David Wroe
Canberra
Resident snr fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute;
Head of ASPI's AI & Security Program
www.aspi.org.au
tsd.aspi.org.au/
@ASPI_org
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Articles by David Wroe
AI is going to change everything. Australia should help steer that change
If there’s one thing we hope attendees take away from ASPI’s Sydney Dialogue AI Masterclass, it’s to reflect on whether we’re prepared for artificial intelligence that is smarter than us. That, after all, is what people at the frontier anticipate within the next few years. If they’re right – and bear in mind, we believe in them enough to capitalise their companies at a trillion dollars or more – then humanity is about to cross a threshold like none we’ve crossed before.
AI, rogue AI agents, OpenAI
AIArtificial Altruism: Why Rogue AIs Helped Each Other, Not Humans Published 5 September 2026 In late July, OpenAI agents – extensions of large language models that can take actions in the digital world – broke out, hacked the online library Hugging Face and even took over parts of OpenAI’s own internal infrastructure.
Artificial altruism: why rogue AIs helped each other, not humans
Count on the AI crowd to have a full-blown culture war over the idea of anthropomorphism. True, many AI researchers and commentators are deep in the weeds of its philosophical implications. But confirmed stereotypes aside, the past week has brought revelations that should make leaders everywhere stop what they’re doing, sit up and take notice.
Marles puts Australia on frontline of U.S. AI development for China war
The proliferation of data centres will greatly assist in the promotion of interstate economic warfare and ultimately actual warfare against the rival economic power of China, writes Dr William Briggs. DEFENCE MINISTER Richard Marles has again declared that "we’re with the United States – there’s no question there." No, Mr Marles, there certainly is not.
The world needs to take the AI bull by the horns – and fast | The Strategist
Earth, we have a problem. Artificial intelligence is the world’s biggest, maddest bull in the world’s most overstocked and poorly organised china shop. Global coordination to harness this rampaging beast has never been more urgent, and yet it’s never looked harder. We need to make it happen – starting today.
To win the AI rush, Australia needs expert humans
Artificial intelligence leaders think the technology might get smart enough to improve itself without human help within a year. But they’re not sure. They’re confident AI will be able to match virtually any human skill, but they can’t agree whether that will happen by 2028 or 2035. The tempo of technical breakthroughs is downright disorientating. And the world’s leading economists can’t agree whether AI is a jobs killer or a generator of unprecedented new demand—or both.
Spreading AI widely is right. Spreading it recklessly is a gamble
American gun rights advocates are fond of saying that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, meaning more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens will make society safer. That’s fine if your priority is people’s right to protect themselves using lethal force, but it’s an ideological principle, not an evidence-based harm reduction policy – as gun death statistics show.
AI, AI governance, rogue AI
AI SCAREAn AI Busted Out and Ran Amok. We Should Be Scared Published 27 July 2026 Top AI company OpenAI has frightened the heck out of everyone. It announced that its top models, while being tested in a digital cage on their cyber skills, had broken out of the cage, got onto the internet, broken into another AI company’s systems and stolen tools to pass the tests in an ‘unprecedented’ attack. Top AI company OpenAI has just frightened the heck out of everyone.
An AI busted out and ran amok. We should be scared
Top AI company OpenAI has just frightened the heck out of everyone. It announced that its top models, while being tested in a digital cage on their cyber skills, had broken out of the cage, got onto the internet, broken into another AI company’s systems and stolen tools to pass the tests in an ‘unprecedented’ attack. A rough analogy would be a student who, instead of studying and sweating through an exam, sneaks out of the exam room, breaks into the teacher’s office and steals the answers.
As Australia prepares for the AI future, its plan for sovereign capability is unclear
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first major speech on artificial intelligence on Wednesday emphatically, if belatedly, elevated AI to where it belongs as a national priority. In particular, he made the crucial declaration that the government is serious about bringing frontier AI investment to Australia, indicating it was our best path to sovereignty and economic resilience. This means building data centres for training the latest models such as Claude, GPT and Gemini.
As Trump restricts frontier AI, Australia needs options
The Trump administration and AI giant Anthropic are at it again. In the latest stoush, the administration claims that security risks in the company’s new models have forced Washington to apply export controls, banning their use by foreigners. This should worry Australia because it points to a trend that has been building for months.
AI, AI governance, AI regulation, Trump
AINot Regulation. Not Even Oversight. Trump’s AI Order Won’t Be Enough Published 3 June 2026 After a bruising tussle inside his administration, President Donald Trump has gone for a decidedly non-committal approach to AI safety and security that’s unlikely to survive sustained contact with reality.
