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This was published 3 years ago
New AI hub to fill Queensland's talent shortage
By Lydia Lynch
A new artificial intelligence hub will be built in the heart of Brisbane to help teach more businesses how to harness the technology.
The Queensland government is throwing $5.5 million at decking out an entire floor of its start-up precinct in the Fortitude Valley that it hopes will lead the state's economic recovery from COVID-19.
The new hub will be built in the Fortitude Valley.Credit: iStock
Innovation Minister Kate Jones said the hub would give a leg-up to struggling start-ups.
"Queensland has a shortage of talent in the artificial intelligence space," she said.
"We have up to eight times more AI jobs in the state than people with the right skills available to fill them.
"We’re working hard to upskill workers to embrace this technology, which is changing the way we do business."
Artificial intelligence is an umbrella term for a range of technologies that allow machines to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence.
These technologies can include robotics, machine learning and speech recognition.
Ms Jones said the hub would be managed by a new consortium made up of tech specialists.
AI Consortium’s Dr Kelvin Ross said technology could be used to help screen and monitor disease progression, and recommend personalised treatments, which could save lives and health costs.
“AI researchers are investigating mechanisms to detect COVID-19, mine medical literature for diagnostics and treatments, model molecular structure of drugs and vaccines, and help with planning within our hospitals,” Dr Ross said.
Internationally, AI is being used in the battle against the pandemic, from tracking the outbreak to speeding up drug testing.
Ms Jones said the new centre would serve as a training hub and a place for businesses to network.
“Not only will this hub create jobs for Queenslanders by upskilling them to fill the AI skills gap, it will also help AI startups to scale up to meet global demand for this technology,” she said.
“The AI Hub will provide a co-working space for start-ups along with mentoring and international networking opportunities."
She hopes the $5.5 million of seed money provided by government would act as a catalyst for co-investment by the private sector.
“Already we have seen expressions of interest from major international corporations as well as Australian companies and universities," she said.
“Specialised training courses will also be offered out of the AI Hub for Queensland industry and public sector organisations.”