The ACT has no need to pause new data centre projects because the territory's standards are probably higher than proposed national rules, Chief Minister Andrew Barr says.
Mr Barr said the national scheme, outlined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a major speech this week, would be catching up to the ACT's approach to data centre projects.
"The ACT is the national leader as regards data centres and some of the main proponents, practitioners, operators in the field in the ACT are national and international leaders, which is why they're winning some of the major contracts that they are," Mr Barr said.
Mr Albanese said in a speech at the University of Sydney on Wednesday he would seek agreement from the states and territories for mandatory, national rules for large AI data centres, while the Commonwealth would also move to protect the work of writers, musicians, artists and journalists.
A legal obligation would compel the next generation of large-scale data centres to underwrite new power supply so they put at least as much power into the energy grid as they drew from it, Mr Albanese said.
"Our rules will require data centres to minimise their water use, maximise their energy efficiency, and pay for any additional water infrastructure required. These location, energy and water obligations take in every level of government and their overlapping powers, which is precisely why we need national standards," he said.
Mr Barr said the data centres already operating in the ACT were in the top class of sustainability and relied on reticulated water systems to ensure there was zero effective water use.
"Canberra's climate also suits data centres better than some of the warmer or more tropical environments because we have lower humidity and periods like we are in now where it's very cold. So some of the heat issues that some data centres in warmer climates face aren't as prevalent in the ACT," he said.
"So I think we're well placed to be part of a national framework. In fact, in many instances, we can lead that on the ground with the practical data centres that we have in operation in the territory now."
The ACT government wants the territory to be the preferred destination for trusted, sovereign, sustainable and secure infrastructure powering artificial intelligence systems.
The federal Greens have called for a moratorium on new data centres until the national regulations are adopted to prevent an undue drain on energy and water resources.
"AI is the new extractive industry, if we don't have the right rules in place big tech companies will take our resources and leave Australians with little to show for it," said the Greens' Sarah Hanson-Young, who is chairing a Senate inquiry into artificial intelligence and data centres.
Federal Industry and Science Minister Tim Ayres told the ABC's AM program this week that was "a pretty dopey position that just takes us backwards".
"It's very clear to see the direction of travel here. Every large data centre needs to be making a net contribution to the electricity sector, needs to have decent water security and comply with all these other Australian conditions that deliver a better outcome for Australia," Senator Ayres said.
Mr Albanese also announced the Office of AI would be established in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. The office would co-ordinate the new Australian AI standards and impose discipline on the federal government's approach to the technology, he said.
"Now, we should not treat AI as a threat to good jobs - we must use it as an instrument to help create them," he said.
A report released by the federal Employment and Workplace Relations Department this month said there was no evidence to date artificial intelligence had caused broad upheaval in the Australian labour market.
"However, occupations more exposed to potential automation by generative AI have grown more slowly than other occupations," the report said, while noting this was not evidence deploying AI-powered tools had caused job losses.
