AI safety standard set to bolster Australian automation, says KPMG
The big four company has welcomed the new Australian AI Safety Standard which has been developed to provide practical guidance to Australian organisations on how to responsibly use and innovate AI.
KPMG has announced support for the launch of the government’s new Australian AI Safety Standard aimed to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI systems in Australia.
The system was released on 5 September and has been developed following extensive consultations, with input from diverse stakeholders including the public, advocacy groups, academia, industry, legal firms and government agencies.
KPMG Australia said it has a long history of participating in public consultations on AI policy development and has been previously involved in various consultations on this policy area.
KPMG Australia chief digital officer John Munnelly said the company welcomes the new AI standard and believe it is an important step in building “safe and ethical” AI practices.
“The standard will strengthen protections that promote safety in the deployment and use of AI while also promoting innovation,” he said.
“It is encouraging to see that the standard is in alignment with international regulation and best practice.”
The government said some of the language used in the standard is technical which will ensure it is aligned with international standards.
“This means that Australian businesses can be sure that if they comply with the voluntary AI safety standard, they will also comply with international laws,” the government said.
The standard includes 10 voluntary guardrails that apply to all organisations throughout the AI supply chain, which include transparency and accountability requirements across the supply chain.
According to the Australian government, the guardrails help organisations to benefit from AI while mitigating and managing the risks that AI may pose to organisations, people and groups.
Munnelly said KPMG also welcomes the consultation for mandatory guardrails.
“We appreciate the practical nature of the standard which is grounded in examples of how to apply them to AI use cases,” he said.
“This is something we have implemented with KPMG’s trusted AI approach, one of three guided principled we use to take a human-centered approach.”
The guardrails aim to give certainty to all organisations about what developers and deployers of AI systems must do to comply.
The government noted the standard was developed with the sole purpose of developing and deploying AI systems in Australia safely and reliably.
It has been predicted that adopting AI and automation will contribute $170 billion to $600 billion of GDP.
The government said the standard sets expectations for what future legislation may look like as mandatory guardrails options are considered.
“It also gives organisations the best practice AI governance and ethical practices, which offers them a competitive advantage,” the government said.
“This will lead to the longer-term benefits of improved safety, quality and reliability of AI in Australia. It will support broader use of AI products and services, increased market competition and opportunities for technological innovation.”
The standard is set to be frequently reviewed and adapted to development, as well as evolve alongside the broader activities underway by government to ensure alignment and consistency for the safe and responsible use of AI.
Munnelly said KPMG will uphold the standard in every way possible.
“KPMG Australia is committed to evaluating how we will implement the standard and the extent to which are existing systems and processes are already aligned,” he said.
“We believe that standards are a critical step in Australia’s progress as a high-tech, innovation economy that will see safe, reliable AI technology developed to benefit Australians and exported to global markets.”
