PAPUA NEW GUINEA and its Pacific neighbours will soon have access to purpose-built tools to help them weigh the risks and rewards of artificial intelligence (AI), after Australia confirmed a funding package worth almost PGK1.3 million (AUD420,000) for the region.
Unveiled during Pacific Cyber Week and the Digital Transformation Summit in Port Moresby, the funding will support the rollout of governance and risk-management toolkits under Australia's Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Program. The technical development will be handled by Standards Australia.
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| Australia's Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs, Ewen McDonald, speaks at the Digital Transformation Summit in Port Moresby during the event attended by government and industry representatives. Picture supplied by the Australian High Commission. |
The toolkits are pitched at government officials, policymakers and practitioners, giving them a working understanding of what AI can offer and where the dangers lie, while promoting its ethical and responsible use across Pacific nations.
Ewen McDonald, Australia's High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs, said the technology held real potential to strengthen public service delivery across a region long hampered by distance and thin resources.
"Artificial intelligence can help improve public services and address the challenges of distance and limited resources," he said.
The initiative is also designed to give Pacific nations more influence in international talks on AI standards, as countries around the world scramble to put guardrails around the fast-developing technology.
It comes at a time when Australia itself is tightening its own AI rulebook. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged a National Framework of Australian Standards for AI, which will introduce mandatory requirements for large-scale AI infrastructure and development within the country.
An Office of AI is also being established inside Australia's Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate AI policy nationally.
The Port Moresby summit further spotlighted a string of related projects, among them a planned PNG Digital Public Infrastructure Centre of Excellence, draft Pacific Digital and AI Principles, expanded online safety measures, and a National eSafety Symposium.
Canberra reaffirmed its intent to keep working with Pacific partners on strengthening digital infrastructure, improving cyber resilience, building digital capability, and ensuring the region has a say in shaping how AI is governed globally.
Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Jessica Hunter, said the guidance being developed would reflect the realities on the ground in Pacific nations rather than importing standards wholesale from elsewhere.
"Responsible AI adoption requires practical and accessible guidance," Ms Hunter said. "The toolkits will help Pacific partners assess risks, strengthen governance and shape AI use in ways that reflect local needs, values and aspirations."