Yet youth input into critical tech policy debates remains limited.  The Tech Policy Youth Ambassadors program creates a mentored, professional pathway for young people to contribute directly to national and global tech policy conversations. Delivered by the Tech Policy Design Institute (TPDi) and supported by the LEGO Group. Applications close 9am March 16 – Apply Now

On 20 January in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called time on the fiction of a US-led rules-based international order. This article examines the implications that Carney’s honest dose of realism will have on technology and tech policy.

The undersea cable network is the invisible hero of the modern digital world, representing one of today’s most important pieces of global digital infrastructure. TPDi’s Beneath the Surface report imagines three possible 2045 futures to explore the long-term implications of today’s infrastructure decisions and how governments, industry and civil society can co-design a resilient digital ecosystem.  

TPDi set out to define the ambiguous concept of ‘AI sovereignty’ and take stock of Australia’s AI capability – to understand where our strengths lie, where dependencies exist, and what true autonomy looks like in a global AI landscape.

In this Tech Mirror mini-series, we unpack the harms the law seeks to prevent, trace how young people’s use of social media became a flashpoint in the lead-up to the 2025 Federal Election, and explain what the legislation actually means. We ask what will happen on 10 December, when the law comes into force, and explore what next to happen next as we demand more from tech companies and from our politicians.

The Map of Australian Tech Policy Stakeholders is visual and organisational tool demystifies the complex stakeholders across Australia’s tech policy ecosystem. The Map, complemented by an Index of Federal Government tech, digital and cyber responsibilities, empowers practitioners to navigate the Australian tech policy landscape effectively. The Map is accompanied by an Index of Australian Government Tech Policy Responsibilities.  

TPDi has bolstered its leadership, today announcing new independent board members and distinguished technical fellows.TPDi has bolstered its leadership, today announcing new independent board members and distinguished technical fellows.

As the Australian Parliament grapples with how to best respond to rapidly evolving technologies, the Parliamentary Friends of Tech Policy provides a valuable forum to discuss practical and evidence-based tech policy.   Marking the Groups establishment in the 48th Parliament, and supported by Tech Policy Design Institute, this week the Group hosted Tech Policy Shark Tank Ai Priorities For This Term at Parliament House.

On Wednesday 6 August, the Tech Policy Design Institute hosted Minister Ayres, policymakers, industry leaders, civil society, and technologists at Salesforce Tower, Sydney to celebrate the: Launch of TPDi’s Tech Policy Design Fund and Release of TPDi’s latest Tech Policy Spotlight, Tetris for Australia’s Future: Aligning Our National AI Priorities.

TPDi’s latest Tech Policy Spotlight, Tetris for Australia’s Future: Aligning Our National AI Priorities, calls for the Albanese Government to establish a Ministerial AI Taskforce to develop – and immediately execute – a National AI Strategy and Action Plan.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 is a loaded term, but an increasingly popular one. So what is it, who has it, and do you even want it? TPDi Deputy Director Zoe Jay Hawkins and colleagues Vili Lehdonvirta and Bóxī Wú (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford & Aalto University) have released new research answering these questions, which has been covered in the New York Times.

In the Tech Wars issue of Australian Foreign Affairs, TPDi Co-Founders, Johanna Weaver and Zoe Jay Hawkins, call for Australian leadership to help shape the evolving global order and the technologies that underpin it.

Tech Policy vibes were high at Parliament on 10 February.   TPDi was thrilled to host our third annual #TechFutures event in partnership with auDA – Australia’s domain name administrator – as the gala event of the Parliamentary Friends of Tech Policy.   TechFutures25 brought together politicians, officials, civil society advocates, industry, innovators, and scholars in Parliament House to debate the tech policy issues that will shape Australia’s next election.

The Taxonomy of Tech Policy Philosophies identifies and defines 15 distinct tech policy philosophies. By delineating core philosophies, the Taxonomy equips practitioners to identify their tech policy allies, understand sources of disagreement, and discover opportunities for collaboration. 

Unveiled today, the Tech Policy Design Institute (TPDi), is Australia’s first independent think tank dedicated to technology policy, marking a pivotal step forward for Australia’s tech landscape.

This landmark initiative unveils Australia’s first telecommunications sector resilience profile, a world-first report from The Australian National University (ANU) Tech Policy Design Centre (TPDC).

As governments around the world grapple with how to govern AI, the physical location of the digital infrastructure that underpins this new foundational technology becomes increasingly important. TPDC Head of Policy has co-authored a new academic journal article mapping the location of AI compute around the world. This research is the first audit of its kind and has been covered by TIME Magazine.

In August, the Tech Policy Design Centre launched its much awaited Foundations of Tech Policy course at the beautiful Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.   This interdisciplinary course focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of tech policy design and practice, including a methodological framework and guiding principles for best-practice policy design and deep dives into contemporary technologies and tech policy issues. 

We call on political candidates to sign up to a Pledge for Digital Transparency in Campaigning (DigiTIC), committing to: use content credentials on whatever services they are available; and add a visible disclaimer where GenAI is used to deceptively fake or alter the appearance, voice, or actions of political candidates, election officials, and other key stakeholders in a democratic election

The Tech Policy Design Centre hosted Audrey Tang, former Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan in Canberra. Their insights sparked engaging conversations about how AI can be a force for democratic good—drawing on Taiwan’s experience—how governments can listen more deeply to their citizens through technology, and why embracing diversity—the concept of plurality—is crucial for a thriving society.