Australia Emerges as AI Compute Powerhouse
Australia's strategic investments in hyperscale data centers and AI education signal a broader trend of nations positioning themselves as critical hubs in the global AI infrastructure race. This shift not only enhances the country's capabilities in AI deployment but also aligns with national objectives for tech-driven economic growth. Stakeholders in education and energy sectors must adapt to support this evolving landscape, while traditional power dynamics in the region may face disruption.
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Australia’s expanding data-centre footprint seen as critical to its National AI Plan
A commentary from Australian law firm Johnson Winter Slattery argues that rapid growth in data centres, driven by AI and cloud demand, is central to enabling Australia’s National AI Plan and ambitions to become an APAC data‑centre leader. The piece highlights mounting tensions between energy supply, emissions targets and the power‑hungry nature of AI workloads, calling for regulatory and energy‑market reforms to support sustainable AI infrastructure growth.
La Trobe University and OpenAI plan large‑scale rollout of ChatGPT Edu and AI‑embedded degrees
Melbourne’s La Trobe University announced an expanded collaboration with OpenAI that will provide free ChatGPT Edu access to all students and staff, starting with 5,000 licenses in 2026 and scaling to 40,000 by 2027. The partnership will embed OpenAI tools—including Codex and AgentKit—into engineering and business courses, support what La Trobe calls Australia’s first AI‑embedded MBA, and align with the country’s National AI Plan alongside existing investments like an NVIDIA DGX H200 supercomputer.
Australia’s NEXTDC signs deal with OpenAI to build hyperscale AI campus and GPU supercluster in Sydney
Australian data center operator NEXTDC has signed a deal with OpenAI to co-develop and operate a hyperscale AI campus and GPU supercluster at its planned S7 site in Eastern Creek, Sydney. The project will make OpenAI an anchor tenant in what is expected to be the largest data center in the Southern Hemisphere, underscoring the escalating global race to secure AI compute capacity and positioning Australia as a significant regional hub for advanced AI workloads. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-nextdc-signs-deal-with-openai-build-hyperscale-ai-campus-gpu-2025-12-04/))