Australia is consuming AI at scale but building very little of it.
The systems shaping our work, data, and decisions are increasingly designed offshore, governed by foreign priorities, and optimised for global platforms rather than local needs.
So the real question isn’t whether AI will transform Australia.
It’s whether Australia will remain a customer or become a builder.
For the opening episode of Season 2, we sat down with Dave Lemphers, CEO of Maincode, to unpack what it actually takes to build AI capability in Australia beyond slogans like “sovereign AI” and beyond Big Tech dependency.
Recorded just ahead of Maincode’s public showcase at SXSW Sydney 2025, this conversation cuts through the noise and focuses on real trade-offs, constraints, and hard realities.
🎬 Watch the trailer below
The full episode drops next week.