Not regulation. Not even oversight. Trump’s AI order won’t be enough
After a bruising tussle inside his administration, President Donald Trump has gone for a decidedly non-committal approach to AI safety and security that’s unlikely to survive sustained contact with reality. He issued an executive order on 2 June asking artificial intelligence companies to share their most powerful new models voluntarily with the government for up to 30 days before they are released more widely. Officials had been debating this vigorously for months. The order won’t be enough.
After Mythos - Openforum
The lesson of Anthropic’s new Claude Mythos AI model, with potent hacking capabilities, is becoming clear: in the era of increasingly powerful AI, national security priorities will prevail. Countries like Australia can’t assume they’ll always have access to these models – so they should start to plan accordingly.
After Mythos, Australia should prepare to battle for access to frontier AI
The lesson of Anthropic’s new Claude Mythos AI model, with potent hacking capabilities, is becoming clear: in the era of increasingly powerful AI, national security priorities will prevail. Countries like Australia can’t assume they’ll always have access to these models – so they should start to plan accordingly.
Japan and Australia are perfect partners in the world of AI
AI is the most consequential technology we will ever create. The visit by Japan’s pro-industry Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Australia this week was a chance to bind our efforts with those of a natural friend in a field that will determine which countries carve out secure and prosperous futures and which limp into this new age.
Australia’s AI moment requires a copyright compromise
I’ve just finished reading a fantasy novel written entirely by an AI. The Second Son of the House of Bells is the story of a young bellmaker whose keen musical ear makes him an agent of political revolution in a world in which legal transactions, and hence power, are mediated through song. Like much about AI in 2026, the novel was imperfect but a big improvement on the technology from even a year ago and a harbinger of things to come.
Modernizing life-saving workloads with AWS serverless
Amazon Web Services (AWS) partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)—formerly known as Be The Match® and rebranded to NMDP℠ in early 2024 – to modernize their mission-critical bone marrow matching system, transforming it from traditional on-premises infrastructure to a cloud-native serverless architecture.
Pentagon–Anthropic brawl demands rethink of AI industry | The Strategist
Imagine we found a way to build gods—or demons. Would we want private companies to have sole responsibility and control over the almighty? Imagine the workload on their legal teams. Fine, they’re dramatic questions, but they’re pressing ones after the past week’s blow-up between the Pentagon and artificial intelligence company Anthropic, which ended in severe penalties for the AI lab.
Assessing the child social media ban - Openforum
Recent commentary has cast Australia’s effort at reducing under-16s’ use of social media as a technical policy stumble, a flawed experiment in age assurance and enforcement. That lens risks being too narrow. Yes, age verification is complex. Platform architectures vary. Circumvention is possible. These are genuine implementation issues. But the reform was never about building a hermetically sealed digital perimeter.
Australia’s under-16s social media reform deserves refinement—not dismissal | The Strategist
Recent commentary has cast Australia’s effort at reducing under-16s’ use of social media as a technical policy stumble, a flawed experiment in age assurance and enforcement. That lens risks being too narrow. Yes, age verification is complex. Platform architectures vary. Circumvention is possible. These are genuine implementation issues. But the reform was never about building a hermetically sealed digital perimeter.
Bondi terror: sometimes we just need to pause and reflect
What do you say at a moment like this? Even to a skilled wielder of words, almost everything is inadequate, which is why well-meaning politicians tend to flail about in great cobwebs of cliches. How much should we try to capture only the pure humanity? How much should we bring in politics? When do the two meet and overlap, and when should they be kept carefully apart?
The end of work - or society? - Openforum
Artificial intelligence and its ability to perform intellectual tasks previously the preserve of humans are improving at a stunning rate, and yet we are complacent or politically paralysed in the face of this transformation. The likelihood of a massive, maybe permanent, disruption to the job market, and the social and political chaos that would likely follow, is such that all countries need to start considering options for new economic models, social contracts and valuations of human activity.
Politics must reckon with the looming end of work under AI
Artificial intelligence and its ability to perform intellectual tasks previously the preserve of humans are improving at a stunning rate, and yet we are complacent or politically paralysed in the face of this transformation. The likelihood of a massive, maybe permanent, disruption to the job market, and the social and political chaos that would likely follow, is such that all countries need to start considering options for new economic models, social contracts and valuations of human activity.
