If Australia is truly going to coax major AI companies to choose us rather than the other suitor nations with similar ambitions, some tough decisions need to be made soon.

As One Nation and residents groups ramp up campaigns against data centres, the prime minister will deliver a speech on Wednesday, titled AI in Australia’s interests.

The prime minister will emphasise the technology’s “pivotal” role in resuscitating productivity and warn of extremists and hostile states using it “to spread disinformation that…