The Australian Treasury released its latest Intergenerational Report, which outlines five key economic transitions for the next 40 years. Artificial intelligence is highlighted as a primary driver of future productivity, alongside clean energy, an aging population, geopolitical shifts, and the transition toward a services-based economy.
The report notes that agentic AI systems have achieved performance levels exceeding human capabilities in specific benchmarks. Despite this focus on technological advancement, the document does not mention digital assets or cryptocurrency, marking a continuation of the trend from previous editions of the report.
Coinbase Australia country director John O’Loghlen stated that the report overlooks the essential financial infrastructure required for future AI agents. He emphasized that automated, machine-to-machine transactions will necessitate programmable and interoperable payment systems to function effectively.
While the Intergenerational Report omits digital assets, the Treasury’s separate Financial Innovation Strategy, released on September 3, discusses the intersection of AI and financial infrastructure. The Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre previously estimated that digital finance innovations could yield AUD 24 billion in annual economic gains.
