Victoria has released a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission Statement, setting out a clear framework to accelerate AI investment, adoption and capability development across the state.
The Statement outlines how Victoria is positioning itself as a national leader in trusted, ethical AI—creating the conditions for innovation, productivity growth and long-term economic value for investors.
AI is expected to contribute up to $30 billion to Victoria’s Gross State Product (GSP) over the next decade.
The AI Mission Statement provides a coordinated approach to AI development across six priority areas critical to investors:
- Investment attraction and adoption
- Data centres and digital infrastructure
- Local innovation, products and services
- Talent and workforce development
- Ethical AI use
- Public sector adoption
Together, these pillars aim to reduce investment risk, support scalable deployment of AI technologies and strengthen Victoria’s competitive position in global digital markets.
A key component of Victoria’s AI strategy is the $5.5 million Sustainable Data Centre Action Plan, designed to unlock up to $25 billion in private sector data centre investment.
To support long-term growth, Victoria is investing $8.1 million in the Digital Jobs – AI Career Conversion program, aimed at upskilling workers from adjacent industries into AI-related roles.
Melbourne is already home to 188 AI companies and around 22% of Australia’s clustered AI firms, the largest concentration nationally.
Victoria is also emerging as a leading market for large-scale digital infrastructure. Recent announcements include a $2 billion digital campus at Fishermans Bend by NEXTDC, supporting AI, advanced research, defence technology and next-generation digital services.
The AI Mission Statement aligns with Victoria’s broader economic growth strategy, reinforcing the state’s focus on high-value sectors such as digital technologies, advanced manufacturing and innovation-led services.
Why it matters for investors
Victoria offers a compelling AI investment proposition:
- Scale in digital infrastructure and data centres
- A deep and growing AI talent pool
- A strong cluster of AI companies and research capability
- Clear frameworks supporting responsible, trusted AI deployment
Together, these factors position Victoria as a stable, competitive location for AI-enabled investment across data infrastructure, enterprise AI, applied research and digital services.
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