Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that Australia’s copyright laws could change as the government seeks to attract investment from major artificial-intelligence companies. Speaking during a visit to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, Mr Albanese said Australia needed to be “forward leaning” in responding to a technology that was developing rapidly.
The government is consulting on copyright proposals after companies including Anthropic and OpenAI identified the rules as a potential obstacle to investment. The companies are concerned that using copyrighted material without authorisation to train AI models could breach Australian law.
Mr Albanese said writers, musicians and other creators should maintain control over their intellectual property and receive payment when their work is used. However, he left open an “opt out” approach that would reverse the current expectation that companies seek permission before using copyrighted material. The government is not proposing to give AI companies unrestricted access to copyrighted works, according to the supplied source.
The prime minister also argued for international coordination on AI regulation. He said he would discuss global rules with like-minded leaders at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, warning that humans needed to remain in control as the technology advanced. “Sitting on the sidelines” was not an option, he said, describing AI as a global phenomenon with both benefits and risks.
Australia is developing national standards covering AI and data centres, including safety, environmental and industrial requirements. Mr Albanese said he hoped the standards would be legislated early next year, while acknowledging the need to mitigate risks associated with AI’s development.
His visit to Apple included a 45-minute closed-door meeting with executive chairman Tim Cook and a demonstration of new parental controls. The features, which are to be introduced in Australia, allow parents to manage apps, content and contacts, set time limits and detect some images containing nudity, gore or violence. Mr Albanese said the controls were partly inspired by Australian social-media reforms and described the meeting as a “proud moment.”