PM Albanese to outline AI safety and policy guardrails in Sydney speech

PM Albanese to outline AI safety and policy guardrails in Sydney speech

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver a highly anticipated speech in Sydney on Wednesday, where he is expected to characterize the progress of artificial intelligence as an inflection point for society comparable to the renewable energy transition. The address aims to address growing concerns regarding social licence and the implementation of policy guardrails for AI, datacentres, and the profit big tech companies derive from Australian intellectual property.

Labor sources indicate the Prime Minister will focus his remarks on compliance and safety, specifically addressing defence implications and building community trust regarding workforce changes. The government is also examining the development of energy-intensive infrastructure, such as datacentres. While the sector is potentially worth billions to the economy, Labor has observed heated community division over datacentres in other countries.

Insiders have compared the policy challenges of AI to those previously presented by social media, suggesting that proactive planning will be more effective than waiting for technological change to arrive. This approach follows months of intense lobbying and differing views among senior ministers on how to navigate political and policy pitfalls. The development of the policy has been led by Tim Ayres, the industry minister, and Andrew Charlton, the assistant minister for science, technology and the digital economy.

Public sentiment remains divided on the technology. According to a Guardian Essential poll from May, 36% of voters believe AI carries more risk than opportunity, while 41% view risk and opportunity as roughly equal. Only 22% of respondents believe AI offers more opportunity than risk.

Health Minister Mark Butler described the upcoming speech as a blend of principles and guardrails, with a particular emphasis on privacy, data, and safety risks. Speaking to Channel Nine, Butler questioned whether the nation is harnessing all opportunities of the technology while ensuring benefits are shared by more than just a few.

An invitation to the event states that the speech will cover the challenges and opportunities of AI and the resulting responsibility this creates for government. It further notes that the government intends to apply values of fairness and opportunity to ensure AI earns its social licence without fragmenting our society or damaging our environment.

The policy push comes amid tensions with global AI firms over intellectual property. Documents released under freedom of information laws reveal that Treasury officials warned Jim Chalmers that the AI giant Anthropic viewed Australia’s policy uncertainty as a major impediment to new investments. Ahead of an April meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, briefing notes predicted the company would claim its investment is contingent on clarity of copyright settings and a desire for certainty over their liability to rights holders.

Anthropic reportedly warned that while deals can be made with large rights holders, a long tail of smaller holders hinders efforts to purchase licensing rights. Treasury officials recommended that Chalmers encourage Anthropic to engage with the attorney general’s department to ensure media and creative industries are fairly compensated within the existing copyright framework. Despite these pressures, senior ministers insisted on Monday that creative industries would not be sold out. Additionally, the government has ruled out including AI companies in its news bargaining incentive.

In separate FOI documents, Tim Ayres was urged by his department to inform Anthropic that benefits from AI investments must accrue to Australians and the economy, though the documents also state the government desires an enduring collaboration with the firm.

This focus on AI is part of a broader strategic vision for Australia leading toward 2050. Speaking at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) State of the Nation Conference in Canberra, Albanese stated that the nation's prosperity will be defined by its response to global shifts, including AI, changing supply chains, and the clean energy transition. He argued that Australia must shape AI rather than be shaped by it, stating you can’t stop progress.

Albanese also noted that while some jobs existing today will not exist in 10 years, technological change will create new opportunities. He linked this future growth to stronger regional partnerships, specifically elevating ties with India and stabilising relations with China, to ensure Australia emerges as a more resilient nation through innovation and domestic manufacturing.