AGP Executive Report

AI and Cybersecurity: Australian agencies warn AI-enabled cyber threats are rising, with critical infrastructure increasingly exposed. Smarter Roads: An Australian trial used AI to detect more than 300 road defects, showing how the technology could help councils find damage earlier. Data and Energy: Data-centre construction reached $18 billion as power demand mounts; the Smart Energy Council warns the boom could add $40 billion to electricity costs. Australia also added more battery storage in the first half of 2026 than in all of 2025. Quantum Research: Australian researchers have developed a simpler quantum-sensor design, with potential uses across medicine and technology. Critical Minerals: A new industry report urges Australia to add bauxite, alumina and aluminium to its Critical Minerals List, aligning policy with key allies and supporting a major domestic supply chain. Health Research: A landmark report warns workplace-related lung scarring could kill nearly 1,000 Australians a year by 2030 without a national response.

AI on the Roads: An RMIT–RACV trial detected more than 300 road defects across 1,000km in Victoria, using AI-equipped roadside-assistance vans to spot potholes and cracking. Cybersecurity: ASD reports more than 4,400 incidents of potential malicious activity in 2025–26, nearly 80% above the previous year, as AI helps attackers scale up. Device Reuse: Major telcos have signed a voluntary charter to refurbish and donate surplus devices to people facing digital exclusion. Sunscreen Safety: The TGA plans tougher SPF testing after consumer checks found 16 of 20 popular sunscreens failed to meet their advertised protection. Health Research: Macquarie University researchers have secured more than $4 million for projects exploring early MND detection, disease progression and potential treatments. Data Centre Expansion: AirTrunk secured a $4.25 billion loan for its Sydney expansion as the Smart Energy Council warned Australia’s data-centre boom could add $40 billion to power costs.

Cybersecurity: Australia’s Signals Directorate handled more than 1,500 cyber incidents in 2025–26, up 20%, as AI helps attackers find and exploit weaknesses faster. Children and AI: An eSafety survey found 78% of Australian children aged 10–17 had used chatbots; researchers warn of risks including harmful content and emotional manipulation as Parliament considers a digital duty of care. Health research: A landmark melanoma vaccine trial has reported fewer deaths, advancing a breakthrough developed in Australia. Digital competition: An Australian court has ordered Apple to allow rival app stores on iPhones by 2027. Clean energy: A 70-megawatt solar project in South Australia will use 5B’s folding-panel technology.

Social Media Accountability: MinterEllison has filed a class action against Meta, alleging Facebook and Instagram’s design and content harmed users while they were under 18. The firm is seeking compensation. Pacific Connectivity: Australia and Papua New Guinea have agreed to deepen cooperation on telecommunications, cybersecurity, online safety and emerging technologies. App Store Competition: An Australian court has ordered Apple to open the iPhone to rival app stores, with Fortnite returning to the local App Store after the ruling. Algorithmic Oversight: The Commonwealth Ombudsman says the aged-care assessment system has produced unfair outcomes and should allow human overrides. Research to Reuse: A Curtin University-led team has launched a toolkit to help Western Australian food businesses measure waste and assess ways to turn it into useful products.

Digital Competition: Australia’s top court has ordered Apple to allow rival iPhone app stores, and Fortnite has returned to the Australian App Store — a major win for digital competition. AI Accountability: WA is seeking a refund of the $166,000 it paid Deloitte for a university-merger report containing fabricated AI-generated references and a $260 million cost error. Energy Security: Oil prices above US$100 a barrel could unlock trillions in global renewable investment; Australian options include hydrogen trucks, battery swapping, solar and waste-to-energy projects. Screens in Schools: Federal Education Minister Jason Clare will discuss a school “digital detox” with state counterparts. Research suggests moderate classroom device use can support science learning, while excessive use and distraction are linked to poorer results. Medical Research: Australia has developed a world-first melanoma vaccine, a major step for the country’s cancer research sector.

Cancer Research: Australian hospitals plan to recruit 480 patients for a trial testing whether a telehealth “Surgery School” before major cancer operations can reduce lung complications. The published protocol outlines the study; results are not yet available. Hospital Safety: A review of 13 studies finds operating-room infection control depends on team culture, organisational support, training and the practical challenges of protective gear — not just individual knowledge. Police Technology: WA’s new Drone as First Responder program will dispatch aircraft from remote docks in seconds to give officers in Baldivis, Kwinana and Rockingham a live view of emergencies. Wildlife Science: Griffith University researchers used drone images to measure 865 humpback whales, finding eastern Australian calves grow rapidly and reach about 90% of adult length by age six or seven. Electric Vehicles: Australia’s used EV market is expanding, with more than 11,000 battery-electric vehicles listed on Carsales and roughly 6,500 marked used or demo. Research at Risk: Wildfires in Indonesia are threatening ancient Sulawesi cave art, including paintings dated to at least 67,800 years old; Griffith researchers helped date some of the works.