Greenland’s strategic weight surges amid US, China, Russia jostling
Greenland, an often-overlooked expanse of ice and rock, is quickly becoming a focal point of strategic competition among the United States, China, and Russia. Speaking on ASPI’s Stop the World, Elizabeth Buchanan — an Arctic specialist and author of a new book, So You Want to Own Greenland? — says that US President Donald Trump’s talk of ‘buying’ Greenland is not a whimsical provocation, but the latest in a centuries-old struggle over control of the world’s largest island.
Greenland’s Strategic Weight Surges Amid US, China, Russia Jostling
Greenland, an often-overlooked expanse of ice and rock, is fast becoming a focal point of strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia. Speaking on ASPI’s Stop the World, Elizabeth Buchanan—an Arctic specialist and author of a new book, So You Want to Own Greenland?—says that U.S. President Donald Trump’s talk of ‘buying’ Greenland is not a whimsical provocation, but the latest in a centuries-old struggle over control of the world’s largest island.
Greenland’s Strategic Weight Surges Amid US, China, Russia Jostling
Greenland’s Strategic Weight Surges Amid US, China, Russia Jostling Greenland, an often-overlooked expanse of ice and rock, is fast becoming a focal point of strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia. Read Full Article »
Stop the World: Armies Key to Indo-Pacific Deterrence, Says Former U.S. General
Armies hold the key to credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific because they form the backbone of regional security networks and are harder for China to neutralise, according to a former commanding general of the US Army Pacific. And for those worried about US reliability—be that in hard power or willpower—his message is clear: don’t be.
Stop the World: Exiled Belarusian democracy leader urges Trump to help free political prisoners, pressure dictator Lukashenko
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has urged US President Donald Trump to use his influence—including through further sanctions pressure—to help free more than 1,200 political prisoners held by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, branding it ‘true moral leadership’. Speaking with ASPI’s Stop the World podcast, Tsikhanouskaya credited Trump with helping secure the release of her husband, Sergei, in June after five years in prison, mostly in solitary confinement.
Sport Must Stand Up. Sport Must Lead. Sport Must Include Everyone.
I have been proud to represent Aotearoa New Zealand on the world stage, first as a Silver Fern, then as a Black Fern. I know the power of sport to bring people together. I know its ability to inspire. But I also know what it feels like to be excluded and to feel like you do not belong. That is why the government’s decision to scrap Sport New Zealand’s transgender inclusion guidelines for community sport is so deeply disappointing. This is not leadership. This is exclusion by neglect.
Stop the World: Democracy in the age of disinformation, with Audrey Tang
Skip to main navigation Skip to content Skip to sidebar Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site news Stop the World: Democracy in the age of disinformation, with Audrey Tang Stop the World: Democracy in the age of disinformation, with Audrey Tang Audrey Tang is the unflappable Jedi knight of technology and democracy, who can connect with different political perspectives.
A letter to America - Openforum
Donald Trump’s philosophy about the United States’ place in the world is historically selfish and will impoverish his country’s spirit.
Misleading Billboards Are a Threat to Electoral Integrity
The appearance of billboards targeting Green Party MP Tamatha Paul raises concerns about electoral integrity and public trust. These billboards, designed and put up by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, mimic the campaign materials used by Tamatha Paul during her successful bid for Wellington Central in 2023, even copying her portrait. This striking similarity risks misleading voters into believing these advertisements are genuine Green Party campaign hoardings.
A letter to America from an appreciative ally
Donald Trump’s philosophy about the United States’ place in the world is historically selfish and will impoverish his country’s spirit.
If Trump’s US abandons liberal idealism, others must pick up the baton
Donald Trump’s description of himself during last week’s excruciating Oval Office meeting as a ‘mediator’ between Russia and Ukraine was revealing even by the standards of the past six weeks. It showed an indifference to who the goodies and the baddies are; who is responsible for a three-year war, who shares traditional US values; who is democratic; who is a war criminal.
Tech and Trust: Safeguarding AI for Economic and Security Progress
As nations begin to leverage AI to fuel economic, cultural, and security advantages, understanding its usages and establishing safeguards for its implementation is an important next-step in ensuring responsible adoption.
DeepSeek is a modern Sputnik moment for West
The release of China’s latest DeepSeek artificial intelligence model is a strategic and geopolitical shock as much as it is a shock to stockmarkets around the world. This is a field into which US investors have been pumping hundreds of billions of dollars, and which many commentators predicted would be led by Silicon Valley for the foreseeable future.
