Australian AI Startup Greenroom Robotics Secures AUKUS Exemption to Expand Autonomous Naval Tech

An Australian artificial intelligence startup, Greenroom Robotics, has received a landmark AUKUS exemption licence from the Australian government, marking a major step in international defence collaboration. This licence allows the company to share sensitive data and technology with defence contractors in the United States and United Kingdom, under the AUKUS security partnership. The exemption is one of the first since the countries streamlined defence trade rules in 2024 to accelerate the development of nuclear-powered submarines and other advanced systems.

The company’s co-founder, Harry Hubbert, a former Royal Australian Navy engineer, stated that the exemption would significantly boost joint projects and autonomous vessel trials with British and American defence companies. Greenroom Robotics develops software that functions as the “brain” of crewless vessels, integrating with systems such as rudders, engines, and radar—mimicking human navigators. Their software has already been tested on various platforms, from small research boats to full-scale offshore patrol vessels.

Greenroom is currently collaborating with Austal Australia, a key naval shipbuilder, and Subsea Craft in the UK to test its tactical watercraft. The AI-driven system has both military and civilian applications, including ocean surveillance and environmental monitoring like whale tracking. Hubbert emphasized that this technology could revolutionize how maritime tasks are conducted, particularly in Australia’s vast and remote ocean territories.

The AUKUS exemption simplifies previously rigid regulations under the U.S. International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which had slowed defence cooperation. This development is expected to accelerate innovation and deployment of dual-use technologies, especially in underwater and autonomous systems—key areas in the trilateral alliance’s long-term strategic objectives.

Looking ahead, Greenroom aims to leverage AUKUS not only for military-grade vessel autonomy but also to tap into the broader UK and U.S. markets. With 80% of the ocean floor still uncharted, Hubbert argues autonomous vessels equipped with AI like Greenroom’s can help close critical knowledge gaps for research, security, and global maritime trade. This exemption marks a crucial turning point for Australia’s emerging defence tech sector on the international stage.

Source: Reuters