Sovereign Technology: Ocius has opened a Sydney production and operations hub to build 40 Bluebottle uncrewed vessels, backed by $176 million in government funding. Digital Competition: Apple must allow rival app stores in Australia after a landmark court ruling; Fortnite has returned to iPhones. Clean Energy: An Australian delegation is exploring partnerships in India across batteries, solar, hydrogen and other technologies. Health Research: A tablet-based augmented-reality assessment, tested in Australia and two other countries, identified mild cognitive impairment with high accuracy in under 15 minutes. AI Infrastructure: Data-centre operator NextDC faces delays to a major Melbourne project after power-upgrade plans stalled.

Digital Safety: Australia and Indonesia are coordinating rules to protect children online, while Australia’s science minister is preparing government-wide measures on smart glasses misuse. App Store Shake-up: Apple must allow rival iPhone app stores in Australia by 2027 after a court ruling; Fortnite has since returned to the Australian App Store. AI Infrastructure: NextDC shares plunged after delays to its Melbourne data centre raised questions about power supply and the pace of Australia’s AI ambitions. Homegrown Tech: A 19-year-old farmer’s son has raised $1.2 million to expand a drone system that moves cattle. Health Research: Australian researchers say they have developed a world-first melanoma vaccine, while another Australian-led breakthrough is advancing cancer vaccine research. Clean Energy: Solar innovator 5B has secured a 70-megawatt order, with potential to grow to 2 gigawatts.

Digital Competition: Australia’s top court has ordered Apple to overhaul App Store rules by 2027, clearing the way for rival iPhone app stores. Fortnite has already returned to Australian iPhones after the ruling. Cybersecurity: A critical PHP software flaw, identified with help from AI, triggered urgent fixes and forced some Australian government websites offline. Health Research: Australia is advancing a world-first melanoma vaccine, while Brisbane-based AdvanCell reported encouraging longer-term results from an early trial of its targeted prostate cancer therapy. Biosecurity: Work has begun on a major upgrade to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong, strengthening capacity to detect and respond to disease threats. AI and Farming: A 19-year-old Australian founder raised $1.2 million to expand a system that uses autonomous drones to move cattle and monitor farm conditions. Energy Storage: Alinta has abandoned its planned 900MW Oven Mountain pumped-hydro project, while Snowy 2.0’s cost estimate has risen again, sharpening questions about the price and pace of Australia’s storage build-out. Space Science: University of Sydney researchers helped identify the oldest known fast radio burst, emitted when the universe was about three billion years old.

Australian Space: Canberra has made a “final bid” for a seat on a 2028 space mission for astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg. The offer’s size is undisclosed; critics say the mission may cost about $100 million. App Store Shake-up: Apple must allow third-party app stores in Australia by March 2027, following a Federal Court ruling in its long-running competition case with Epic Games. Cybersecurity: Critical PHP flaws have disrupted Australian government websites, prompting agencies and businesses to take sites offline as they assess the risk. Cancer Research: An Australian-led melanoma vaccine trial reported a 42% lower risk of recurrence or death, offering fresh hope for patients. Space Technology: Saab has launched a South Australia-developed system to track objects in space and help plan satellite missions. Critical Minerals: Queensland has opened an Australian-first facility in Townsville where companies can test mineral-processing methods, starting with vanadium for battery use.

Cybersecurity: Critical PHP flaws triggered urgent patching and temporary shutdowns, including across Australian government websites. The incident shows how a vulnerability in widely used software can quickly disrupt essential services. Platform regulation: Meta faces a class action in Australia over alleged harm to children, as the government prepares legal action against social media platforms over age checks. AI infrastructure: NEXTDC shares plunged 42% after power delays stalled a Melbourne data-centre expansion. Local opposition to new power infrastructure has become a warning for Australia’s fast-growing AI industry. Clean energy: Australian solar firm 5B secured a 70-megawatt order, with potential to reach 2 gigawatts, while Rio Tinto and Rondo began designing a 360-megawatt-hour thermal battery for an alumina refinery. Health research: A Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre study found a new PET/CT scanner produced diagnostic-quality images in scans as short as one minute. Separately, Australian researchers identified a possible body-clock-linked depression subtype affecting about one in four people with depression.

