The Geostrategic Case for Compute in Australia — Janet Egan [Compute Series]

Let's talk about compute in Australia.

So you've been in Australia for the last few weeks speaking almost exclusively with Australians.

When you go back to Washington, tell me how you'll summarize your trip and what you've learned to friends.

So for example, is there anything that surprised you about how Australian policymakers are thinking about compute or AI in general? Any differences that you've noticed between how US policymakers and Australian policymakers are thinking about those topics?

That's a great question.

What's, what's stood out to you?

I think the first thing that is so distinct between Washington, DC and Australia is how seriously people take AI.

Um, again and again, I found myself having conversations where I've assumed that people think AI is going to be a big deal, and so I've started the conversation there and find myself having to go back and retrace earlier discussions to say, "Oh, okay, here is where the pace of progress is heading.

Here is, like, the evidence that we're continuing to see massive breakthroughs, and we haven't yet hit a wall, and here is the evidence that the recipes we have for continuing to improve capabilities are continuing to bear fruit.

And so we're on a trajectory." Um, in Washington, DC, no one is...

Well, very few people are questioning that.

That's very str- It would be odd if someone said, "Oh, I don't think AI is a big deal.

Oh, I think it's just hype." Um, but the amount of times I've been asked in the Australian context of, "Wait, isn't it just a bubble?" Like, "Surely AI is just all hype and the market-- Like, the companies are talking themselves up," that is a really big, uh, juxtaposition between the two different, yeah, policy landscapes.

What surprised me in the positive way, though, has been how rapidly Australia's been moving to understand and grapple with these issues.

Um, you had Charlton on this podcast most recently, and it's been amazing to witness the journey of, like, initial conversations happening around AI in Australia to actually, like, delving into the issue of compute at a ministerial level.

Um, we've seen the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet set up a new AI task force.

We've seen a growing number of policymakers express urgency at addressing these issues.

So I think we're on the right trend, but I do think that there are a lot of very senior people in sen- like, in positions in government who still aren't grappling with the realities of AI progress.

Um, one theory I have for this is that it's very easy to appear knowledgeable and be skeptical, but it's actually very costly or hard to be knowledgeable and engaged in the issues.

Particularly if you're, like, a leading economist in your field, or you're a, like, a thought leader in your industry and someone is asking you for takes on AI, it's a cheap and easy take to have to say, "Look, I'm not sure this is a really big issue.

I'm a skeptic." It's a much harder thing to do to sound really knowledgeable and informed and engage on those issues.

So I think we're moving in the direct direction, but there's still-

Mm

... a way to go.

Mm, mm.