Engineers Australia has called on the Federal Government to place engineering and technical expertise at the centre of Australia’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that the country’s AI ambitions will require investment in people, infrastructure and technical oversight alongside the technology itself.
In a submission to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Engineers Australia outlined four areas for government action: strengthening technical expertise in AI governance, building greater sovereign capability, investing in engineering skills, and supporting the safe adoption of AI across the economy.
Engineers Australia National President and Board Chair Tom Goerke said AI presented significant economic opportunities, but Australia would need to develop the capability to use the technology safely and productively.
“Human judgement, professional responsibility and technical assurance must remain at the centre of decision-making. AI can support decisions, but it cannot be accountable for them,” Goerke said.
“That means policymakers need access to people who understand how these systems operate in the real world, where failures can have significant consequences.”
The organisation is calling for engineering and technical expertise to be embedded in AI policymaking, alongside clear human accountability for consequential decisions.
According to Engineers Australia, 90 per cent of engineers believe AI will normally require human oversight. The submission also argues that AI systems cannot hold legal or professional responsibility for decisions.
Goerke said the infrastructure supporting AI also required engineering expertise.
“AI is not just a software challenge. Behind every AI system sits physical infrastructure, energy, water, communications networks, cyber security and people with the technical expertise to make those systems work safely and reliably,” he said.
“If Australia wants to capture the economic benefits of AI rather than simply consume technologies developed elsewhere, we need to invest in the engineering capability that underpins it.”
Engineers Australia has also proposed that the government consider establishing a National Chief Engineer role to provide independent technical advice on technology, digital transformation and major project delivery.
The organisation said workforce capability would be an important part of Australia’s AI development, alongside physical infrastructure.
“AI is changing engineering, but the evidence suggests it will augment engineers rather than replace them,” Goerke said.
“More than 70 per cent of engineers expect AI capability to become an essential professional skill, so our education and training systems need to evolve alongside the technology.”
“We cannot have a serious conversation about Australia’s AI future without having a serious conversation about the engineering workforce needed to deliver it.”
Engineers Australia is also seeking greater support for small and medium-sized businesses adopting AI, noting that only one in three practising engineers has received formal generative AI training.
