HP Education Ambassador Mr Brett Salakas explores how AI could bridge Australia’s digital divide – if access, infrastructure, and training reach every student, everywhere.
The ‘digital divide’ in Australia is not new. For decades, we have spoken about the gap in technology access between metropolitan and remote communities, between well-resourced and under-resourced schools, and between families who can afford the latest devices and those who cannot. But with the rise of artificial intelligence, that divide has shifted. It is no longer simply a question of who has a laptop or an internet connection. The pressing question is now: who has access to AI tools, and the skills to use them well?
Last year, the Australian Federal Government released a report titled Study buddy or influencer: Inquiry into the use of generative artificial intelligence in the Australian education system. It included a statement that deserves attention: “AI presents an unprecedented opportunity to bridge the digital divide.” This is true. AI can provide personalised learning resources, translation for students from diverse backgrounds, and adaptive tools for learners with additional needs. But the same technology, if poorly implemented, could deepen the divide. When access to AI is limited to those with the latest devices, reliable internet, and trained teachers, we risk creating an ‘AI divide’ layered on top of the digital divide we already know.
AI’s two faces in the digital divide
AI has extraordinary potential to make education more equitable. A well-trained AI model can deliver high-quality explanations in any language, give instant feedback on student writing, adapt maths problems to a learner’s skill level, or simulate a lab experiment in a school without a science lab. For rural and remote students, AI could bring expert instruction and resources into classrooms that would otherwise go without.
Yet without careful policy and targeted investment, AI could also exacerbate inequity. Schools in regional areas may struggle to run AI tools if internet bandwidth is insufficient. Teachers without professional development may feel overwhelmed or unsure how to integrate AI effectively. Students in low-income households may never get to use these tools at home.
AI is a tide that is rising quickly, but whether it lifts all boats or leaves some grounded will depend entirely on the infrastructure, training, and cultural considerations we put in place now.
Learning from Switzerland’s Sovereign AI
Internationally, there are lessons to draw from countries taking proactive steps to ensure AI works for their citizens. Switzerland’s creation of a Sovereign LLM, a large language model owned and operated within its borders, is one example. Its goals are threefold:
- Enhanced data security, ensuring sensitive information remains within national infrastructure.
- Cultural representation, embedding Swiss history, values, and perspectives into the way the model interprets global events.
- Economic opportunity, giving local startups access to the technology so they can compete on a global stage.
Australia could benefit from a similar approach. A sovereign or locally aligned AI system could help protect student data, ensure Australian history and contemporary issues are represented with cultural nuance, and give our emerging tech companies a competitive advantage.
From policy to practice: a Carnarvon story
At the time of writing, I was in Carnarvon, a remote coastal town in Western Australia. For the past few years, in my role as HP Education Ambassador, I have been working with Carnarvon Christian School, a partnership that has grown from delivering devices to building deep professional development for teachers.
Carnarvon is more than 900 kilometres from Perth. Like many remote communities, it faces the tyranny of distance, fluctuating connectivity, limited local resources, and difficulty attracting and retaining specialist staff. Yet it is also a place of creativity, resilience, and determination.
Over our years of partnership, we have seen remarkable progress. Teachers have grown in confidence and competence with technology, integrating digital tools into their lessons in meaningful ways. Students who once struggled with engagement are now leaning forward, participating actively in projects that connect them to the wider world. Even behaviour in the classroom has improved as technology is used to make learning more interactive and relevant.
Right now, we are in the middle of our AIdeas for Good Design thinking challenge. Students have been tasked with identifying a real-world problem in their community and exploring how AI could help solve it. The energy in the room is electric. Some groups are working on environmental monitoring tools, others are exploring AI for local language preservation, and a few are tackling health and wellbeing solutions tailored for remote communities. It is AI made real, and made local.
Our work here is part of a broader HP commitment to supporting equitable access to technology and skills. This includes our HP AI Teacher Academy, HP Digital Skills for Educators, HP Gaming Garage, and the wide range of free courses on the EdX platform. These initiatives aim to give both educators and students the knowledge, confidence, and creative freedom to use AI and digital tools effectively, no matter where they live.
Practical actions for bridging the divide
For Australia to ensure AI narrows, rather than widens, the divide, several actions are essential:
- AI Literacy for All – Fund training programs for educators and students, particularly in regional and remote areas, to ensure confident and ethical AI use.
- Infrastructure Investment – Improve device access, internet connectivity, and technical support in underserved communities.
- Sovereign AI Development – Create locally aligned AI systems to safeguard data, reflect Australian cultural perspectives, and support local innovation.
- Startup Support – Foster ecosystems where Australian entrepreneurs can develop AI tools for education and export them to the world.
- Policy Agility – Education policy must evolve at the pace of technological change, not years behind it.
The urgency and the opportunity
The Australian Federal Government is right. AI is an opportunity to bridge the digital divide. But opportunities are only realised through deliberate action. Without equal access, skill development, and cultural alignment, AI could easily become the latest in a long line of educational technologies that benefit some while leaving others behind.
From Carnarvon to Canberra, the challenge is the same. We must ensure that every student, whether in a city skyscraper or a remote coastal town, can access and shape the future of AI.
The task ahead is to make sure that in the AI era, opportunity is something every Australian learner can count on. That is the real bridge we need to build.
About the author
Mr Brett Salakas, HP Education Ambassador, is a global keynote speaker, best-selling author of A Mammoth Lesson: Teaching in the Digital Age, and founder of #aussieED. A leading voice on LinkedIn in K-12 Education, Mr Salakas was named Australia’s Most Influential Educator (2024) and recognised globally as one of education’s top 100 leaders.
