Sovereign by Design: Ethics and Governance for Australia's National Health AI Infrastructure

The ARDC is building national-scale infrastructure to provide health researchers & practitioners with access to AI tools, training, data assets, and trusted analytics environments. Led by QUT's Centre for Data Science in partnership with UTS and Curtin University, this presentation focuses on deliverables including the governance and ethical frameworks for responsible AI application in health research and delivery, including guidelines aligned with both the FAIR data principles and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance, and socio-technical resources for users navigating algorithmic bias, data privacy, and consent in clinical AI contexts. Dr Hyland-Wood addresses technology and data sovereignty considerations, ensuring Australia's health research infrastructure maintains sovereign control over sensitive data and AI systems, particularly as global dependencies on offshore platforms and proprietary models intensify. The talk will address what challenges remain in operationalising AI at scale. Audience discussion welcomed.