CAIDE investigates impact of AI on Rural SMEs in Australia
The Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE) has unveiled a new report written by PhD candidates and CAIDE affiliate researchers Susie Sheldrick and Joshua Rose, examining the impacts of the rise of AI and the digital economy on rural small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) and what effects policy and research across Australia might have.
The research finds that while substantial initiatives do exist in Australia to support SME AI capacity at both a state and federal level, these are insufficient to address the significant challenges associated with the digital divide for rural and remote SMEs. Drawing on qualitative research conducted by Susie on the subject in both Australia and North Sweden, it emphasises the importance of community integration and targeted upskilling, recommending further research into (and action on) workforce challenges, non-agricultural SMEs and the vulnerabilities produced by overreliance on foreign-owned digital platforms.
With further research ongoing, interested parties are encouraged to reach out to Susie at susie.sheldrick@gmail.com to participate further. Additionally, she is seeking people who own, manage, work for or work with regional SMEs to provide feedback on these recommendations - further details are on her graduate research page.
Read the full report via the button below: