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NSW Govt Joked About Skynet Before OpenAI Sydney Deal
3 Jul
Summary
- Staffers joked about an AI Skynet scenario within five years.
- NSW government courted OpenAI for its Sydney office intensely.
- Datacentre emissions could be five times greater than vehicles.
Emails reveal that staff within the office of NSW Technology Minister Anoulack Chanthivong expressed lighthearted apprehension about OpenAI's Sydney presence, referencing a potential 'Skynet situation' within five years, reminiscent of the Terminator franchise. This occurred despite the NSW government's concerted efforts to attract OpenAI's first Australian office, which officially opened in December last year.
Discussions within the minister's office involved toning down initial enthusiastic statements about welcoming OpenAI. However, documents also highlight the government's proactive engagement, including meetings where Sydney was promoted as a leading startup hub with significant venture capital and a strong AI ecosystem, hosting 45% of Australia's AI businesses.
The NSW government is developing a strategy for datacentre development to support the AI sector, acknowledging growing community concerns. Modeling from the NSW Environmental Protection Authority indicated that widespread datacentre generator use during power outages could lead to air pollution loads five to six times greater than that of all motor vehicles in NSW.
Industry representatives argue that such worst-case scenarios are extremely rare, with backup generators primarily used for testing. Nevertheless, the chair of the state's datacentres inquiry has raised concerns that current air impact assessments are insufficient and that increased datacentre demand could strain the power grid, potentially leading to blackouts and increased reliance on diesel generators.
