The Australian Government is protecting the country’s borders and keeping local communities safe by redirecting the proceeds of crime towards AI projects. 

Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews revealed that the $8.9 million in funding taken from criminals will be used to fund the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) to better use AI to detect and prevent crime. 

“The Australian Government is turning the tables on criminals – directing their ill-gotten gains towards investments in new technologies and methods to further combat their illegal activities to keep drugs off our streets and protect our community,” Minister Andrews said. 

The funding is expected to develop the AFP’s capability of harnessing AI to automatically classify distressing material, characterise criminal communications and behaviour including on the dark web, and rapidly process and interpret large amounts of data. 

“It is important that we continue to harness emerging technologies to help our agencies stay ahead of criminal networks,” Minister Andrews said. 

The AI projects are funded through the Proceeds of Crime Confiscated Assets Account and will help monitor concealments at the border and improve community safety through the following: 

• $4.5 million for the joint ABF, Department of Home Affairs and Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment’s AI-enhanced Border Risk Identification project to improve the ABF’s ability to detect attempts to smuggle drugs and weapons into Australia through the international mail system. 
• $4.4 million will expand and enhance the joint AFP and Monash University Artificial Intelligence for Law Enforcement and Community Safety Lab based in Clayton, Victoria. 

Since 2013, the Coalition has provided funding of more than $209 million under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, to Commonwealth law enforcement agencies to support key crime prevention and law enforcement initiatives.  

Under the Coalition, funding to the Australian Federal Police has also increased to over $1.7 billion. Only the Australian Government can ensure strong support for our law enforcement agencies to keep Australians safe. 

Source: Minister for Home Affairs Media Release

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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