Using AI to speed up Australia’s environmental approvals risks ‘robodebt-style’ failures, scientists say

Conservationists say move could push species closer to extinction and clearer environmental rules are needed instead

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Conservationists and scientists have warned a mining lobby proposal to use artificial intelligence to speed up national environmental approvals could generate “robodebt-style” failures, putting threatened species at further risk.

The Minerals Council of Australia has asked the government to spend $13m to trial the use of AI to help companies prepare applications and help the federal government make decisions.