We are unlikely to see similar growth-orientated tech and digital initiatives this year, not that the National Party, which owns most of the tech-related policy, isn’t interested in spending on tech, which it sees as an economic growth enabler.

All of that data we generate in our day-to-day lives is valuable grist to the mill for the tech companies seeking to train their AI systems.

Australia faces many of the problems we do at the moment, but is fundamentally a wealthier country, which is why the last few budgets there have seen left and right-leaning governments alike make some big investments in tech and knowledge economy initiatives they hope will lift salaries and high value exports in the longrun.

A report from ultrafast broadband network operator Chrous and the Internet of Things Alliance suggests at least $2.2 billion in net economic benefit could be created in the next decade through the use of networked IoT devices.

With one in four people around the world reporting being lonely, it is no wonder so many are drawn to the promise of a friend programmed to be “always here to listen and talk, always on your side”.

Now’s a good time to think to the future, to the growth times that will no doubt come, and the tech skills, AI or otherwise, that will help you make the most of them.