Company Interview / Is Australia doing enough to support AI development?

Key points

Budget seen as incremental boost for AI and productivity, not a game-changer Strong data foundations viewed as critical to realising AI return on investment Many Australian organisations remain in AI pilot phase, lacking deployment confidence

Charlie Farah from Qlik views the federal budget as a modest but positive step for Australia’s technology sector, particularly for artificial intelligence. Farah states the measures aim to lift productivity and drive wider AI adoption across government and industry, building on the national AI plan launched in December. He notes fresh incentives and data-focused investment as encouraging for firms looking to innovate and experiment with AI, though he does not see the package as transformative.

Farah stresses that AI outcomes are only as strong as the underlying data, arguing that the budget’s real value lies in helping organisations modernise legacy systems and build robust data foundations. He observes that many companies remain stuck in pilot mode, with AI projects failing to progress into full deployment. In Farah’s view, greater AI and data literacy across organisations is essential to build trust in AI-generated insights and convert experimentation into productivity gains.

On skills, Farah regards the National Skills Agreement and digital economy strategies as heading in the right direction but needing broader reach beyond government. He advocates extending AI literacy and education frameworks to the wider community and SMEs, and expects continued investment to help retain human capital and prevent a brain drain.