NSW government ‘absolutely thrilled’ to welcome OpenAI ... until someone mentioned the Terminator films

OpenAI has partnered with datacentre operator NextDC to build a multibillion dollar computing cluster in Sydney. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says the city is ‘a highly desirable location’. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters View image in fullscreen OpenAI has partnered with datacentre operator NextDC to build a multibillion dollar computing cluster in Sydney. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, says the city is ‘a highly desirable location’. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters NSW government ‘absolutely thrilled’ to welcome OpenAI ... until someone mentioned the Terminator films Emails sent between MP Anoulak Chanthivong’s staff take cautious approach to AI giant arriving in Sydney – despite the government’s encouragement Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The NSW technology minister’s office removed a reference to being “absolutely thrilled” about OpenAI opening a Sydney office after staffers joked a dystopian Skynet could be headed for the city within five years. Artificial intelligence giant OpenAI announced its first Australian office in August last year, before opening in December. In emails tabled in NSW parliament this week, and provided to Guardian Australia, staff members in technology minister Anoulack Chanthivong’s office debated the phrasing of media comments welcoming the announcement. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email What started out as: “The Minns Labor government is absolutely thrilled to welcome the news that OpenAI will open its first Australian office, right here in Sydney , later this year”, subsequently had “absolutely thrilled” removed, leaving just “welcomes the news”. “Fine – I will roll out ‘golden era’ next time,” the minister’s deputy chief of staff replied after the suggested changes. “I’m still convinced we’re headed for a Skynet situation in the next 5 years so don’t want to be on record endorsing any ‘golden era’,” another staffer joked. View image in fullscreen Photograph: NSW Parliament View image in fullscreen Screenshots of emails from NSW tech minister's office joking about SkyNet in an amended a press release last year on OpenAI opening a Sydney office. Photograph: NSW Parliament Skynet is the Terminator film series’ fictional artificial intelligence , which achieves sentience and wipes out billions of people on Judgment Day. Despite the staff members’ restraint, the documents reveal how fervently members of the NSW government were courting the US tech company before its decision to open a Sydney office. In a meeting between Chanthivong and OpenAI to encourage the company to invest in NSW in June last year, key messages included that Sydney was the number one startup location in the southern hemisphere, attracting 65% of all venture capital in Australia, and was home of tech companies Atlassian, Canva and Afterpay. It was also suggested the minister should tell OpenAI that major US tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, AWS and IBM, had Austr