Bridging the AI gap: National Plan, AI safety institute and free tools for SA businesses

South Australian Business News • Policy

Cathi Buttfield

Wednesday, December 10th 2025

South Australian businesses are moving quickly on AI. In our Survey of Business Expectations a year ago, 41.9% told us they weren’t using AI at all. In the September 2025 quarter, that figure has dropped to just 24.2%.

As this digital shift accelerates, the South Australian Business Chamber has welcomed the Australian Government’s new National AI Plan, released last week.

The National AI Plan sets out how the Government intends to grow Australia’s AI capability and adoption across the economy, with three core themes

Capturing the opportunity: Building smart infrastructure, backing Australian AI capability and attracting investment, including developing Data Centre Principles with the States and Territories, expanding the NBN, $1 billion for tech in the National Reconstruction Fund, plus $17 million for the Adopt AI program to support SMEs.

Spread the benefits: Scaling AI adoption, supporting and training Australians, and improving public services, including a National Skills Agreement, and practical support for AI adoption.

Keep Australians safe: Mitigating the harms, promoting responsible business practices, and partnering on global norms, including guidance for AI adoption, and observing international commitments and the Australian AI Safety Institute (AISI).

The AISI, which launched last month, will monitor, test and share information on emerging AI capabilities, risks and harms. It is not a regulator, but will provide insights to support ministers, portfolio agencies and regulators to maintain safety measures, laws and regulatory frameworks that keep pace with technological change.

Support with the AI transformation for businesses

Our latest SOBE survey found more than 70% of SA businesses believe AI will be important to their future, but only 16.7% currently have an internal AI policy. That’s a serious “policy gap” that exposes businesses to risks around data, privacy and intellectual property.

Recently, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR), through the National AI Centre, released Guidance for AI Adoption, which is intended to service as a practical resource for businesses to help them adopt AI. There are two versions of the guidance:

Foundations: for organisations getting started in adopting AI (organisations which are new to AI, or in low-risk applications)

Implementation practices: for governance professionals and technical experts (orgs or professionals more developed in AI adoption)

Both sets of guidance address issues such as identifying who is accountable, understanding the impacts of AI use, measuring and mitigating risks, sharing essential information, testing and monitoring, and maintaining human control.

In addition, the Australian Institute of Machine Learning’s AI Roadmap Generator for businesses was launched in October 2025, and can be accessed for free at » https://ai-roadmap.aiml.shop/

Our advocacy for SA businesses

In our Pre-Election Charter26, we’re calling on the SA Government to deliver a free digital literacy diagnostic tool so businesses can assess their digital capability and identify training and support needs.

The SA Business Chamber Policy Team:

sits on the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Digital, Data and Cyber Forum, giving us a direct channel to DISR on AI and wider digital transformation issues.

is working with ACCI as they engage with the Federal Government on the next steps in the National AI Plan and the role of industry.

participates in the Future Skills Organisation and ARC Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption project on “Supporting Generative Artificial Intelligence Adoption by Workers: The Role of Employers”.

We continue to build relationships with the National AI Centre, other Chambers, and key industry stakeholders, to bring information and resources to SA businesses.

Have an AI challenge or success story to share?

Government agencies and researchers regularly ask us for real business case studies on AI – the barriers, risks, opportunities and wins. These stories are one of our most powerful advocacy tools, because they show what’s really happening on the ground in South Australian businesses.

If you: