Driven by the Australian Government’s National AI Plan 2025, Australian organisations are increasingly empowered to take advantage of the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), with a view to becoming world leaders by 2030. The National AI Plan sets an economy‑wide vision to invest in “smart infrastructure”, expand the adoption of AI, and keep Australians safe through responsible practices and fit‑for‑purpose guardrails.
As AI tools and applications become commonplace in offices across the country, it is important to acknowledge the complex supply chains that sit behind them. These typically include model providers, hosting environments, software libraries, identity and access tooling, data pipelines, integration services, and networks of subcontractors. Additionally, the substantial computing power demanded by AI is most often delivered through large-scale data centres and cloud infrastructure. While Australia continues to develop and grow sovereign data centre capabilities, the nation’s AI supply chains remain highly reliant on foreign infrastructure. The associated risks of foreign ownership and control are further exacerbated by today’s volatile geopolitical environment.
This session will cover:
- Why foreign infrastructure is hard to manage
- Why AI supply chains are hard to govern
- Existing security frameworks that support AI supply chain risk management
- Practical checklist: What agencies should ask when adopting or expanding AI
- Executive focus areas for safe AI deployment.
Hellen Thomas, Partner BDO Australia, Risk Advisory Services
Hellen Thomas is a Risk Advisory Services Partner with BDO in Canberra, with more than two decades of experience in driving strategic growth and addressing complex client needs. Hellen has extensive professional consulting expertise in governance and risk management, policy and programs, projects and business resilience. She has a particular focus on cyber security, information security, data governance and privacy, technology and digital transformation, emerging technology and business continuity and resilience. Over the course of her career, Hellen has delivered professional services primarily focused on government and public sector, and broader experience across financial institutions, higher education and energy and utilities sectors.
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