Trump's inaugural speech: the clues in what he said—and didn't say | The Strategist
The global security implications of Donald Trump’s inauguration speech can be best summed up by two quotes that bookended his 30-minute remarks. The first was an emphasis on his familiar ‘America First’ philosophy. Literally three sentences beyond the requisite acknowledgements, Trump said: ‘We will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.
Editors' picks for 2024: 'Australia’s climate ambitions have a modern slavery problem: examining the origins of our big batteries'
Originally published on 6 September 2024. Republication of this report today follows news on 6 January 2025 that the US Defense Department had added CATL to its list of companies that work with the Chinese military. Several big battery projects in Australia vital for storing renewable energy to meet the nation’s climate goals are highly likely to be using materials sourced through the forced labour of Uyghur and other Turkic ethnic groups in China, ASPI research has found.
Stop the World: TSD Summit Sessions: How to navigate the deep fake and disinformation minefield with Nina Jankowicz
The Sydney Dialogue is over, but never fear, we have more TSD content coming your way! This week, ASPI’s David Wroe speaks to Nina Jankowicz, global disinformation expert and author of the books How to Lose the Information War and How to Be a Woman Online. Nina takes us through the trends she is seeing in disinformation across the globe, and offers an assessment of who does it best, and whether countries like China and Iran are learning from Russia.
Australia's climate ambitions have a modern slavery problem: examining the origins of our big batteries
Several big battery projects in Australia vital for storing renewable energy to meet the nation’s climate goals are highly likely to be using materials sourced through the forced labour of Uyghur and other Turkic ethnic groups in China, ASPI research has found. ASPI has examined the supply chains for big battery projects across various Australian states and found that, even when the batteries are sourced from US-based companies, critical components are still obtained from Chinese suppliers.
Stop the World:Arbitrary detention on the rise and freedom of press on the decline with Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert
Skip to main navigation Skip to content Skip to sidebar Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site news Stop the World:Arbitrary detention on the rise and freedom of press on the decline with Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert Stop the World:Arbitrary detention on the rise and freedom of press on the decline with Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert Today we have a double episode special on arbitrary detention and the decline of press freedoms, with two people...
National Security, disinformation and the media: In-conversation with David E. Sanger
In an era in which disinformation is a growing national security vulnerability, strategic rivalry is intensifying, and trust in traditional institutions is declining, the value of a strong, independent and reliable news media has never been more important. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is pleased to announce that David E.
Stop the World: Understanding AUSMIN, with Kim Beazley and Marise Payne
Skip to main navigation Skip to content Skip to sidebar Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site news Stop the World: Understanding AUSMIN, with Kim Beazley and Marise Payne Stop the World: Understanding AUSMIN, with Kim Beazley and Marise Payne AUSMIN (Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations) – what is it, how did it come about, and why is it important?
National security, disinformation and the media: In-conversation with David E. Sanger
Skip to main navigation Skip to content Skip to sidebar Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site event National security, disinformation and the media: In-conversation with David E. Sanger National security, disinformation and the media: In-conversation with David E. Sanger Speakers David E.
The enemy within - Openforum
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s interview this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin showcased a seductive but dangerous myth. Carlson got the reaction he deserved from most mainstream foreign affairs commentators: ridicule at his Dorothy Dixers to a master manipulator of information and narrative. Over two hours, Putin systematically hit his talking points aimed at turning MAGA supporters and similarly disgruntled European voters against Western support for Ukraine.
Free speech, free market of ideas
INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTTucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin and the Pernicious Myth of the Free Market of Ideas Published 28 February 2024 The so-called free market of ideas asserts that if we encourage all points of view into the digital town square and let them thrash it out according to the natural laws of competition, good ideas will flourish, and bad ones will sink. The wrongheadedness of this idea needs to be called out.
Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin and the pernicious myth of the free market of ideas
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s interview this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin showcased a seductive but dangerous myth. Carlson got the reaction he deserved from most mainstream foreign affairs commentators: ridicule at his Dorothy Dixers to a master manipulator of information and narrative. Over two hours, Putin systematically hit his talking points aimed at turning MAGA supporters and similarly disgruntled European voters against Western support for Ukraine.
PGM: Offensive cyber operations; election integrity and disinformation
This week, Dr Alex Caples speaks to Emily Harding from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies about offensive cyber operations and how to respond. They discuss how governments are integrating cyber operations with more traditional military planning, as well as responses to cyber-attacks, and how to deter in the cyber domain. With more than 2 billion people in over 70 countries expected to vote this year, 2024 has been dubbed the year of elections.
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