Child Safety: Meta faces an Australian class action alleging Facebook and Instagram were designed to encourage addictive use and expose children to harmful content. Cybersecurity: A critical PHP flaw has triggered millions of exploitation attempts worldwide; Australian businesses and government agencies, including a government cybersecurity site, were affected as organisations rushed to patch or take sites offline. Surveillance: WA police facial-recognition cameras scanned more than 905,000 faces in three months, generating 209 alerts. Researchers warn the reported error rate may mislead the public about the technology’s accuracy. Digital Infrastructure: Australia and Papua New Guinea signed a partnership to improve connectivity, cybersecurity and digital services. Separately, NBN Co has begun expanding fibre access to about 19,000 Victorian premises. Health Research: A University of Sydney-led study identified a depression subtype linked to disrupted body clocks, affecting about a quarter of participants with severe or persistent depression and potentially responding to sleep- and light-based treatments.

Cybersecurity: A newly exposed flaw in PHP, uncovered with AI tools, forced government websites offline worldwide; Australia’s cyber.gov.au was among the affected services. Operators are urged to install the urgent fixes as hackers target unpatched systems. Data-centre crunch: NextDC shares plunged 42% after a Melbourne power-grid delay pushed back $140 million in contracted revenue. The company has paused new developments, spotlighting the electricity constraints facing Australia’s AI ambitions. Semiconductors: A new industry roadmap says Australia’s chip sector could triple output by 2040, but calls for stronger government backing to build local capability and reduce reliance on overseas supply. AI for business: A Tech Council of Australia report estimates broader AI use could add $93 billion to the economy, with small businesses potentially gaining $136,000 in annual productivity; only one in four currently uses AI. Bushfire preparedness: Fires could cost Australia $6 billion a year as the climate warms, modelling finds. Investment in early detection, resilient homes and firefighting technology could significantly reduce losses.

AI Infrastructure: NEXTDC shares plunged more than 40% after community opposition stalled power upgrades for its Melbourne data centre, forcing the operator to cut its FY27 outlook and raising questions about the electricity needed for Australia’s AI boom. Senator David Pocock proposed a 5% levy on data-centre revenue. Online Safety: Australia is preparing to sue Meta, TikTok and other platforms over alleged failures to enforce its under-16 social media ban. AI and Security: AFP officials told a parliamentary inquiry that AI can help radicalise or manipulate people online in days, rather than months or years. Health Research: Australian researchers identified a body-clock-linked depression subtype, a finding that could help tailor treatment. Industrial Energy: Rondo Energy and Rio Tinto began designing a large thermal-storage project for an alumina refinery, using “hot bricks” to help replace fossil-fuel heat.

Cybersecurity: AI agents were used to probe more than 1,200 websites and breach sites belonging to over 100 companies, including Deere and Cummins. Online Safety: Australia plans legal action against Meta, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms over alleged failures to enforce the under-16 social media ban. Energy Tech: A $5.35 million trial will test whether up to 130 electric fleet vehicles can feed power back to the grid and help meet peak demand. Defence Tech: Australia has revealed new payload work for its Ghost Shark underwater drone and other uncrewed vessels, expanding options for surveillance and strike missions. Marine Science: Cairns’ seagrass beds have recovered from storm damage, but research finds the fish community has changed; separate lab tests suggest healthy coral can help bleached clones regain colour within weeks. Agriculture Research: A Western Australian project is developing faster, lower-cost breeding methods for wheat and barley.

Online Safety: Australia plans to sue Facebook, TikTok and other platforms over alleged failures to enforce its under-16 social media ban. Separately, eSafety says AI “nudify” apps are downloaded more than 200,000 times a month in Australia, raising fears of deepfake abuse targeting children. AI & Cybersecurity: ASIC warns AI is fuelling more sophisticated scams, while researchers report an AI-assisted hacker breached more than 100 companies. Energy Storage: Akaysha Energy secured A$1.75 billion in financing to expand its Australian battery portfolio, as South Australia advanced almost 13GW of solar and wind projects. Australian Research: ANU received A$8.1 million to develop materials and critical-resource research; Australian researchers also reported a new approach to targeting gene fusions in cancer. Defence Technology: Australia unveiled new payloads for its Ghost Shark and Speartooth autonomous underwater vehicles, including aerial drones and sea mines.