To the Honourable President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled: Do not support construction of Large-Scale AI Data Centres
The humble Petition of the undersigned people of Australia respectfully shows that:
The undersigned do not support the construction, operation or expansion of large-scale AI data centres in Australia. We are concerned that there is insufficient transparency about the intended purpose, nature, capabilities and potential future uses of the artificial intelligence technologies these facilities are being built to support. We are also concerned about the significant demands these developments may place on Australia's water, electricity, land and critical infrastructure, and their impacts on the environment, agriculture, native wildlife, threatened species and local communities. Given the scale and potentially long-term impacts of these developments, your petitioners believe Australians should not be expected to accept large-scale AI data centres without clear information about their purpose and potential uses, full disclosure of their environmental impacts, and a genuine opportunity for the Australian people to have a say in whether this infrastructure and technology is wanted in Australia.
Your petitioners therefore pray that the Senate will:
· Support an immediate national moratorium on the approval and development of new large-scale AI data centres in Australia.
· Require transparency and appropriate safeguards for AI technologies supported by large-scale data centres, including protections against mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
· Require comprehensive and independent assessment of the water, energy, environmental, agricultural, infrastructure and community impacts of proposed large-scale AI data centres.
· Ensure that Australians are provided with clear and accessible information about these developments and are given a genuine opportunity to have a say on whether large-scale AI data centre infrastructure and the technologies it supports are wanted in Australia before further development proceeds.
Your petitioners further pray that the Australian Government recognise that the scale and potential long-term impacts of these developments warrant a precautionary approach and that the people of Australia should have a meaningful say in decisions that may permanently affect Australia's environment, resources, communities and future.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.