AI must be harnessed for public good, says former Australian PM Julia Gillard

8 November 2023, 20:24

Julia Gillard gives Lord Speaker’s Lecture
Julia Gillard gives Lord Speaker’s Lecture. Picture: PA

The former world leader’s call for greater access comes only a week after the UK hosted a global summit on AI safety.

Artificial intelligence (AI) must be harnessed for the public good of science over the next decade, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has said.

Ms Gillard, who now chairs London-based health research charity the Wellcome Trust, said getting AI tools into the hands of scientists who need them would be a “public policy challenge for the next 10 years”.

The former politician, who served as prime minister of Australia between 2010 and 2013, was speaking in Westminster at the invitation of the House of Lords Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith.

Asked by her predecessor at the helm of the Wellcome Trust, crossbench peer Baroness Manningham-Buller, where science must be in 10 years’ time, Ms Gillard replied: “I think using AI for good.”

She added: “Using AI for good because it is publicly available, and it needs to be available to scientists, and that won’t happen by accident.”

Julia Gillard gives Lord Speaker’s Lecture
Former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard delivering the Lord Speaker’s Lecture (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Ms Gillard gave the example of Google-owned Deep Mind, which made its “AI-driven protein folding technology” open access so scientists around the world could use it free of charge.

She added: “They did that out the goodness of their heart. They could have made that proprietary, they could have charged people for it, they could have charged people a lot of money for it, they could have limited access to it.

“Getting the AI tools into the hands of scientists who need them is a public policy challenge for the next 10 years.”

She also called for other means of making technology and research accessible to different scientists around the world, including better use of common platforms.

“We are getting better and better platforms for further discoveries, but they have got to be collaborative, they have got to be shared,” Ms Gillard said.

The former world leader’s call for greater access comes only a week after the UK hosted a global summit on AI safety.

Rishi Sunak hailed a series of “landmark” steps agreed by governments and businesses around the world following the gathering.

This included agreement that the UK’s new AI Safety Institute would be allowed to test new AI models developed by major firms in the sector before they are released.

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

A child’s hand pressing a key of a laptop keyboard

Charity ‘appalled’ at reports online safety laws could be cut for US trade deal

School children during a Year 5 class at a primary school

Education Secretary: More men needed in classrooms to be positive role models

Games controller

Cult classic Shenmue named most influential game of all time in Bafta poll

Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood (PA)

Parents crying out for online regulation, MP Eastwood says

TikTok is set to be banned in the United States later this week unless a buyer emerges.

Amazon makes last-minute bid to buy TikTok as deadline looms

Nintendo Switch 2

Everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 will release on June 5, 2025

Nintendo Switch 2: Exciting reveal, but why is it more expensive here?

A Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will launch on June 5

Tesla dealership damage

Tesla sales tumble to weakest since 2022 amid Musk backlash

The Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo reveals release date for long-awaited Switch 2 console

Roblox has introduced a slew of new safety features.

Gaming platform Roblox adds slew of safety fixtures for parents to monitor their children’s accounts

Meta's decision to change its content policies was heavily criticised by online safety experts (PA)

Majority oppose Meta’s rollback of safety rules, charity says

A child's hands pressing laptop keys

Regulation and technology can help combat spread of online misogyny, expert says

Raspberry Pi 4 micro computer

Raspberry Pi profits tumble after supply shortages

An RNLI lifeboat brings a group of people thought to be migrants into Dover

UK to work with allies and social media to tackle people smuggling adverts

A child using an Apple iPhone smartphone

School curriculum resources to teach children about risks of in-game purchases