence to maintain its strategic independence, warning the country risks becoming “a US-bound supplicant state” at a time of possible heated conflict with China.
In a key address to Liberal members in Sydney on Monday night, the Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereignty compared the development of AI to the nuclear arms race of the Cold War era and suggested positioning Australia as a technology hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
Speaking at the annual Tom Hughes speech, Hastie called for the appointment of a new AI ambassador and said the education system needed to be overhauled “so we can unlock Australian hearts and minds for AI”.
He said prime ministers, including Robert Menzies and John Gorton, wrestled with the question of whether Australia wanted nuclear capability, but ultimately we brought our security stance in line with Washington.
“Over the last century, Australia has missed the…
