Australian Prime Minister to Outline AI Principles

The prime minister will deliver a speech on Wednesday titled AI in Australia’s interests that sets out new principles and policies on the use of AI. The address will urge firms to earn a social licence while addressing concerns over job losses and energy use tied to data centres.

One Nation and residents’ groups have increased campaigns against data centre projects. The speech follows rising overseas opposition to such facilities and concerns about worker displacement after years of high inflation.

AI companies have offered to create a fund for artists in exchange for a copyright exemption. Labor has rejected the proposal, leaving talks deadlocked over whether copyright laws should be waived for model training. Government sources said the preferred approach is for companies to reach direct agreements with copyright holders, similar to recent deals between news publishers and technology firms.

A government spokesman stated that the government encourages the tech industry and the creative sector to find workable solutions that support innovation while ensuring creators are fairly compensated. Anthropic has indicated that a proposed $21.5 billion investment in Australia, which would make the country its second home for training models, depends on updated copyright laws.

A report last week from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations found that AI has not yet produced a major effect on employment, though early signs showed weaker job growth in areas most exposed to the technology.

The Business Council of Australia opposes granting unions a veto over how AI is used in workplaces. Its head stated that the best available evidence shows fears of mass job displacement have not materialised and that regulatory responses should be proportionate to the evidence.