AU chips in on AI

By the Orchestra editors · 4 min read

TL;DR

Australia breaks ground on its first chip packaging plant, one of only a dozen worldwide
Canberra floats forcing big tech to share compute with local startups
EU orders Google to open Android and Search to rival AI assistants
Linus Torvalds tells AI-in-Linux critics to fork off

Australian Tech

Construction starts on Australia's first chip packaging facility

Work has begun on a semiconductor advanced packaging plant in NSW, one of only about a dozen such facilities globally. It gives Australia a rare foothold in the chip supply chain and could support local AI hardware ambitions.

Government may force AI giants to share compute with AU startups

Innovation minister Tim Ayres confirmed that legislated AI standards, expected next year, could require big tech companies to guarantee compute access for local startups. It would be a world-first scheme if enacted.

Treasury did zero modelling on how CGT changes affect startups

An FOI request revealed Treasury holds no documents showing any impact modelling on startups was done before the budget's capital gains tax overhaul, raising questions about how rushed the policy was.

AI · Worldwide

EU orders Google to open Android and Search to AI rivals

The European Commission is forcing Google to share search data with competitors and let rival AI assistants onto Android. Google has until early-to-mid 2027 to comply, and the ruling could reshape how Gemini competes globally.

Torvalds to AI coding critics: fork it or walk away

Linus Torvalds pushed back firmly against calls to ban AI-assisted code contributions to Linux, saying he'll "very loudly ignore" the argument. Worth noting for any AU teams contributing upstream.