Capability 1.1.3.2.2

Public Sector & Public Interest Edge Inferencing Compute Deployments

Definition

Compute resources positioned close to end users/citizens enabling real-time AI decision-making for infrastructure, emergency management, or IoT sensor networks.

Examples

Smart city platforms, transport or energy system monitoring, public health sensor networks.

Indicators

Number of active public edge sites
Coverage (urban/rural)
Volume of inferencing operations (per second)

National AI Plan

PLAN COMMITMENT

Limited commitment

See comment at 1.1.3.2.1 (Public Sector & Public Interest Inferencing Compute Clusters). There is no indication that GovAI infrastructure will include edge inferencing, therefore commitment is assessed to be limited. Given the high public interest in fostering this capability, and its leverage potential given global scarcity, review of the government's current commitment is recommended.

Stocktake

State of the Sector: Australian IT Modernisation and Cloud 2025. Public Sector Network. 17 March 2025. https://publicsectornetwork.com/insight/state-of-the-sector-australian-it-modernisation-and-cloud-2025
Mitigation Strategies for Edge Devices: Practitioner Guidance. Australian Signals Directorate. 4 February 2025. https://www.cyber.gov.au/business-government/protecting-devices-systems/hardening-systems-applications/network-hardening/securing-edge-devices/mitigation-strategies-for-edge-devices-practitioner-guidance

Is the Stocktake missing evidence?

Share additional information for potential future Assessments